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Ceramic tile is designed to be laid over concrete floors, but we can lay it over wood floors if the necessary preparations are done first. In new construction, it is common practice to install a second sheet of 5/8" plywood over the existing sub-floor of 5/8" tongue and groove plywood, giving a total thickness of 1 1/4". Older houses that have 3/4" shiplap for their sub-floor and also a layer of 3/4" hardwood, don't need the second sheet of plywood. Just roughen the surface up with a belt sander for better adhesion of the mortar. For those floors with a layer of vinyl flooring or tile, rather than try to tear it off and leave chunks of tile and glue behind, I would cover it with 1/4" structure wood (or plywood) designed for underlay of vinyl flooring. Nail it down every 4" or 6" on center, according to the manufacturers instructions. The main point here is to have a good, strong, thick area for the tile to rest on. Ceramic tile does not have to bend or flex much before it cracks, so we want to lay it on a surface that is solid. Concrete floors can be patched and any depressions filled with floor levelling compound made specifically for concrete.
If the floor you are covering is in the bathroom, lift the toilet up and clean the area around the floor flange well. After the grout is dry re-install the toilet with a new wax seal. Refer to my article Removing and Replacing Plumbing Fixtures for more details. Don’t bother trying to get under the tub or shower, just come to it and after grouting apply a bead of silicon caulk on top of the tiles and against the tub or shower skirt. If in a bedroom, remove the closet doors and main door, you will find this easier to work around.
Ceramic tile is sold by the square foot, no matter what the actual size of the tile itself. No need to figure out how many tiles you need, just figure out your area to be covered and go see your ceramic tile outlet for samples and costs for your particular area. They will advise you of the thin set mortar and grout needed for your particular job. Also, buy your correct notched trowel, sponge float and sponge for the grout while you are there. Other tools you need is a tile cutter (purchase or rent), a tile wet saw (rent) or angle grinder with diamond blade. Tile nippers and grout remover may also be handy. There are mortar and additives (bonding agents) to enable you to install the tile right over an existing surface of ceramic tile or vinyl flooring, providing these surfaces are in good shape and stuck down well. So inform the salesperson of your particular job and include the details so they can advise you appropriately. They will suggest the choice and colour of grout for your tiles; floor tiles have a sanded grout that stands up better for foot traffic. Wall tiles use a non-sanded grout. Watch when installing your sanded grout around hardwood or finished wood. As the name 'sanded' implies, it is rough on finished wood. When grouting next to hardwood or painted wood, I try to make sure the wood is either covered with a couple of coats of Varathane® clear finish or painted with the finish coat of semi-gloss paint. The cement in grout has the ability to turn un-finished hardwood, especially oak, black when in contact with it. Having the oak pre-finished will alleviate this problem. Have a damp rag handy to keep it clean.
Okay, you have your ceramic tile all piled up in your kids basement bedroom, the floor is secure, nailed up and tight with the correct thickness, or the concrete is clean and any holes patched. Let's start the layout.
Measure the room or area for the center of the room in both directions. Lay the tiles down on the floor—dry (no mortar), up against the center mark. Leave the space you want between them and actually see where the tiles will come and see how much of a tile you need from the full tile to the wall. If this is a sliver or narrow piece, center the tile with the center mark, rather than up against it and lay the tiles out again. Refer to this drawing.
The space between tiles is variable from about 1/16" to 1/4". 3/16" is an average spacing. There are tile spacers available, but I tend to shy away from these. One reason is if you tend to wander off the line or need adjustment to get back on, forget about the spacers. Novices get too dependent on them and if the tile is running out, spacers won’t let them correct the situation. I’m talking about a sixteenth here, not a quarter of an inch. The point is try to keep your line straight and give up the spacing to do so, within reason, of course. Laying tile is a visual thing; keep the lines straight and spaces even as much as possible.
When you have determined where you are going to start, whether on the center mark or beside it, let’s lay out the tile lines. Place the tile where you want it and mark one edge of the tile. Take a measurement from this mark to the side of the long length of the room and transfer marks at each end of the room. Determine the difference, if any, between the sides of the room and split any difference. Snap a chalk line between these two marks. Next determine where the tiles will go for the short dimension of the room by following the same procedure. Place the tile on the side or center mark, with one edge of the tile along the snap line. Mark the edge of the tile. This cross line has to be square with the snap line already on the floor. To do this, either use a 4' drywall square, do the 3, 4, 5 measurements or very carefully and precisely lay the tiles out 90 degrees with the snap line. Keep the tiles tight together and in line. This isn’t a very accurate way of squaring a line so check it again for square with the 3, 4, 5 method. Remember in school we learned about Pythagorus’ Theorem, that with a 90 degree triangle the sum of the area of each side equals the area of the hypotenuse. That’s where we get the 3, 4, 5 method. If one side is 3' or 6' or 9' and another side is 4' or 8' or 12', the hypotenuse (the side opposite the 90 degree angle) is 5', 10' or 15' respectively. Do the math (a2 + b2 = c2, where a = 3, b = 4 and c = 5) or take my word for it. Okay, now we have a line near the center line of the room in both directions and these lines are square with each other.
Where’s the door? Don’t tile yourself into a corner like a painter. Start on the quarter of the room away from the door, so you don’t have to walk on the tiles to get out. Don’t walk on them for at least 8 hours. The reason I start in the middle of the room and on one side like this is that it cuts the possibility of error in half. Rather than starting at the end of the room and proceeding to the other end, start half way and lay the tiles towards the walls, away from the door.
Mix up the thin set mortar. A power mixer with a 1/2" chuck works well. Start with water in a five gallon bucket, add your mortar, stir it up and add more until all of a sudden it is a thick even paste. Set your timer for 10 minutes. In the mean time clean up the mixer tool right away and leave the mortar to slake for 10 minutes. These instructions should be on your bag; follow your bag's instructions if they are different than mine. If you have the special circumstance of having to add bonding agent then just use the liquid bonding agent without water. There again follow the instructions that came with your mortar and bonding agent. Alright, the bell tolled for the end of the 10 minutes, let’s get to work.
Apply the mortar with the proper trowel. Do a small area at a time, don’t let it dry out before getting the tiles on. Start on one side of the line, don’t cover the line with mortar; just come close to it. Place your first tile’s edge on the line and work towards the wall. Lay the tile down into the mortar and give them a slight twist into position. The mortar should be applied leaving small peaks and valleys created by the trowel. Scrape the trowel’s edge down to the floor to keep all the peaks the same.
Do a couple of rows, then cut the tile against the wall to fit. Most tile cutters have an edge guide so you can set it and cut more than one tile the same size. Allow for the space when cutting the tile. Try to get as close to the wall as possible, remember that the base board will cover 3/8" or so, depending on what you buy. Adjust the guide on the cutter if you notice the spacing is getting a bit out. I find very useful a small length of 3/4" stock about a foot long and 2 or 3 inches wide. I use this to run along the snap line side of the tiles to keep them straight, then along the 90 degree edge of the tiles themselves. If the block moves along the tile line smoothly without bumping into a projecting tile the lines remain nice and straight.
Another trick I use is to measure from the edge of the tile to the opposite tile including the space between them. As the tiles are laid out and the area gets larger, take a few measurements from the snap line to the tile against the wall and from the starting cross line to the end of the square you’ve just done. If everything measures out the same in both directions and the tiles are straight along the snap line and the cross line, obviously the spaces are going to be even and straight as well. This is how I get away with not using spacers. I also sight along the tile line continually. Get your eyeball right down there on the floor and look along the line of tiles. Better to move the tiles a bit now than after they are held in place with the dried mortar.
If you come to a stopping point where you have to cut a tile on an inside corner, make sure you scrape any mortar off the floor before it dries with the smooth side of the trowel. Were you wondering what that side and end were for? I usually do all the full and part tiles that can be done with the cutter first, then mark all the inside corners at one time and take them outside and cut them. You can rent the tile saw for cutting these inside corners or you can take them down to your tile supplier, who will cut them for you, for a fee. You can also purchase the saw, but it is pretty expensive for one job. I bought a little ceramic tile blade, 4 1/2" , for my angle grinder that works very well. Cost is about $50 for a diamond blade, but was well worth it. A carborundum blade on a table saw doesn’t work very well compared with the diamond blade. When you get near the end of the wall, remember to add the cut tiles and corner tile while there is still room to get in there. We don’t want to walk on the tiles now.
Okay there you have it, one side of the room is done. If you want to do the other side before the tiles are dry enough to walk on you will have to transfer a line near the wall, at the opposite end of the room to the door, so you can reach this row as well as the cut row against the wall. You know exactly where this row will be; just measure the tile line on the existing row from the cross line and transfer the line over with a snap line. Start laying the tiles on this line and cut the wall tiles before you can’t reach them. Now aim towards the door. If the closet is further away from the door in a bedroom do this first, leaving the area in front of the door until the last.
Now, leave the tiles to dry over night and get ready for the grout in the morning.
Grouting is easy, but time consuming. Before mixing the grout, check out the tile job. Check to be sure no mortar is oozing out of the grout joints. Scrape them clean, there is a tool for this or use a screwdriver or knife. Vacuum the tiles and joints clean. Wet your sponge and dampen the face of the tiles removing any dust as well. Mix up the grout as you did with the mortar and let it slake as well for 10 minutes or so.
Dump the bucket of grout on the tiles and spread it out and into the joints thoroughly using the sponge float. Work at a diagonal to the joints, scraping off as much grout as you can with the float. Use up the grout in your bucket. If the grout on the surface of the tile is drying, wash out the grout bucket and bring some fresh water and your sponge into the room. Wipe off the excess grout from the face of the tiles, continually rinsing the sponge off with clean water. At the same time as you are washing the surface of the grout, you are smoothing the grout lines. Don’t do this too early, otherwise you'll remove the grout, but just work the grout lines until they are smooth and even. A slight residue of grout on the tiles is okay, this can be wiped off tomorrow with a dry cloth. Just be careful that if you used a dark color for the grout and the tile is a light color with a rough texture, the grout doesn’t stain the tiles. The shinier the tiles, the easier the grout will come off. Just be aware that a flat finish, textured tile may be stained by the grout especially along the grout lines.
That’s it. In eight hours or so, wipe the tiles clean with a dry rag and enjoy your new floor.
As with the floor tiles the surface on which wall tiles are mounted must be in good shape. Tiles for a shower should be installed on cement board with a transition to drywall near the top and sides. Mud the joints and prime them with sealer before installing the tile. Around a cabinet, back splash drywall backing is okay as long as it is primed first, plywood is also acceptable. There is plastic edging available to trim up a back splash or shower top. There are, of course, edging tiles with a rounded over look that are very expensive compared to the rest of the tile. Silicon caulk is also an option for finishing the edge of wall tile. I prefer plastic trim, especially if the tile is white. Your tile supplier can show you these products to compare their aesthetic value to their monetary value.
Wall tiles are installed with an adhesive rather than a mortar. Here, as with floor tile, get the appropriate notched trowel, they are not the same tool. The sponge float and sponge can be used for both jobs, however. As with the floor tile, layout your wall and see where the tile will be centered, whether on the center line or beside it. For a shower, I lay the full tiles on the outside edge of the wall and cut the tiles to fit the inside corner. Start at the tub or shower rim with a full tile and go up from there and stop about 72 to 76 inches from the floor. This allows the arm and flange of the shower head to be above the tile at 78". If you want the tile to go tight to the ceiling, I would start with a full tile at the ceiling and cut the tile at the rim. Watch this, though; you don’t want a thin sliver of a piece to cut at the rim, so in this case add a cut piece at the top and bottom. That is why a layout is so important before you start tiling. In a shower, feature tiles are sometimes added, especially if the tiles are white or a basic color. They are usually added randomly or in a pattern, so lay them out accordingly.
As with floor tiles the wall should be laid out and a starting line snapped near the center of the wall. This line should be plumb. A level line should be drawn, as well, for reference. Don’t go by the tub rim, they are usually sloped toward the drain. Check this out first to be sure, in your case.
On a back splash for a counter top, the tops are usually installed dead level, making it easy to start with a full tile resting on the counter top. Install all the full tiles first, then mark and cut the part tiles around plugs, faucets and taps. If the faucets and taps or shower control are already installed, try to remove the trim first as it makes for a nicer job if the tiles go behind the trim. These pieces do come off; it may be a trick though to figure out how. The tub faucet will either unscrew or has an allen head (hex head) set screw on the underside that needs to be loosened. Also, remove the cover plate for wall plugs and lift the receptacle flush with the tile before re-installing it. One trick is to use small nuts and washers as spacers under the two screws that hold the receptacle to the box. I’ve also cut short lengths of 3/8" OD (outside diameter) tubing as spacers.
For rounded objects like faucets and taps, I find the angle grinder with the diamond blade great. Use nippers also as a tool for this purpose and clean the edge up with a file or grinder.
Grout the tile the next morning and follow the same procedures as outlined for floor tile.
Take a step back and savor the moment. Good job!
