How to Tile a Bathroom Floor
DIY Tile Can Bring New Allure and More Value to Your Home
Bathrooms with tile floors benefit from a more durable, attractive surface. And putting the tile down yourself is an easy way to increase the value of your home.
Laying your own tile can be a simple step in improving your bathroom. It gives a richer feel than linoleum or vinyl and can easily be done in an afternoon. Follow these steps for a new bathroom floor by tomorrow.
All in the Prep
You'll need to first rip up the old floor, especially if you have a laminate, linoleum or vinyl floor. This isn't usually tough. Then make sure the subfloor is clean and even. To have full access to the entire floor, you may need to remove the door to the room from its hinges for the afternoon. Make sure you've picked a tile that will be durable and matches the style of your home and bathroom, and also make sure you measure the room so you know how much you need to buy.
Stick it Down
To make sure you've got square tiles that will match up, take a chalk line and stretch it from the center point of one wall to the center point of the opposite. Snap it, and that is where your middle seam of tile will lay.
Tile is attached with a mortar substance, often referred to as tile cement. You can get this readily at home improvement stores. You'll want to use a trowel specifically for tile to swipe the cement across the floor, and then use the slotted side of the trowel to make ridges in the cement. It may not be possible to do the entire floor in one fell swoop – remember, you need to be able to reach over the portion you've cemented.
Once you've got the cement down, begin placing tiles. If you've chosen a small tile, you can lay a sheet at a time, and if you've chosen larger tiles, plastic spacers are recommended to lay them evenly throughout.
Grout it Out
Grout is the substance that fills the cracks between the tile. You can buy grout mix, which is like cement powder, at your local home improvement store. Mix it with the designated amount of water and apply with a rubber grout float. This allows the grout to get into all the cracks. Don't worry about getting grout on the surface of the tile – it's water-soluble. After it's in all the cracks evenly, use a damp tile sponge to clean the surface. Now let the tile dry overnight before getting any moisture on it and you'll be ready to use your new bathroom floor!
