Laying floor tile:
Give your bathroom a makeover for less than you might think!
Laying floor tile is perhaps one of the easiest and most difficult of home remodeling projects. I say both easy and difficult because well, it's a challenge. Getting just the right combination of colors, layout and finish is a science as well as an art.
With that said, laying floor tile in a bathroom is not beyond the scope of a long weekend project for most homeowners given a little preparation and the right tools but as with everything else in remodeling, a professionals touch is sometimes well worth the money spent.
When beginning a bathroom remodel project one place that a significant improvement can be made is in the flooring. If budget is an issue, and when is it not, ceramic tile flooring can be an excellent choice for both aesthetic quality and competitive pricing. It doesn't hurt that tile flooring also has a higher resale value and lasts longer than vinyl.
Before laying floor tile, the first place that any project should begin, even before the flooring aisle at your local home improvement superstore, is in the bathroom itself. What improvements are going to be made in addition to the flooring itself? Will there be a new tub, vanity or toilet? Will there be any structural changes to the bathroom itself? What type of sub floor do you have? If you are laying floor tile over anything except a concrete floor you will need to provide at least a 1/4” backer board to help stiffen the floor so the grout doesn't crack later on.
How about your color selections, do you need to coordinate with a tub or shower surround? Are there any doorways that will be moved or added? What type of flooring will lie adjacent to the bathroom floor?
I once did a project where the homeowner found out that the hardwood floors they loved in their house continued under 3 layers of ancient linoleum. Their project no longer included laying floor tile they simply had the bathroom floors refinished and called it a day. So pay attention to what your bathroom is already telling you before you go out and buy that clearance lot of tile from the store.
Take precise measurements of your bathroom including where any and all fixtures will be located. If the fixtures have yet to be purchased, use the specifications from the manufacturer to get an idea of the final square footage of your bathroom remodel project.
If you've done your homework, you are now ready to go shopping. You have your colors for the rest of the project in hand, you have a good idea of what else is going into the bathroom and you have the actual dimensions all laid out for you.
Next to looking at the finished project, selecting your tile is
probably the most enjoyable part of laying floor tile. When selecting
your tile look first at price to narrow your selections. If your budget
is $500.00 for the flooring then you know that the $14.00 per square
foot slate is out of the question so go ahead and rule it out. If this
is a bathroom that kids will be using be sure to select a floor tile
that has a bit of “grip” to it to make the floor a little bit safer. If
the bathroom is formal maybe look for a natural stone floor tile. What
ever you decide, select a complimentary grout and make the purchase.
Lets get started!
If you have anything but a concrete subfloor you will need a cement backer board like Durock to stiffen the subfloor and make the grout lines less likely to crack as time wears on. Make sure to pick up the screws and knife to attach and cut the board as well.
While you're there make sure that you get th right tools for the rest of the job. A 1/4" by 1/4” notched trowel, a margin trowel, a float and a sponge are a few of the specialty tools you will need to complete the project.
Finally after the long ride home it is time to begin laying floor tile. Well, not yet. First the prep work. Remove the toilet and any cabinetry that lies in the way of your floor tile and remove the doors from their hinges. Remove any flooring material down to the bare subfloor.
Once this is completed we'll begin by laying the backer board. This is not to terribly difficult. Simply cut the board to fit the space paying careful attention to lay the pieces perpendicular to the floor joists. No need to scrimp on screws here put them every 8-12 inches. When you complete this tape the seams with a little bit of thin set mortar and fiber mesh tape. Allow this to dry.
When laying floor tile, layout is crucial to the finished appearance. I like for the main entry way to have as much full tile as possible in the doorway with any cut pieces to the outside. Layout two perpendicular lines through the bathroom. One in the middle of the doorway parallel to the wall and the next somewhere in the middle of the room. The intersection of these two lines will become the first tile that you will lay.
I start in the middle of the room to ensure that the tiles are square throughout and that any imperfections in the squareness of the room will not be echoed in the floor tile. This method will also ensure that all of the cut edges of tile end up on the outside beneath the baseboard.
Use a wet saw to cut any tile tat needs to be cut. A wet saw can be rented or bought from just about any hardware store in town. It is by far the easiest and fastest way to make cuts in most types of floor tile. Continue to lay the tile a little bit at a time working toward the doorway and using plastic spacers to keep an even grout line. Be careful not to step on any tile that you have laid for at least 24 hours to allow a full cure to the mortar.
Once you have finished laying floor tile it is time to grout all of those pretty grout joints. Remove all of the spacers you placed earlier and fill the joints with grout. Use the sponge to clean up any excess as you go an keep a bucket of water handy to keep that sponge wet. When this is done we wait some more...
After the grout has cured for 24 hours you will probably notice a bit of a haze over the floor. This is natural. Simply get the sponge out again and wipe down the floor one more time making sur to use plenty of clean water.
When this is done let the grout dry for a few hours more then follow up with a quality grout sealer. Apply two to three coats of sealant allow it to dry and replace all of the articles you removed in the early phases of the project.
All of this should be able to be done in one long weekend. If, of course, the proper planning is made. I hope this has helped you to make the most of your time and maybe even save a few bucks along the way. As always if there is anything that I can do for you please don't hesitate to contact me and let me know.
