Many homeowners choose ceramic for its durability and style.
Remodeling a bathroom or installing a new bathroom can be a challenge. Many decisions must be made to ensure a well-designed, fully functional bathroom. One such decision is the type of flooring. Tile has become very popular over the last few years. A good, properly installed tile floor can provide many years of enjoyment.
Instructions
1. Test the floor by jumping on it. There should be no bounce in the floor. A bouncy floor must be strengthened by adding another layer of subfloor and adding additional floor joist support, before adding tile. Tile has to be installed on a floor that does not flex more than 1/16th of an inch, or the tile and grout joints could crack.
2. Measure in square feet the area to receive the tile. Divide the area of the floor by the area of the cement board, which is usually 15 or 24 square feet, and this will give you the number of cement boards needed.
3. Cut the cement boards with the circular saw so that they cover the entire floor in as few pieces as possible. Fewer joints means fewer areas that can crack. Cement boards come in two thicknesses, 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch. The 1/4 inch boards are used on floors, and the 1/2 inch boards are used on walls.
4. Mix the cement adhesive as per the bag instructions. You can also use premixed cement. Use the notched trowel to begin applying adhesive to the floor. The trowel should be held at a 45-degree angle during each pass. Make each pass as smooth as possible. Do not place adhesive on the entire floor at once. Work in an area the size of the piece of cement board being placed.
5. Place the fiber cement board on top of the adhesive. Once the entire floor is covered, place fiber cement screws through the fiber cement board with your drill. This will secure the board to the subfloor.
6. Apply some of the adhesive on top of each joint and lay fiberglass joint mesh over the adhesive. This helps reinforce the joint so that the two boards do not move. Allow the adhesive to dry for 24 to 48 hours.
7. Choose the size tile that will be used. Lay out the tiles over the fiber board using tile spacers to see how the tile will look and to see where cuts will have to be made. Use a tile cutter to make appropriate cuts.
8. Mark the center line of the floor. This will establish a reference line to keep the tile straight. Use the notched trowel to apply adhesive to the back of the tile and start setting them in position. Apply light pressure when setting. This is the same type of adhesive used to lay the cement board. Cover the entire back of the tile and use the same 45 degree application method as used with the cement board.
9. Allow the tile adhesive to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Mix the grout according to package directions and spread it over the tiles, completely filling in the spaces between the tiles. Once this is done, use a wet sponge and a bucket of water to remove the excess grout. Continue the process until all of the excess gout is gone.
10. Allow the grout to dry and then wash the tile one last time to remove the grout haze.
Tags: , entire floor, fiber cement, adhesive hours, back tile, boards used, each pass