| Knowing how to install ceramic floor tile can be done | | | | safety glasses, and long-sleeved work clothes. |
| in easy steps. What you need are the right tools or | | | | Lay out your floor. |
| equipments and the right instruction book to follow. | | | | Measuring the length and width of your floor will help |
| Follow these basic and straightforward steps, and | | | | you determine how to install ceramic floor tile and |
| you'll be able to bring your desired floor design to life. | | | | help you know estimate the number of ceramic floor |
| Get the right tools for the job. | | | | tiles you will need to purchase. Start by finding the |
| For starters, if you want to know how to install | | | | center point of your floor area. You can do this by |
| ceramic floor tile by yourself, you should have the | | | | measuring across the room and marking the center. |
| right tools and materials for the job. You can easily | | | | Do this in opposite direction and mark the center, as |
| buy, or rent, most of the tools and materials you'll | | | | well. The intersection of the two lines is the center |
| need at you neighborhood hardware store, or home | | | | of the floor you will be tiling over. Run chalk lines |
| center. For equipment that would be too expensive | | | | over the intersection lines. These chalk lines will help |
| like a tile cutter, or hand held micro cutter, you may | | | | you with how to install ceramic floor tile and with |
| be able to rent these tools from your local home | | | | your tile positioning. |
| center or a tool rental yard. Here are most of the | | | | Let the tiling begin! |
| basic tools you will need for your tiling job:a) Put | | | | Make sure you position and place the first tile at the |
| safety gear on. Use a pair of safety glasses, heavy | | | | intersection of the two lines you made. Then, bond it |
| leather gloves, and long-sleeved work clothes, | | | | to your subfloor by using a thin set mortar, or a tile |
| especially if it involves taking out the existing ceramic | | | | adhesive of your choice. Using a notched trowel for |
| tiles. Broken shards and other debris can cause nasty | | | | applying the mortar is best on how to install ceramic |
| cuts, if you are not careful. b) A tape measure, tile | | | | floor tile. But you may actually use the more common |
| spacers, carpenter's square and a bubble level. c) A | | | | trowel variety is you don't have one. To secure the |
| mallet and hammer, a putty knife and a trowel | | | | ceramic tile in its place, press down while twisting it |
| (preferably, the notched kind), and a rubber grout | | | | back and forth till the tile no longer is set. If some of |
| float and a putty knife. d) A tile cutter (which may | | | | the mortar or adhesive oozes out, use your trowel |
| be rented) and a pair of tile nippers. e) Mortar | | | | (or a damp sponge) to scrape off the excess. Do |
| material like a thin set mortar, or any one of a wide | | | | this process over with the next tile, and so on and |
| selection of tile adhesives. f) Tiling grout and sealant. | | | | so forth, until you've finished your ceramic floor tiling. |
| Tiling grout comes in many color tints that you can | | | | Time to grout and seal. |
| choose from to fit your desired look and floor design. | | | | After your ceramic floor tiles have set, it's time to |
| Prepare your subfloor before installing your tiles. | | | | put the tiling grout in. Tiling grout is a material that |
| The tiling part of the project starts here. It would be | | | | you should know more about when you want to |
| a great experience for you to learn how to install | | | | know how to install ceramic floor tile flooring. Tiling |
| ceramic floor tile by learning about the type of floors | | | | grout is a material made cement, sand and water, |
| you will be putting your tiles on. Always check for | | | | and a little color. It is used to fill in gaps and seal in |
| cracks and debris when If you're working on a | | | | the spaces between tiles. Tiling grout comes in a |
| concrete subfloor. Make it is smooth and clean. Repair | | | | wide variety of color tints that may be matched to |
| as many of the cracks as you can. If you see cracks | | | | your tile color. Use a rubber grout float and work the |
| that are too large to repair, replace the floor section | | | | tiling grout into the gaps between the tiles. Use your |
| where they are found with new concrete. For | | | | grout float at an angle so that you can fill in the joint |
| plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least | | | | gap with as much tiling grout as possible. |
| 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally | | | | Use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout |
| strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles | | | | from gaps between tiles. Rinse the sponge frequently |
| will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need | | | | to get as much of the excess grout off, and keep |
| replacing. | | | | each tile clean. You have the option of applying a |
| You'll need to tear out the existing tiles in case the | | | | sealant to the grout lines after they dry. |
| floor you'll be installing tiles on has existing tiles. For | | | | And there you have it! Learning about how to install |
| starters, all you need to do is use a large flat-bladed | | | | ceramic floor tile is easy! By following these basic |
| chisel and a mallet, and just hammer away. Then, | | | | steps, you too can realize your ceramic floor design. |
| you'll need to clean out the debris. If you to | | | | Learning how to install ceramic floor tile properly will |
| smoothen your subfloor -- you may want to rent a | | | | give you a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, |
| sander to do the job. Be sure to keep yourself | | | | and a beautiful ceramic tiled floor. |
| protected. Use heavy-duty leather work gloves, | | | | |