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.

Always follow the chalk lines of your layout to ensure you re laying tiles in a straight line. Cut tiles to fit against the wall if necessary. For making curved cuts you can use tile nippers. A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches.

This will level the tiles and embed them firmly in the mortar. 9 level tiles after installing three or four tiles make sure they are level. Measure from one wall call it a to the nearest tile edge. 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.

A thinner subfloor will cause the floor to flex due to the weight of the tile. 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. Use a tile cutter for small straight cuts. 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.

Lay a row of tiles along a straightedge more than halfway across the room. The chessboard pattern will go back to the diagonal lay or the straight lay in the sense of physical pattern. 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. Continue laying tiles one box at a time until your reach the wall.

This row determines the size of cut tiles along the walls. 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. 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. This creates a visual similar to that of a chess board. If the tile is too thick for nippers try the following. Place a 2 x 4 on top and tap lightly with a rubber mallet.

Be prepared to cut some tiles. With a straight lay pattern tile is laid one after another in a straight grid pattern with corners matching up and grout applied in intersecting lines. 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.