| 1. |
We
will begin this project by creating guidelines for the tiles
on the sub-floor and doing a “dry run” – laying
down the tiles without adhesive to see how they fit. Using a
chalk line, snap a line perpendicular to the main entrance into
the room. Use a square to make sure the line is perpendicular
to the door. (Figure 1) You will start
laying out the tile from the main door into the room because
you want a full row of tiles visible when someone enters. |
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| 2. |
From the
door, lay tiles on the floor along the line you snapped. Use a spacer in between each tile.
The spacer can be the side of another tile or another uniform object that will enable you to
maintain identical spacing on all your tiles. (Figure 2) |
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| 3. |
When
you reach the other end of the room and can no longer put down
a full tile, take a long 1" thick piece of wood and
lay it perpendicular to the row of tiles. Use a screw gun to
tack it in place. Now lay tiles next to this board going across
the room in both directions. (Figure 3) |
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| 4. |
Based on the
amount of remaining space on the sides of the room, determine how much you need to shift the
rows to achieve equal borders on both sides of the room. Snap a second line based on this
measurement. (Figure 4) The intersection of second line and the board
will become your starting point. The first snapped line is no longer needed. |
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| 5. |
Using the
notched trowel, apply a 2-foot square area of tile adhesive in the starting corner.
(Figure 5) |
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| 6. |
As you lay
down each tile, work it into the adhesive. Use the spacer to make sure the tiles are spaced
evenly. (Figure 6) Use a level to make sure the tile faces are flush.
You can use a rubber mallet or a block of wood and a hammer to gently tap down tiles that are
too high. |
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| 7. |
Work
your way back and forth across the room, covering 2-foot square
areas at a time. Let all the full tiles set overnight. Once
the adhesive has set, you can carefully walk on the tiles to
cut and install the border tiles. |
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| 8. |
To cut the
border tiles, lay a tile exactly over the last full tile. Place your spacer against the wall.
Now take another full tile and place it against the spacer with the edges lined up with the
other loose tile. Make a line across the first tile. (Figure 7) This
is the line you need to cut. |
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| 9. |
To cut the
tile, you can use a tile cutter or a glasscutter. To use a glasscutter, put a straight edge
along the tile and score the line only once with the glasscutter.
(Figure 8) Place the tile on the edge of a workbench and snap off
the cutoff piece. (Figure 9) For complex cuts, you can use a tile
saw or tile nippers. |
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| 10. |
Once
all the tiles are laid and the adhesive has set, you can proceed
to the grouting phase. Mix the grout according to the manufacturer’s
recommendations. Apply the grout with a rubber float at a 45-degree
angle, working it into the spaces. (Figure
10) |
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| 11. |
Wipe
excess grout off the tile faces with a sponge. Be careful that
you do not dig the grout out of the spaces. (Figure
11) Once the grout has set, you can go back over the
tile faces and clean off any remaining grout residue. |
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| 12. |
To help the
grout cure to a solid, resilient surface, mop the floor daily for the first 3 days. Allow the
grout to cure for a full week. Then brush the grout with a silicone sealer. |
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