Learning how to lay ceramic floor tiles the right way

Is it weird to start working on your own ceramic tile project? Get ready to learn the basics of how to lay ceramic tile right here and make that beautiful ceramic tile floor you and your family have always wanted! So, get your mosaic tools ready, put on your safety glasses, and let’s do some mosaics!

Most tile laying jobs start with a well-prepared subfloor. As you learn more about laying ceramic floor tile, you’ll learn about the three general types of flooring that tilers typically work with. This information will help you a lot along the way.

In general, you will find three types of subfloors: vinyl, plywood, and concrete floors. Installation of ceramic tile directly over vinyl or linoleum flooring (or subfloor surfaces) should be avoided at all costs. Your vinyl or linoleum flooring may contain asbestos fibers and should be tested first before attempting to remove it. If your vinyl floor covering does not contain asbestos fibers, a general recommendation for laying ceramic tile is to sand or scarify the surface of the vinyl floor to provide a better grip for your tile mortar. Use a latex-modified thin-set mortar to install your ceramic tile over your vinyl subfloor.

Working on plywood subfloors can also be very tricky. Like vinyl flooring surfaces, installing your ceramic tile directly on top of your plywood flooring surface is not recommended. Plywood floors generally have a smooth surface and warp easily when exposed to heat or moisture. Make sure the wood is at least 1 1/8 inches thick and is reinforced and supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will easily come off or worse, crack and need to be replaced. Plywood panel edges should be installed approximately one-quarter inch from perimeter walls and door jambs, fixtures, and cabinets. They are expansion joints and should not be bridged with tiling mortar. To prevent moisture from damaging the plywood subfloor, use a waterproofing sealer or caulking over the plywood subsurface.

Concrete floors are the most ideal subfloor surface to work on. But before you start laying tiles on the surface of the subfloor, it must be thoroughly cleaned. Paint, adhesives, fillers or levelers, sealers, and chemically treated cementitious substrates are not suitable surfaces for ceramic tile installation. Remove them using non-chemical methods. For dust and other debris, sweep and then mop the surface of the concrete subfloor using clean water only. Allow the surface to set completely before starting work on it. Smooth concrete surfaces are often difficult to work with, as the tile grout may not grip or hold. Consequently, your ceramic tiles may be in danger of becoming dislodged. Smooth concrete surfaces should be sanded, scarified or etched to allow the tile setting mortar to adhere.

Another important aspect of how to lay ceramic floor tiles is to always check for cracks and debris. Repair as many cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the section of flooring where they meet with new concrete. Concrete may need to set (or dry) for at least twenty-four hours before you can start laying tile on it. Lastly, take out your carpenter’s level and check for any depressions or humps in the surface of the concrete subfloor. If you find any, you can use a cement-based floor level to fill in the depressions and smooth out the humps. This will help keep the finished ceramic tile floor level and minimize tile dislodgement or breakage.

Let it dry or set properly. This is the key step you need to keep in mind on how to lay a ceramic tile floor. There are three setting periods: the first is right after the ceramic tiles are set with thin-set mortar and adhered to the subfloor. The second is after you put the tile grout (before you put the sealer). These setting periods last from one night, as a minimum, to twenty-four hours, as a maximum. Your sealer has dried, that’s it!

So when working on your own ceramic tile project, always remember how to lay ceramic tile correctly by knowing how to work with your subfloor surfaces. Learning to lay ceramic tile is also a great way to learn a new hobby and home improvement skill. Just remember to maintain a safe work environment, don’t rush things (especially during setting periods), and try to work with a partner. Better yet, invite your friends and help.