How to tile a floor

1. Tiling a floor can seem a daunting step for the amateurDIY-er, but it
isn’t as tough as it might seem…

2. Hard tiling is an attractive and functionalflooring choice for bathroomsand kitchens, and even
hallwaysand conservatories. They’re great for high-traffic areas, as they’re hard-wearing, as
well as being easy-clean. If you’re already a bit of a tiling pro, learn some more tiling tips from
our “Tips to take your tiling skillsto the next level” blog piece.
How to tile a floor, safety first:
For safety, make sure you wear strong, heavy-dutygloves to protect yourhands – removing old
tiling can be a nasty business, especially any broken shards. Also make sure to wear protective
goggles to guard against flying tile shards, and a dust mask.

3. How to tile a floor step ONE – preparation & purchase
When measuring the area, make sure to include any awkward, jutting areas such as alcoves
and round up to the nearest whole number. Tiles come in packs, and you’ll need to find out
how much surface area each pack covers.
Your hard tiling can be laidonto any dry and level concrete floor. If it isn’t level, you’llneed to
even it out. You can lay tiles over existing vinyl or quarry tiles, though you need to make sure
they are firmly and properly laid. If you’re laying over vinyl tiling, though, you should coat the
surface with primer. Ideallyyou should use an adhesive specificallyfor the purpose, especially
if you’re laying tiles onto wood or concrete.
If you’re working on a timber floor, you will first have to strengthen it – use 13mm-thick
exterior grade plywood,and fix in place with 4mm gauge 25mm screws or ring-shanked nailsat
30cm intervals.

4. How to tile a floor step TWO: layout
The “key tile” (the first tile that you’ll lay) will determine the whole layoutof your tiling, so it’s
important to get its positioningright. You have to start pretty centrally in yourroom and work
out in each direction, as most rooms aren’t perfect squares – if you started at the edge you’d
end up with a real mess.
From the centre of your room (the centre of the key tile), dry-lay a row of tiles from one of
the centre lines to the wall. Do you end up with a tiny slither of tile? If you do, you need to
reassess – this won’t look good. If you’re in this position, move your whole line the width of
one tile away from this wall. Even if you end up with 1/3 tiles at each end, this will look better
than an untidyslither of tile at the skirting boards.
When you’ve got this line right, carry on dry-laying – from this centre line, now go in the
opposite direction, and then at right angles to it (ultimately,bisecting yourcentral tile in a
cross shape). When you’ve laidall this out, move your key tile around slightly until there’s a
gap of around the size of half a tile around the edge of the whole room. Once your key tile is
set, mark its positionwith chalk or another faint but visiblemarking.
You’llneed to make sure all edge tiles are cut to shape at this stage, so now is the time to
mark these up and cut them down.

5. How to tile a floor step THREE: beginning to tile
BEST BUY: tile spacers. If you buy tile spacers to help you here, your finished product is going
to look so much more professional.
Start with the key tile and work out from here towards one of the walls. Bear in mind, when
choosing your direction, that you shouldn’t walk on your newly laidtiles for 24 hours. Make
sure you’ve left yourself a way to escape! Alternatively,you could just tile half a room per day,
so the room isn’t fully out-of-action.
Spread out around a metres-worth of adhesivein the centre of your room. Using a spreader,
or notched trowel, spread it evenly across the square metre of surface. The spreader will leave
just the right amount of adhesive to make the tiles stick, but make sure you can just about see
your markings representing the locationof the key tile. Lay your first tile into position,twisting
it slightly as you go. Thisgets rid of any air bubbles that may be stuck as you lower it, and
ensures the tile beds properly into the adhesive.
Using plastic spacers, work out from the key tile in one direction towards the wall. Every
metre or two, check that yourfloor is level using a spirit measure. Once this row is complete,

6. do the same at right angles, so your tilingcriss-crosses the room from the key tile. Work in
rows in one corner of the room, completinga quarter.
Carry on laying untilyou’ve covered the floor, excepting the cut tiles needed for the edges.
At this stage wipe down all your tiles to make sure no adhesive sticks permanently, ruining
your lovely new tiling.
Make sure to scrape up any adhesive where the cut edge tiles will go – you need your
surface to remain flat. You now need to wait 24 hours before the final steps.

7. How to tile a floor step FOUR: 24 hours later
Having cut your tiles (using a lever-action flat-bed cutter or heavy-duty tile cutter), you can
now fill the edging. Squeeze a layer of adhesive onto the back of each tile then press it into
position,again leaving it 24 hours to set.

8. How to tile a floor step FIVE: grouting
Making sure the adhesive is solidly set before you move onto grouting. Now make sure to
make up your grout well (most require mixing with water) – any lumpswill show an unequal
and unprofessionalsurface in your end result. Leave your grout to sit for 2-3 minutesonce
made up, unless otherwise recommended, as this can help break down lumps and release air
bubbles. N.B: for the edges of the room you are better to use a flexible sealant rather than the
grout, to allowfor movement and flexibilityas the tile meets the wall.
If you’re using glazed tiles, you can simply pourthe grout over and use a grout spreader with
a rubber edge to squeegee the grout into place. If you have non-glazed tiles you’llneed to be
more careful – mix a very dry grout up and gently put it into each crack, trying to avoid getting
any grout onto the tile surface to avoidstains.
As the grout begins to set, go over it with a wooden dowel or striking tool, pressing the grout
firmly to fill any gaps or air pockets. Carry a damp sponge and wipe up any mess as you go. All
of the grout has to be compacted, without gaps, to ensure water resistance.

9. Once the grout is hard (approximately an hour), wipe all over again with a damp cloth,
focussing on each tile one-by-one to make sure no grouting stains have escaped your
attention.
Try to avoid using the floor for 48 hours if at allpossible; otherwise be gentle and delicatefor
this period.
Seal around the corners of the room with a flexible sealant of the same colouras your grout,
and there you have it – one floor tiled!
For more please see http://www.hss.com