Laying a Ceramic Tile Floor

Tiling a floor can make any home look classy and updated. Tile is much easier to care for than carpet and lasts virtually a lifetime.

Preparing subfloors for tiling:

The subfloor. A smooth concrete subfloor can be tiled without preparation. Concrete makes an ideal subfloor.

Patching concrete. Apply patching compound with a trowel to fill cracks and holes or to smooth rough surfaces.

Plywood subfloors. To tile over wooden floorboards, cover the floor with plywood sheets.

Linoleum. You can lay tile directly on unpadded linoleum, providing the linoleum is glued down.

Padded linoleum. If the linoleum is backed with padding, such as foam rubber, remove both before tiling.

Sanding linoleum. To help the mortor stick, roughen the surface of the linoleum with sandpaper.

Calculating the right amount of tile:

Measuring. When buying tiles, measure the floor surface accurately to determine tile quantity.

Adapting tile. In rooms that are not perfectly square, trim the tiles to fit the shape of the room.

Doorways. The new tiles will raise the floor. You may need to raise the threshold of the doorway as a result.

Preparing to lay the tiles:

Using a small pry bar, remove baseboards. Do this carefully so that they can be replaced.

The subfloor must be as clean, dry and dust-free as possible. Finish cleaning by vacuuming.

Stretch a string across the floor to serve as a guide for laying tile. Move the string to each new row.

An alternative to drawing lines is to use a straight board as a guide for the tile.

Notch the tiles so they fit the curve of the doorframe. Nip off small bits at a time.

Gluing tiles to the subfloor:

Before starting the job, make a sketch of the area to be tiled, showing obstacles and recesses in the room. This will help determine amount of materials you will need.

To make tile placement easier, you can buy small spacers that place the proper amount of space between tiles. Leave the spacers in place and cover with grout or they can be removed once the tile has settled and are dry underneath.