When we moved into our current home, we took on a lot of DIY projects. We hired out the bathroom renovation and got taken for a good bit of money and left with a job half done. Out of money and patience, it was time to take home improvement into our own hands.
The first thing that had to be done was installation of a tile floor to finish the bathroom. Honestly, I was afraid I would get started, make a mess, and have to hire someone to come in and finish the bathroom floor tile.
With the help of a friend and a little advice from my Dad I not only got tile installed in the bathroom. We were able to cover the atrocious ’70s vinyl floor in the kitchen and place tile flooring in a huge basement room that became a family room game room.
Installing tile flooring on your own is not too difficult for you to do, and when you do it yourself you will save a bundle of money on labor.
How to Install Tile Floors: Prepare the surface area
Remove old flooring, although ceramic tiles can be laid over linoleum. It is important to remove all debris from the floor. If you there is not cement underlay on your floor, you will have to install that first. You can buy a cement underlay for tile from Home Depot or Lowe’s. A cement underlay provides a barrier between the tile floor, which may get wet, and the wood floor foundation.
How to Install Tile Floors: Gather your supplies
Your supply list is pretty short, but everything is crucial:
Tiles
Tile spacers
Tile adhesive (mastic)
Metal, grooved trowel
Metal tape measure
Chalk Line
Grout
Marking Pencil
Wet or dry tile cutter (A wet cutter is easiest to use and relatively inexpensive $60-$80 for a small tile cutter for home improvement projects).
How to Install Tile Floors: Prepare your tile layout
In order to lay tile straight and finish with even tiles around the wall you have to start in the center of the floor.
Measure to the center point of each wall. Layout straight lines from the center point of each wall across the middle by snapping the chalk line. The lines cross in the center of the floor. This is where you will begin laying tile.
Lay dry tiles in a row from one wall to the mid-point. Use the chalk line as a guide. Use spacers, placed upright, even in the dry layout. Spacers help keep tiles lined up nicely and give your floor a nice finished look when grouted.
Lay another row of tiles perpendicular to the first. Use spacers with this row of tiles, as well.
Tiles usually never fit a floor space exactly. You will be able to measure and mark tile cuts by overlapping tiles where they meet the wall.
Make sure that the lines to each wall are square. You can use a tape measure or a carpenter’s square.
How to Install Tiles: Lay tiles beginning from the center of the floor
.Begin laying tiles at the center of the floor where the perpendicular lines meet. Spread mastic evenly and not too thickly on the floor where the tile belongs. Put the tile in place, and then begin to lay tiles moving outward in a square from the center.
Don’t forget to use tile spacers as you lay your new tile floor.
Don’t step on the floor until the mastic is given complete drying time. Drying time is generally 12 to 24 hours. You will find the exact drying time on the canister of mastic.
How to Install Tiles: Grout the floor
One of the neatest things about laying tile flooring is the availability of a variety of grout colors.
Once the tile is dry, mix and apply grout, filling spaces between tiles evenly. Pull out tile spacers as you go.
Don’t get in a hurry to grout the floor once it is laid and dry. It is easiest to clean up excess grout as you go. It is also much easier to clean if you keep the mess to a minimum.
How to Install Tiles: You can do it yourself
Laying tile is not a difficult do it yourself home improvement project. The most difficult part is making measurements to the center of the floor and cutting tiles to fit along the wall, and both of those are easy steps in installing your tile floor.
You will be surprised how easy it is to install tile flooring on your own.
You will also be very proud of the finished tile floor. This DIY home improvement project that will turn out looking great.
