While tiling the bathroom is something that you many try to avoid, it isn’t difficult. So learning how to do it does not have to be hard. As long as you prepare and practice the tiling technique, learning how to tile a bathroom floor can be a breeze.
Apart from the time and effort that you need to put in, tiling a bathroom floor isn’t difficult. This means you don’t need to pay someone to help you out. Just get a trowel, tiles, spacers, and grout you are just good to go. The only difference between you and the pro is that the pro takes less time.
How To Tile a Bathroom Floor
If you want to add instant value and beauty to your home, tiling your bathroom floor is the way to go. 4 in Black Ceramic Tile 4.25 inch Shower Bathroom (View on Amazon) are examples of tiles that will instantly improve your home.
An improved bathroom is a good way to get started and boost the value of your home. Here is how to tile a bathroom floor.
Materials Needed To Lay Tile Floor
Some of the most important materials needed include
- Wonder board
- cement board screws
- bathroom floor tiles
- thin-set mortar
- Tile saw
- chalk line
- Sponge
- mesh tape
- Rag
- rubber grout float
- rubber mallet
- Grooved trowel
1. Measure the Floor
Using a tape measure, determine how much grout, mortar, and backing is needed. Buying the right amount of tiles at the beginning you’ll reduce the risk of scarcity and mismatches in the color and texture of the tiles.
You can opt for Tape Measure Metric and Imperial 10ft if you are looking for the best results. A professional tape measure, this tape measure is impact resistant and easy to read.
2. Prepare the underlayment
Attach the underlayment of the cement board to provide you with a level and sturdy surface where the bathroom tiles can easily be attached.
Use a circular saw to cut panels to the right size. Also use a jigsaw to cut holes required to take care of the toilet and other fixtures. One of the best circular saws out there is DEWALT 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Electric Brake, 15-Amp (View on Amazon).
Use a drill to attach backer board screws to the underlayment of the subfloor. Once secured to the wall, make sure they lay flat.
3. Know the Tile Layout
Using a contrasting trim, lay your tiles in a configuration that will use the best and most tiles. To make sure your tiles are evenly spaced and square, use tile spacers. It is the right tile spacer to use.
4. Cut the Tiles
Use a tile cutter or tile saw to cut the tiles needed to complete the floor.
5. Place Cut Tiles
To complete the tile layout, place the cut tiles and check whether they’re evenly placed and that the layout is attractive to the eye.
Once you are satisfied with the layout, remove the tile and apply some mortar. The SimpleSet Pre-Mixed Thin-Set Mortar is a great adhesive suitable for beginners. The good thing is that you don’t have to mix it alone.
Once again using spacers replace the tiles a few times to help hold them into position.
6. Allow the Mortar To Dry and Apply Grout
Once your tiles are in place allow the mortar to dry before applying the grout. A grout float such as Grout Pen Beige Tile Paint Marker will provide you with the simplest solution and help you to completely fill the spaces between the tiles. You can also use it anywhere.
7. Wipe Away Any Excess Grout
After completely applying grout, use a sponge to wipe out any excess grout to ensure your tiles are clean and your grout is smooth and level.
You can then finish your work by applying a grout sealer to protect the grout and reduce staining.
While the tiling is something that most consider difficult, the opposite is true. If you know what you are doing and follow the right steps you’ll get the best results.
How to Tile a Bathroom Floor in Concrete
Instead of preparing and planning well a majority of people just slap the tile on concrete thus leading to ugly cuts, cracked tiles, and terrible grout joints. Here are the tips to help you avoid mistakes and get the best tiling experience.
1. Waterproof the Floor
Use a good waterproofing material like KBRS shower seal. As compared to other seals it can be used for the shower walls and bathroom floor. In case of water back up you can even use it on drywall.
2. Plan the Floor Pattern and the Layout
Whether your bathroom is small or big, determine the flow layout and pattern. When using large tiles keep the offset pattern in mind.
3. Start at the Shower
Starting the tiles at the shower will allow you to keep the tiles straight. It is important to tile the floor first because there will be more thin-set mortar under the tiles.
4. Perimeter Gap
Just like humans, homes expand and contract. So consider the perimeter gap.
Make Sure the Tiles are leveled
Since distorted tiles may create a lippage, using a tile leveling system like T-lock will help you reduce the lippage and keep everything even.
5. Clean Grout Joints
Once you are done, set the tiles and clean the joints with a dull carpet knife, brush, and sponge. This is very important when using a tile leveling system.
Challenges You May Face While Tiling Your Bathroom Floor
- While dry mortar is cheap, mixing it is a bit difficult. It’s, therefore, important to buy a pre-mixed mortar.
- If you do not have a good subfloor then your tile work may not come out well. A base floor that’s not strong enough may cause the tile to crack.
- Perimeter tiles need to be cut. This can be a challenge if you are not sure about what you are doing.
- Tiles within the perimeter can be difficult to install as they do not fall into straight lines.
- If you are a novice, diagonal tiling can be a bit frustrating.
- It’s hard to space the tiles well. To impose the correct distance make sure you use plastic tile spacers.
- Constantly being on your knees can really affect the quality of your work.
How to Tile a Bathroom Floor for Beginners
Wondering how to tile a bathroom floor for beginners? These step-by-step guidelines should help you out. The best advice is to take your time to learn and research.
- Ensure your subfloor is clean and even
- Lay the wonder board
- Line up tile placement
- Layout the bathroom floor tiles
- Cu the edges with a tile cutter
- Mix the mortar
- Lay bathroom floor tiles
- Wait for 24 hours and then grout the bathroom
- Apply grout
- Wash the tile surface
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which tiles are right for me?
When tiling a bathroom, bear in mind that the size of the room plays a very important role. For instance, small bathrooms cannot be suited with large bathroom tiles as they will make the room appear smaller. Instead, use medium or small-sized tiles.
Before you start tiling your bathroom order sample tiles. One of the tiles you can choose is Quarter Round Tile Trim Jolly Shower Ceramic Tile Edge Backsplash
Since it can be difficult to determine the size online, take the tiles and try them out so you can be confident you’ve gotten the right ones.
2. How Many Tiles Do I Need?
If you want to successfully tile your bathroom floor, getting the right number of tiles is very important. Before you begin the process, measure the size of your bathroom.
Make sure you double-check to ensure everything is alright. Always buy at least 10 percent more to prevent you from wasting time and money looking for more.
3. Can you paint bathroom tiles?
Can you paint the bathroom tiles? The good news is you can paint. One example of tile that you can paint is ceramic.
Commonly used to make tiles for home, ceramic tiles provide the perfect surface for flooring, as they are durable and more resistant to water.
4. Which areas should I avoid when painting tiles?
If you want excellent work, avoid areas that are likely to get damp and wet. This means the tiles around your shower, tub, and bath. By avoiding these areas you’ll ensure you get the best results from your project.
Bottom Line – How hard is it to tile a bathroom floor?
While tiling a bathroom floor it is easy laying it out and doing it well is a bit difficult. Having said that, it makes a lot of sense to hire a professional. One issue of doing it alone is that it’s difficult to reduce the tile work.
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