- 1). Remove the surface of the old floor to get down to the subfloor.
- 2). Vacuum the floor to remove any dirt and debris, then mop it with a cleanser.
- 3). Measure the length of the walls and mark the midpoint of the walls with a small mark at the bottom of the wall. Run a chalk line between these marks on two opposing walls and snap a chalk line. Repeat this for the other two walls. This will divide the floor into four equal quadrants, with the center of the room marked at the point where the chalk lines intersect.
- 4). Mix a batch of thinset mortar, following the instructions on the packaging.
- 5). Cover an area that measure 2 feet by 3 feet with the mortar. Start in the corner of one of the quadrants in the center of the room. Spread the mortar with the smooth edge of the trowel to cover the area.
- 6). Hold the trowel at a 45-degree angle and wipe the notched edge of the trowel over the mortar with a broad, curved motion. Make a final pass in a straight line with the trowel.
- 7). Begin laying the tile on the mortar in the corner of the quadrant. Place tile spacers around each tile and work towards the side wall, adding thinset as needed. Stop when you either reach the wall or cannot lay a full-sized tile on the floor.
- 8). Go back to the first tile you laid, and lay a row perpendicular to the first row that you laid. Continue to lay tile until all four quadrants have been completed, except for where you will need to lay cut tile.
- 9). Measure the space between the walls and the tile spacers at the end of each row of tiles. Count how many tiles you will need at each size.
- 10
Mark the tiles with a pencil so you know where to cut the tiles. - 11
Cut the tiles with a wet saw. Place the tile against the guide on the saw and line it up so the blade is aligned with the pencil mark. Make the cut by slowly moving the tile into the blade. Don't force the tile into the blade; let the blade do the work. - 12
Lay the cut tiles onto the floor and allow the mortar to set for about an hour. - 13
Scrape away any excess mortar that seeped through the tiles with a straight-edge tool and remove the tile spacers with a pair of needle-nose pliers. - 14
Mix a batch of grout, following the instructions on the packaging. - 15
Lay one or two scoops of grout on the tile in one of the back corners of the room. - 16
Hold the grout float at a 30-degree angle and spread the grout across the tiles and into the gaps between them. Run the float diagonally across the tiles and completely fill the gaps with grout. - 17
Wipe excess grout into the next section of tile and work it into the gaps. Continue to grout the floor until it is completed. - 18
Allow the grout to set for the time specified in the instructions (this is usually about 20 minutes). - 19
Wipe up the excess grout remaining on the tiles with a damp sponge, rinsing it frequently and squeezing out as much water as possible. - 20
Wait 45 minutes, then wipe the haze off of the grout with paper towels.
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