Ceramic tile installed on a bathroom floor.
There are many flooring options for bathroom floors. However, tile is the best option for bathrooms. Ceramic tile bathroom floors look great and make moisture easy to wipe away. Homeowners with other flooring options in their bathrooms can easily make the change to ceramic tile if they know where to start.
Instructions
1. Remove the baseboard trim from the bottom of the wall using a hammer and pry bar. Do this carefully so that the baseboards can be reinstalled above the tile once the tile floor is completed.
2. Remove the toilet from the bathroom. You will need a socket wrench to remove the bolts on the toilet. Set the toilet aside outside of the room.
3. Remove the current flooring from the room. Many bathrooms have linoleum flooring which will need to be removed. Regardless of whether the current flooring is carpet or linoleum, make an effort to remove the staples or glue from the floor.
4. Measure the length of the room and mark a gridline at the center point. Use a chalk line to mark the gridline. Do this with the width of the room as well. Once the chalk lines are positioned, spray hairspray on the chalk lines to keep them from disappearing while you work.
5. Mix the thin set mortar in a clean bucket. Use the directions indicated on the mortar packaging to mix the thin set. Apply the mortar to a small area of the room one area at a time so that it doesn't dry before the tile is installed. Start at the center point of the room where the two gridlines meet. Apply the mortar with a notched trowel, at a 45 degree angle so that the notch lines are uniform in size.
6. Install the tiles in place. With each tile, gently press it into place on the thin set mortar. Use tile spacers to keep the tile joints uniform. Set all of the full tiles into place first, leaving the tiles that need cuts for later.
7. Measure and cut each of the tiles along the edges of the room. Use a tile saw to make the cuts. Install the cut tiles in the same way you installed the previous tiles. While you are cutting tiles, measure and cut and install the tiles that will surround the toilet piping and door casings. Allow all of the tiles 24 hours to dry in the thin set mortar.
8. Use the packaging directions as a guide to mix the grout. Apply the grout with a rubber grout float, at a 45-degree angle to install the grout into the tile joints. Use the float to wipe away the excess grout, being careful not to remove the grout from the tile joints.
9. Wipe away the grout haze from the top of the tiles. Use a rounded grout sponge to wipe away the haze. Use a bucket of water to keep the sponge clean after wiping away small areas of the grout haze. Do not wipe away the grout in the tile joints. Allow the grout three days to dry before using the floor.
10. Reinstall the baseboards and the toilet.
Tags: tile joints, thin mortar, Apply mortar, , bathroom floors, center point, chalk lines