Ceramic Tile Floor Installation Tips

Layout - The Key to Good Looking Work

Layout of a tile job is the key to a pro looking job. You need to be sure that you don't end up with tiny pieces at a threshold or along a wall. These always look bad. Rooms are sometimes not square. This means that if you start with a full tile along a wall, you may end up cutting tile or adding slivers of tile.

Chalk a center line each direction in the room. The lines, at the center where they intersect, must be square! Do a 3-4-5 triangle to verify for square. From the center where the two lines cross, measure three feet down one line. Then measure four feet down the other line. Using your tape measure, connect the two dots at the ends of these two lines. If you get exactly five feet the two center lines are square!

Now, take some tiles from a box and begin to lay them out with the proper spacing between them until you get to a wall(s). See what you end up with. Hopefully it will be approximately half a tile. Do the same where the tile will meet another floor. If you can start with a full tile at this location it sometimes looks much better. Remember, this other floor must be square to the tile layout! Adjust your lines until you are satisfied with your layout.

Glue - Thinset - Mastic

The adhesive that you choose depends on several things. If you use a plywood subfloor, an organic or epoxy adhesive is recommended. If you are setting your tile on cementitious board or concrete, a cement based thinset works well. The thickness of the adhesive is a function of the type of tile you are using. Tiles often have different bottom surfaces. Some are smooth, some have lines and some have lugs. If you put on too little adhesive, void spaces will be present under the tile. This can cause tiles to crack under concentrated loads. Too much adhesive will cause the grout lines to fill up with adhesive. This is a mess! The tile manufacturer will always tell you how much adhesive and which type trowel to use.

Cutting Tiles

There are several ways to cut tiles. Many glazed tiles can be scored with a tile cutter and snapped successfully. However, it is tough to do this along an edge if you are trying to just take off 1/2 inch. You can also use a diamond wet or dry saw. The wet saws, with a good blade, make smooth cuts. You can also buy a rod saw made from carborundum that fits in a standard hacksaw. This works fine but is slow going. Finally, a nipper tool will "bite" off chunks of tile for weird cuts.

Grouting

Grouting is difficult. You must work in small areas not allowing the grout you just applied to get too hard. When striking the joints use a grout sponge with rounded edges. Squeeze as much water as possible from the sponge. Too much water weakens the grout! It will crack and powder. Often you may have to rinse the sponge five or six times just to do a one foot by two foot area! Practice in a closet if you have never done this before. A poor grout job will show!