1. DIY Tile Floor Installation, aFewCommon Pitfalls andHow to Address Them
Avoid making mistakes and ending up with a floor like this!
So youwant to install yourowntile floor?
Fantastic! You probablyalreadyknow youwill
needa wetsaw,settingmaterials,atrowel,
grout float,spacers, glovesandsponges. There
are vastnumberof sourcesonthe internet
showingyouhow to install yourowntile floor
stepby stepwhichmake the tasklookeasy.
However,manyof these sitesassume ideal
conditionsfortile installationwithout
addressingsome of the more commonpitfalls,
whichcan leadto costlyerrorsand frustration.
The good newsis,“an ounce of preparationis
wortha poundof cure,” andlayingtile isnot
terriblydifficultif youare aware of potential
hazardsbefore youstart to work.
Making Sure Your Tile has “Come Correct”
Afterworkingmanyyearsinthe tile industry,Ihave oftenmetwithclientswhohave started aproject
onlyto realize afteropeningthe lastbox orso, the remainingtile doesnotmatchthe tile theyhave
alreadyinstalled. Attimes,the jobhastobe startedall overagain.Before you start yourtile job you
shouldaccountfor and inspectyourmaterialsjustincase. First,alwaysorderatleast10% -15% more
square footage of tile thanyouneedto coveryourfloor. Thiswill allow fortile cuts,breakage,andany
tile youhave leftovercanbe savedforrepairsif necessary. Then,tobe on the safe side,lookatevery
box of tile before you begininstallation. Justliketextiles,tile cancome indifferentdye-lots,orevenbe
slightlyoff-size (unrectified). Natural,stone cancome inmanycolor variationsand shouldbe mixedina
floorlayoutbefore installation toachieve abalancedeffect. Alsobe aware of the thicknessof the tile
and have a planfor howit will transitiontoanotherroom.
The Sub-Floor,Choosinga Backer, and the Right Adhesive
Everyhome isdifferent. Iknowone homeownerwhorippedupakitchenfloortofindparticle board
underneath(aninappropriatesub-floorfortiling,tostaythe least),whichthenhadtobe replacedwith
plywood. Ingeneral,tilecanbe installedovercement,plywoodorevenanothertilefloor,butthere are
choicesto be made dependingoneachsituation.
First,whateversub-flooryouhave youneedtomake sure yourfloorislevel. Checkfordipsand
grooves,anduse a 4ft level tocheckfor pitch. You may have to use a self-levelingthinset(“thinset”is
the newcommonword formortar or adhesive) toadhere yourunderlayment.
Witha standardplywoodfloor, youcanuse eitheracementbacker-board,suchasHardi-Backeror a
flexible membrane,likeDitraasan underlayment. Muchhas beenmade overwhichisbetterHardi-
Backer or Ditra. Bothhave theiradvantages. Cementbackerboardislessexpensive andcanhelpbuild
up a floorto the appropriate thickness. Itshouldbe installedovermodifiedthinsetandscrewedinto
the sub-floor,withascrewsetevery8 inches,seamsshouldbe sealedwith fiberglass tape. Membrane

2. ismore expensivethancementboardbutmucheasierto use. Simplyadhere the membrane tothe
plywoodusingmodifiedthinset. Itis importanttonote howeverwhenyouadhere yourtile to
membrane youmustuse unmodifiedthinset,whichwill cure properly.
If youhave a cementfloor,youshoulduse amembrane underlaymentbut youhave tocheckand make
sure your underlaymentwill adhere properly. Checkfor moisture absorption bythrowingafew drops
of wateronthe floor.If the watergetsabsorbedyouare goodto go, if it simplybeads,yourconcrete
has beentreatedandyouneedtostripwhateversubstance ispreventingthe waterfromabsorbing.
Concrete alsoneedstohave a rough surface for adhesive toadhere,soyoumayhave to score the
cementif itis smooth.
If you are tilingoveranoldtile flooryoumustmake sure the oldtile isstable (nolose pieces)andlevel.
You may have to use a grinderto level the floor.
Laying out Tile,Grout and Sealing
I have knownpeople tojustdive inandstart layingtile fromthe cornerof the room, onlytofindthey
have to cut lotsof oddpiecesonce theygetto the otherside. Alwayslaytile fromthe centerof a room.
Use a chalkline,runfromthe midpointof eachwall tomake a quadrant. Granted,not all rooms are
squaresor rectangles,buteveninaroom witha slantedwall youcanstill figure outacentral quadrant
point. Then,doa dry runlayingthe tilesfromthe centerandusingyourspacers (groutjointsare usually
between1/16”and 1/4” ) until youcan no longerfita full tile beforehittingthe wall. Use a dryeraser
to outline andmeasure forthe cutsof tile youwill needtomake to reachthe wall. If youneedtonotch
a tile a door frame youcan use a dryeraseras well.
Whenyouapplyyour adhesive toyourunderlaymentmake sure youcoverareascompletelyandevenly
withoutleavingandspaces,youwantacomplete bondbetweenthe floorandthe tile toprevent
movementandbreakage.
Wait at least24 hoursor more foryour adhesive tocure before grouting:itisall toocommonto be
impatient,butyoucaneasilyruinall yourhard workby groutingbefore the floorisproperlyset. Sanded
grout isbestfor floortiles. Donotadd too muchwater to yourgrout mix. Grout shouldbe the
consistencyof peanutbutter,justpliable enoughtoworkintoyourjoints. Once youhave completed
your job,waitat least3 days forthe groutto dry before doingacomplete scrubtoremove grouthaze.
Afterthe flooriscleanand dry youcan applyyoursealant.
It isalwaysadvisable toseal yourgroutand stone tile. However,youdonothave to seal porcelainor
ceramicfloors(granted,there may be some quite unusual exceptionsso alwayscheck withthe
manufacturer’s instructions).Unlike stone,whichisporous,porcelainandceramictile donotabsorb
sealanteasily,if atall,soif youattemptto seal youoftenendup witha tackycoating ontop of yourtile.