If you have decided to install tile yourself rather than opting for hiring a professional, one thing you will save is money. The tiles are not terribly expensive, depending on the type you choose.
The labor is the costly part of hiring someone to do this job. So when you decide to do it yourself, by following a few simple instructions, you will save money and have the pride of a job well done.
Box Cutter
The basic need for tile laying is a good sub-floor. Usually they are wood. The one thing you have to make sure of is that it is even and is a good surface for laying the tiles. If you already had a tile floor, it would be best to remove these tiles. This will help your new tile floor to last a lot longer.
You may have to purchase something to get rid of the glue from the old tiles that remains on the floor. It cannot be stressed enough if you want your floor to look professional and stay put, the sub-floor must be prepared for the new tile.
If the room you are tiling is the kitchen, remove the appliances. You will want your tile to be under the appliances in case you ever decide to move them or get a different size. It would look really odd to have bare spots where there is no tile.
Assuming you have already measured the floor, you should have the correct amount of tile for the room. It is always better to buy more than you need rather than less. Most stores will take unopened boxes of tiles back if you have extra and keep your receipt.
When you are ready to start to install tile, make sure you have all your tools together. You should have the following:
1) Work clothes that you are not worried about ruining.
2) Safety glasses
3) The adhesive and the grout for finishing
4) Tile spacers
5) Trowel and grout float
6) Tile cutter
7) Putty knife
8) Tape measure
9) Level
10) Square
If you do not have any of these tools, you may want to make a quick trip to your local hardware store. These tools are necessary to install tile floors.
The next step would be to find the center of your floor. Measure the width of the floor and using a piece of chalk mark the center spot. Measure the length of the floor and make a mark at the center. By marking the center of the floor correctly, you can start here to lay your tile making sure it is even and straight.
Put your first tile where you have marked the center of the room. Make sure you use the adhesive to bond it to the floor. Here is where your trowel comes in. Use it, hopefully you got one that is notched, to spread the adhesive. Press the tile in place and go to the next one. You can use a towel to wipe excess adhesive off your tiles.
Keep laying tiles until you have the floor covered, using the tile cutter if you need to trim any of it to fit. When you have this part finished and your tile has set, use your tile grout to put in the cracks between the tiles. Using your grout float make sure the gaps are completely filled. When this is dry you can brush off the excess. Now you are ready to enjoy your new floor.
