Installing a Bathroom Ceramic Tile Floor
Preparing the Floor
Because bathrooms floors tend to get wet, tiling is a great option. With tile, you won't have to worry about the water or moisture damaging any wood floor or subfloor. It can be a little slippery when wet though, so using bathmats is a must. Preparing any floor for tile is a must. The subfloor must be dry and level. Most subfloors are either plywood or cement slab and the only difference in the installation is the use of a cement backer board on the plywood. If you see any moisture or water damage to your subfloor, you must find the source and repair or replace the wood. Turn off the water at the shut-off valve to your toilet and remove it before inspecting the subfloor. Sometimes there can be moisture damage between the subfloor and the old flooring that you couldn't see before. If you have a cement subfloor, tape a 15 inch by 15 inch piece of plastic sheeting down on the floor and leave it for 72 hours. If there is moisture under the plastic at the end of that time, then the cement is too damp for flooring and will need to be dried out. Then check the level. If the subfloor, of either type, has high or low spots, they should be repaired. You can sand down high spots and fill low spots with a floor leveler. Once you have that done you are ready to start installation.
Installing the Ceramic Tile
When installing tile over a wood subfloor, you must first install a cement backer board. The board is heavy but easy to cut. Measure the room and use as many full sheets as possible. Then score to fit the rest with a utility knife and bend it over at the score and it should snap off. If it doesn't, just cut through with the utility knife. Screw into the subfloor with cement screws and cover the entire floor. When getting ready to install the tile, do not assume any of your walls are straight. Measure and snap a chalk line to give you a nice straight line. Mix thinset and lay it down with a notched trowel. Start at the tub wall or the longest unobstructed wall. Work in small sections so the thinset doesn't start to set up before you get the tile on it. Lay the first row, placing spacers between the tiles. Then as you lay the next row put spacers between them and the first row. It works well to put them where all four tiles meet. When you get to a place that needs to be cut, measure the space and cut the tile using a wet saw. Cutting the tiles to go around the toilet drain usually requires drawing your measurement on the tile before cutting. Continue until the entire floor is covered and allow the thinset to dry for 24 hours before grouting.
Grouting the Tile
There are two kinds of grout used for tiling, a sanded and unsanded acrylic grout. Acrylic grout is great for wet areas, but is a little harder to work with. It is more commonly used when tiling showers and countertops, than for floors. In either case you will need a grout float to apply the grout. Place some grout on the tile and move it around with the float, pushing the grout into the seams between the tiles. Then go back over the area with the float and remove the excess grout. Keep a bucket of clean water and a large tiling sponge near you. Grout a section and wipe it down. Repeat until the entire floor is grouted. This will need to dry for 24 hours before you seal the grout. Grout sealers come in spray-on or a liquid that you put on with a sponge. The liquid is a better choice for your bathroom floor as you can really soak it into the grout. Give an hour between coats and put on at least three coats of sealer. Now you can put your toilet back on.
Tags: Ceramic Tile, entire floor, subfloor must, will need, backer board, Bathroom Ceramic