How To Tile Floor – 8 Simple, Easy To Follow Steps

You don’t have to be a skilled worker to know how to tile floor.  One person can do it themselves over the course of a weekend with the right tools and know how.  Save money on labor by following the 8 simple steps below.

Initial Considerations

Before starting off with the actual process on how to tile floor, there are basic considerations and factors that you need to take into account. First, much of the success of this job will depend on the kind and quality of the floor on which the tiles will be laid. If there is existing flooring material, this ought to be removed prior to the installation process. The quality and state of the underlying subfloor must be suitable enough to support tile. It should be a flat, rigid surface at least 1 inch thick.  Tiles can be heavy and a less suitable floor can cause the grout to crack which in turn can cause the tiles to break.

If the floor is uneven or damaged, cover it  first with an underlayment to make it a suitable tile base. Concrete floors should have no holes or cracks. If there are cracks, they must be repaired first.  Floors in moist environments should have cement fiber boards sealed with a waterproof covering or other moisture-resistant product as a base. For linoleum flooring, an underlayment on the top of it can be laid out. All in all, just make sure that the surface on which the tile will be installed are smooth and free from debris, grease or wax.

A tip on tile floor design:  Choose a design that will allow you to use the maximum amount of whole tile, decreasing the amount of tiles you will have to cut.  This will save you a lot of time during installation.

How To Tile Floor – The Procedure

Tools Required:

• level
• goggles
• glass cutter
• carpenter’s square
• sponge
• clean rags
• grout float (rubber)
• pencil
• tape  measure
• hammer
• notched trowel or spreader
• tile (field and trim)
• tile spacers
• interior spackling compound
• tile adhesive
• silicone caulk
• silicone grout sealer

1.    The initial step to the actual process is to ensure that the tile will look straight. This can be done by marking a line along the centre of the room using chalk.

2.    After doing that, you will now determine how the tiles will fit by laying them along the line you drew. Should the final gap at the wall be less than half a tile, adjust the tile in order to get half tile width at every room edge by moving them away from the centre line.

3.    You are now ready to apply the tile adhesive. The proper way to do this is to spread it evenly with the use of a notched spreader or trowel. Keep in mind that you must not spread an area that would take you more than 20 minutes to lay out the tile since the adhesive may dry and will no longer effectively and securely keep the tile in place.

4.    Start laying out the tile using a twisting manner in order to ensure  that there will be an even covering of adhesive underneath the tile thus firmly and securely putting it in place.

5.    You will have to place tile spacers between each tile for precise and accurate spacing between each tile. With the use of  a spirit level, always see to it if the tiles are level.

6.    After all of the tiles are properly laid out and installed you must leave the tile in place for 24 hours before you can start the process of grouting.

7.    After 24 hours, remove any thinset from the tile surface or in the joints using a margin trowel. Begin mixing the grout as directed on its package. Then start scooping it out and spreading it to the floor using a rubber float held at a 45 angle to the floor. Fill each joint with grout by moving the float in line with the joints and then diagonally. Start from the edges going towards the center.

8.    The grout should be allowed to set for at most half an hour. See if the grout is now firm to the touch and hazed over.  Then begin wiping off the tile with a damp sponge rinsed often in a bucket of clean water. Do this carefully to avoid removing the grout out of the joints.

Congratulations!  You now have a beautifully tiled floor and have saved yourself hundreds in installation costs!  Don’t forget to bookmark these instructions on How To Tile Floor