Has A Place

I was going to actually name this post, "how to" tile a floor. I can only imagine the criticism I would get. NO Thanks! So I decided, this is how I tile a floor. I have read and watched countless videos about this and I have also successfully tiled my half-bath tile floor. Yes, my half-bath was the guinea pig for that project also.

I did most of the work myself here, so ladies get at it!

Anyhoo... here is how I do it:

1. Clear the room of all objects. All meaning frames on the walls, mirrors, towel bars, rugs. Etc.

2. Now clear the more "semi-permanent" things: The toilet, shut the water off, flush it, remove the top, unscrew the bolts and pull it straight up, try to keep it level or water will spill out everywhere. Think of it as a p trap, if you tip it too much one way it will spill out. Also removed the nasty wax ring. Remove the sink and vanity, shut off the water (hot and cold) disconnect the water lines. Disconnect it and pull it out, try not the damage any walls in the meantime.

3. Once everything is out, start removing the old floor, take a crowbar and hammer and remove all the old tiles, or whatever else you have. My tiles had a 1/4 inch plywood base over the subfloor, I removed this also. It will be replaced with 1/4 inch hardi-board (cement board)

4. Prep the floor: make sure all the nails are pounded down, sweep up all the debris and vacuum the floor.

5. Lay out the cement board, try and make sure your joints/seems are not where you walk. I.E. Not along the door or center of the room.



6. Measure out your cuts for the toilet and for my room, the heater vent on the floor. Dry fit every piece

7. Apply thin set to the sub-floor and lay the cement board, so you glue it down basically. Cement board also has these handy little holes for the special screws to go in, drill a screw into every hole. :) Let it dry for about 24hours. Do other things in the meantime, paint, add molding. Things like that.


8. I lay out all the tiles and cut them before I apply the thin-set to the floor. I know this takes a while but it really makes a difference when applying them. They go down in a snap and they are all laid out without any mistakes :)


9. Let them dry overnight, preferably 24 hours and grout. I did purchase a bag of sanded grout that you mix with water this time. You can avoid that all together if you buy the premixed grout for a few dollars more.