Lay Bathroom Tile for the Beginner
Laying tile can seem like a difficult task to someone who has never tried to do it before. However, you will probably discover that the hardest task is removing and replacing the toilet; everything else is simple. While tiling a bathroom is easier because it is a smaller room, it can also present challenges, such as cutting tile to fit around corners and pipes. Be prepared for this job to take several days, and plan ahead if you don't have a spare bathroom.
Instructions
Preparing the Bathroom Floor
1. Remove the toilet from the bathroom. You can remove the toilet by turning off the water at the shutoff valve and emptying the water from the tank. Then, disconnect the water connection to the toilet. Next, remove the caps from the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor, and unscrew the nuts using a wrench. Use a utility knife to cut through the caulk that seals the toilet to the floor. Lift the toilet straight up to remove it. Then, place a damp rag in the flange opening to prevent sewer gas from entering your home. For more information, see the eHow guide listed in the Resources section.
2. Pry off the shoe molding using a putty knife. You do not need to remove the baseboard. However, backer board and tile will raise your floor about 3/4 inch. So if you feel that this will make the baseboard too small, you can remove it as well.
3. Remove the vanity now if you plan to replace it. If you plan to keep the vanity, then it can stay in place.
4. Remove the old flooring if necessary. You can find more information about remove different types of flooring by searching eHow. Avoid removing old vinyl flooring because it can contain asbestos. If a large section of the floor is loose or if it is cushioned, it will need to be removed before you can continue.
5. Drive 2 ½-inch galvanized screws through the floor into the joists at 8-inch intervals. You can find the joists by drilling a small hole close to the wall. If the bit breaks through into hollow space, move over an inch and try again. Joists are typically 16 or 24 inches apart. This step will ensure that the subfloor and underlayment are secure.
6. Undercut the door trim to allow for the raised floor. Place a piece of backer board, a tile and two pieces of cardboard next to the door. Then, cut away the trim using a jamb saw or a handsaw.
7. Sweep and clean the floor thoroughly. If you left the vinyl or linoleum floor in place, strip it to remove any wax residue. Use a commercial vinyl or linoleum stripper according to the instructions on the label.
8. Use duct tape to wrap any copper pipes that pass through the floor to prevent the grout from corroding the copper. You should also cover the bottoms of your tub, shower and sink with painter's tape to protect them from mortar and grout.
9. Remove any loose sections of vinyl and fill spots with thinset mortar, using the flat edge of a trowel.
Installing the Backer Board
10. Cut and lay all the pieces of backer board. Leave a ?-inch gap between boards. A ?- to ½-inch gap should be placed between the backer board and the wall. Stagger the boards so that you never have four corners meeting at one point. You can make straight cuts using a scoring knife and make corners, circles or curves with a drywall saw.
11. Label and set the boards aside.
12. Vacuum the floor.
13. Mix the thinset according to the label.
14. Spread the thinset on the floor. Cover only enough area for one piece of backer board. Comb in one direction using a ¼-inch notched trowel held at a 45-degree angle.
15. Screw the backer board down using 1 ¼-inch backer board screws. Screws should be placed every 6 inches around the edges of the backer board and every 8 inches across the face of the board.
16. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the backer board has been placed.
17.Press the mesh tape over the joints and place a light coat of thinset mortar over it using the flat edge of your trowel.
18. Skim over the tape with thinset using the flat edge of your trowel.
19. Scrape away any ridges with a putty knife once the thinset has become firm but not hard. Also, run the putty knife over the screw heads to remove any bulges and drive in any protruding screw heads.
Laying Your Tile
20. Do a dry run to determine the best layout for your tile. Start in the center and lay the tile outward. Your goal should be to have equal spaces at the walls. However, you want to use full tiles at doorways and along the bathtub or shower, because there is no baseboard to cover the edges if they are not smooth. Use your tile spacers to keep tiles the correct distance from one another. Also, you do not want the tile directly touching the tub or other fixtures. Try to avoid cutting tile into widths less than 2 inches. Adjust the tile until it meets most of these guidelines.
21. Cover one side of your two guide boards---thin, straight boards that are a foot shorter than the length and width of the floor---with tape (to keep the mortar from sticking to them), and then screw them to the floor. The boards should be placed near the wall to allow you to place all your whole tiles without removing the guide boards. Make sure the boards are straight and at a right angle to one another.
22. Mix thinset mortar according to the label. Only mix the amount you will use in an hour.
23. Dampen the backer board with a wet sponge to keep the thinset from drying out.
24. Using your trowel, spread out a few feet of thinset mortar. Mortar should be spread using the flat edge of the trowel to distribute it to the floor. Then, comb it by scraping the notched edge at a 45-degree angle.
25. Set the tiles against the guides. Use spacers between them to ensure that the tiles are at equal widths.
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Repeat Steps 3 through 6 until all the whole tiles are in place. Remove any mortar that squeezes out between tiles.
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Wait for the thinset to harden. The time will vary, so check the guidelines on the package.
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Remove the guide boards.
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Cut the perimeter and other cut tiles. If you're trying to cut odd shapes, start by making a template using cardboard. Then, trace the outline onto the tile and cut it using a tile cutter or a wet tile saw. For straight cuts, most tile shops and hardware stores will cut the tile for you if you bring it in (and it was purchased there). Otherwise, the tile can be cut using a wet tile saw or a tile cutter. Curved cuts can be made with a tile nipper.
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Set the perimeter and cut tiles as you did in Steps 3 through 6. If an area is too narrow for your trowel, apply the mortar to the tile instead of the floor before setting.
Preparing to Grout
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Attach an extension ring over the toilet flange by removing the screws, applying a bead of silicone caulk and fastening it over the existing flange with brass or stainless steel screws.
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Attach a transition strip in the doorway.
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Place backer rod into the spaces between the tile and the wall, bathtub, shower and sink. The backer rod will keep grout away from these areas so you can caulk them later.
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Wait at least 24 hours for the tile and mortar to set before moving to the next section.
Grouting the Tile
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Mix the grout according to directions so that it has the consistency of mashed potatoes.
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Dip your grout float in water and use it to apply the grout to the floor.
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Use the float to push the grout into the joints so that the grout reaches the floor. Move the float diagonally from the joints.
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Holding the float at a 45-degree angle, scrape off the excess grout.
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Gently wipe the grout off the tile surface with a damp sponge, being careful not to pull grout from the joints. If the sponge pulls out the grout, wait a few minutes and try again. Rinse the sponge often.
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Rinse the floor a second time using a sponge and water. Wipe the tile with dry terry cloth.
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Remove the backer rod and caulk the joints after letting the grout cure overnight.
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Replace the toilet, baseboard (if necessary), shoe molding and anything else removed from the bathroom.
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Seal the tile with a grout sealer after a few days.
Tags: backer board, backer board, flat edge, thinset mortar, using flat,