How To Lay Straight Floor Tile

Install ceramic tile over a subfloor that s no less than 1 1 8 inches thick.

How to lay straight floor tile. Using a tape measure or digital laser tape measure the room from one wall to the opposite wall and note the distance. For consistent joints use tile spacers. In general to lay the tile itself mix thinset and spread it on the floor using the notched edge of a trowel starting at the intersection between your chalk lines on the floor. This creates a visual similar to that of a chess board.

To make the chessboard pattern unique and true to its name it will consist of two different colors tiles placed in an alternating pattern. For proper bonding medium bed mortar should be used in installing tiles with a dimensional length greater than 20 x 20 large rectangles or tiles with greater dimensional thickness than normal. Use a tile cutter for small straight cuts. This basic design gives a clean look and may work well to tone down heavily patterned tiles or compliment high shine ultra modern tiles that call for a sleek display.

Place a 2 x 4 on top and tap lightly with a rubber mallet. For making curved cuts you can use tile nippers. As you near cabinets doorways walls and other flooring stops trim tiles as needed for installation. This row determines the size of cut tiles along the walls.

9 level tiles after installing three or four tiles make sure they are level. A thinner subfloor will cause the floor to flex due to the weight of the tile. Be prepared to cut some tiles. Measure from one wall call it a to the nearest tile edge.

Always follow the chalk lines of your layout to ensure you re laying tiles in a straight line. This will level the tiles and embed them firmly in the mortar. At the room s center place a tile where the chalk lines cross with its edges touching the lines. Back buttering tiles of this nature in the installation process will also assure proper coverage for body.

If the tile is too thick for nippers try the following. Lay a row of tiles along a straightedge more than halfway across the room. The number of tiles you will need will depend on the size of the tile you wish to lay as well as the tile pattern you will like on the floor. A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches.

Lay a short 2 x 4 or beater block on top of the tiles and tap lightly with a rubber mallet to level the tiles and bed them firmly in the mortar. Use a tile saw or wet saw both rentable if necessary for cutting numerous or thick tiles. The chessboard pattern will go back to the diagonal lay or the straight lay in the sense of physical pattern.