A Homeowners Guide to How to Install Ceramic Tile

In general homeowners think that installing ceramic tile is a difficult job. Installing ceramic tile is not difficult. As long as you have a good plan and pay attention to detail, any homeowner can complete their own ceramic tile project themselves. Libraries and bookstores also offer instructional videos and books that will help you get started. Almost all Home Depot and Lowe’s stores offer free, two or three hour, courses on how to install tile. In this article we will discuss the basics of installing ceramic tile such as; surface preparation, tile materials, tile installation and tile grouting. The surface that you will be installing the tile on is basically the foundation for your tile job.

Surface preparation before installing ceramic tile is very important and you must make sure that it is very solid. If your surface is not solid then you risk the possibility of the tile flexing and causing it to crack or causing the grout to pop loose. If you are installing tile on concrete, make sure the concrete is level. You can purchase floor leveling products at your local hardware. If you’re installing tile on a plywood surface, make sure the surface is very solid. One good way to improve your plywood surface is to install a layer of 1/4 inch Hardi-Backer board before installing your tile. Make sure you have all your tile materials purchased before starting your tile installation.

Tile materials that you will need for your ceramic tile project are as follows; underlayment, tile, thin set, grout, spacers and sealer. Tools that you will need for your ceramic tile project are as follows; Notched trowel(correctly sized), tub saw, tile snapper, grout float, tile nippers, 4 sponges and 2-5 gallon buckets for clean water. You are now ready to start laying your tile.

Before you begin to lay tile make sure you have a plan for your pattern layout, you may have to draw this on paper before starting. Start applying your thin set doing a small area at a time. Only work 4-6 sq.ft. at a time and it will be easier for you to manage. After applying your thin set, slowly place your tiles making sure the first few tiles are square in both directions, in relation to your project layout. Continue spreading thin set and laying each tile, cutting when necessary, until you have installed all of your tiles. It might work best for you if you lay all of the full tiles one day and come back the next and lay all of your cut tiles. Next comes the tile grouting.

After all of your tiles have been set and have dried for 24 hours then you are ready to grout your project. Because this is a DIY project it will work out best for you to have 2 people help with the tile grouting. One person can float the grout and clean a section at a time and the other person can clean sponges and water and “keep them coming”. Continue this process until the whole job is done and there you have it…you have pretty much completed your project. One final buffing of your tile and your ready to install trim or whatever else is needs to be completed.

So to sum things up, following these simple steps will lead you to completing your first ceramic tile project. After about an hour or two of surface preparation, tile installation and tile grouting you will feel comfortable and well on your way to starting your next ceramic tile project.