How to Install Hex Tile

1). Clean the floor thoroughly. Sweep away any dirt or debris with a broom. Mop the surface with a mop and a ph-neutral cleaner to remove embedded dirt. Scrub resistant dirty with a scrub brush.
2). Check the level of the floor with a flat-bottomed leveling bar. Place the bar on the surface and run the bar across it, marking any high or low areas with a piece of chalk.
3). Level the floor with a concrete grinder on high areas on a concrete floor or a sander on high areas on a wood floor, lowering the rises until they're level with the rest of the surface. Fill in dips in the surface with a self-leveling compound. Mix the compound according to manufacturer instructions in a large bucket with a wooden stirring stick. Pour the compound into any low areas of the floor. Spread the compound across the surface of the floor with a squeegee. As the compound cures, it creates a level surface on which to apply the tiles. Allow the compound to cure according to manufacturer's directions before installing the tile.
4). Install the tile beginning at the edge of the tiling surface. Leave a 1/8-inch gap between the tile edge and the walls to provide expansion room for the surface without causing buckling in edge tiles. Spread a level of thinset mortar onto the floor with the flat of a V-notch trowel. Tilt the trowel at a 45-degree angle and go over the thinset to raise ridges in its surface.
5). Lay the hex tile onto the thinset surface. Work a line at a time if using individual hex tiles; place a full sheet of tiles on the floor if working with a set of tiles held together by a backer mat. Cut the mats with a utility knife to adjust the tiles to fit spaces smaller than the mat size. Cut the tiles themselves with a tile cutter when necessary. Place the tiles closely together, leaving a joint of about 1/16-inch between the tiles to keep the tiles from buckling with floor movement.
6). Continue laying the tiles on the floor until the entire tiling surface is covered. Maintain the 1/8-inch gap between the edge of the tiles and the walls.
7). Place a flat plywood board over the tiles and press them firmly into the mortar to make sure the surface of the tile is level. Allow the thinset to set overnight before grouting.
8). Spread grout across the surface of the tiles with a grout float to push the grout into the joints between the tiles. Fill the joints completely with grout the same color as the mortar. Wipe excess grout from the surface of the tile with a damp sponge within 15 minutes of placing the grout, to prevent the grout from hardening to the tile surfaces. Wait two hours and then go over the hex tiles with a lint-free cloth to remove any residue from the grout that might form a haze on the tile surface. Wait 10 days to two weeks for the mortar to cure completely.
9). Brush the tile surface with a tile and grout sealant to seal the surface from water absorption and prevent staining. Allow the sealant to dry for 24 to 48 hours before using the tiled surface.