How Hard Is It To Lay Tile on My Bathroom Floor?
I want to pull up the carpet (yes I said carpet) in my bathroom & put down some tile to class my crapper up. I have laid wood floors in the past & feel comfortable around tools. I am not worried about the cuts (renting a wetsaw) . . but I am a little worried about spacing (up & down) & the edges (grout wise). I understand that I should prep the floor . . lay out the tiles w. spacers to insure a good fit . . then lay the morter . . working the tiles from one side moving towards the door. . . after it dries for a day …grout it by pushing grout in the crevices???? then buffing??? Again I have never done this but the room is only 4×6ish . . so if I ruin it I am not going to be out much cash & will hire someone to redo it (after I rip it up). Any help would be appriciated…thanks, Randy
not that hard, home depot types can help you, but a few tips:
- if ceramic, make sure you are using floor tiles not wall tiles
- mix your thinset (concrete “adhesive”) using acrylic for max water resist.
- using a notched trowel lay thinset on floor and tile back
- if tiles are not “netted” use twine to space
- mix acrylic into your grout and force into cracks with a rubber backed “float” once partially dry you can wipe clean and refill any missing spots
- use a light solution of muriatic acid to remove errant concrete from your tiles
- get yourself a tile cutter (essentially a scorer that you pull across tile and then apply pressure to crack along score) if you are doing ceramic you don’t really need the wet saw
- keeping your lines straight is the big one, drop a couple of chalk lines and lay it out first, ou can get tiles that are net backed that will save you a lot of headache..
November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am
Don't forget the notched trowel. 1/4" notches for flooring. I taught myself how to do it at the library in an afternoon(before internet) and it went perfect. A wet saw is nice but a little extreme for ceramics. Home depot also sells premixed grout/ thinset which works well especially for a room this small.
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
it is extremly difficult, i suggest hiring a worker w/ EXPERIENCE.
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
I dont know but my dad did my tile in my bathroom and it only took him like 3 weeks cause he had to let it dry so i guess its not that hard.
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
Always tile starting in the center of the room. Measure from each side and make a cross in the center. Otherwise, your tile may have a tendency to "curve". Make sure you have a nice, flat, hard surface. If your floor is at all warped, lay down some new subflooring to give the tile a good flat surface to lie upon. Use tileboard if at all possible to prevent it from warping. Leave enough room at the edge of the tile between the wall to allow for expansion. Baseboard will cover it up anyway. Let the tile set for 24 hours before grouting, and push the grout in with a float, and wipe away excess with a damp sponge, going diagonally across the tile so you don't remove any grout. Good luck.
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
sound like you have a good basic idea of how it works. i would suggest chalking a line from door to back wall to help keep it straight. just mark floor at tiles before you start from longest wall with a whole tile at each end , that small of a floor should be no problem for someone with your experience…..
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
not that hard, home depot types can help you, but a few tips:
- if ceramic, make sure you are using floor tiles not wall tiles
- mix your thinset (concrete "adhesive") using acrylic for max water resist.
- using a notched trowel lay thinset on floor and tile back
- if tiles are not "netted" use twine to space
- mix acrylic into your grout and force into cracks with a rubber backed "float" once partially dry you can wipe clean and refill any missing spots
- use a light solution of muriatic acid to remove errant concrete from your tiles
- get yourself a tile cutter (essentially a scorer that you pull across tile and then apply pressure to crack along score) if you are doing ceramic you don't really need the wet saw
- keeping your lines straight is the big one, drop a couple of chalk lines and lay it out first, ou can get tiles that are net backed that will save you a lot of headache..
References :
June 26th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Its really not all that difficult. My husband and I just did our bathroom floor. You have all the right ideas, most important being that you lay out the tiles and make all the cuts beforehand…. just dont lay ALL the morter at once . If everything works out as planned the grout isnt going to be a problem .Use tile spacers and leave the tiles laid out and just work your way back, picking up the tiles as you are about to morter them down and then on to the next one. The only thing I see that you have left out is to make sure you seal the grout after it hardens , otherwise dirt gets into the pores of the grout and the grout starts taking on a dirty look that cant be washed off. Go for it!
References :