Install Porcelain Tile in Bathrooms
Porcelain tile is commonly used in bathrooms. The bathroom is an area of high moisture, and tile is water resistant. Porcelain tile will last for years. It is durable and is available in many colors, styles and sizes. Hiring a professional to install tile in your bathroom would be costly. You can install the tile yourself for the cost of the supplies if you know measure and mark each bathroom wall that the tile will be installed on.
Instructions
1. Use a tape measure to measure the height and the width of each wall on which you want to install porcelain tile. Find the center point of each wall. Mark the center point of the wall using the marking pencil.
2. Use a chalk line to snap lines directly on the wall from the center point to each edge, right and left. Do the same from the top of the wall to the bottom, snapping a line that is at right angles to the first line. Use a laser level to make sure your lines are level. Use the tape measure to measure out from each line the number of inches wide your porcelain tile is. Make parallel lines off of each center line, including the 1/8-inch space between tiles, until you reach the edges of the wall. Do this both horizontally and vertically. Do this for every wall of the bathroom.
3. Prepare mortar mixture in a pail with water according to the package directions. Find the center point of the wall. Locate the that runs next to it. Hold the first tile in position on the wall, with its edge on the chalk line. Remove the tile, apply mortar to that spot with a trowel, and then lay the tile in the mortar, gently sliding it into position.
4. Apply mortar where the second tile will be laid. Lay the second tile so that one edge is next to the first tile and another edge is on the chalk line. Insert a 1/8-inch spacer ½ inch in corner, between the two tiles. Lay whole tiles, inserting spacers ½ inch in from each tile corner on all sides of each tile.
5. Use a tape measure to measure the space for edge tiles. Measure and mark whole tiles, and cut them with a wet saw to create edge pieces. Lay the edge pieces by applying mortar, sliding the pieces into place, then inserting spacers 1/2 inch in from each tile corner. Allow the mortar to dry for 12 hours.
6. Prepare grout mixture according to package directions. Remove all tile spacers. Use a trowel to smooth the grout mixture between the tiles, where the spaces were. Fill in all cracks between the tiles completely. Promptly remove excess grout mixture from the tile surface using a soft cloth. Use grout sealer once the grout has set for 24 hours. Caulk the junctures between walls and between the walls and the floor.
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