Laying Bathroom Tile

Step by Step for Laying Bathroom Tile

TOOLS Hammer Pry bar Carton knife Cutoff saw Wet saw or tile snips for smaller jobs Grout saw Mixing bucket Notched trowel Sponges Shop Vac Rubber trowel Drill w/mix bit

MATERIALS Tiles Thin Set Grout Chalk line

Start by removing the carpet and carpet strips. Use a cutoff saw to make room for the tile to slip under the doorjambs. Place a portion of the tile pattern starting at the doorway to establish a center line and then strike a chalk line accordingly. Cut the tile with a wet saw or tile snips for smaller jobs as needed. Work your way up one side of the room and down the other. Allow 1/8” for grout lines, spacers can be used for uniformity. Mix the thinset using a electric drill with a mixing bit. Mix small amounts at a time, adding water slowly to maintain the right consistency, you don’t want it runny. Keep the drill at a slow speed to avoid creating air pockets in the thinset, and be ready to go to work as the thinset dries quickly. Mix enough to lay down a dozen or so tiles at once, using a notch trowel to apply the thinset to the floor.

When the tile is all in place and somewhat dry, use a grout saw to scrape the excess thinset out of the joints where the grout will go. A shop vac will clean most of this up, but use a wet sponge to really get the surface clean. Once dry, begin applying the grout with a rubber trowel. Grout is available in a variety of colors and mixes easily with water. Again, mix slowly to avoid too wet a mix. Just slop it on the tile surface working it into the grout lines and don’t worry about the excess grout, it’ll clean up easily with a sponge as long as it’s still wet, so do small areas at a time. One more sponge cleaning will be required to get up the film once it’s dried completely. It’s recommended to apply a grout sealer after about 48 hours or so to help avoid any staining problems that occur during normal use.