How to Lay Floor Tile - Guide & Shopping List
Wowza
Since laying my new kitchen floor tile in the Spring of 2020, every time I look down at it I feel a sense of pride and joy. It helps elevate my kitchen so much more (than the laminate floors) in partnership of my new quartz countertops. I’m not going to lie though, it was a lot longer process than I had initially expected. Laying hexagon tile is a bit more tedious than using square or rectangle tiles.
This was only my second time tiling in my life and there were quite a few more measurements with the hexagon shape than I had anticipated. You see, the first time I applied tile I used subway backsplash, and at that time I had the help of my brother-in-law to guide me. He had completely remodeled three homes by this time and was great at rattling off not only the shopping list, but also the steps out of memory. So, with his help putting up backsplash, I hadn’t paid much attention to the details behind the process and just did as I was told.
Well, thanks to COVID I couldn’t fly my brother-in-law to my rescue this time. Instead, he helped me pull together my shopping list (flooring has a couple of additional steps vs. wall tile) and from there I re-educated myself with the help of YouTube…every DIYers favorite resource. After watching a couple of videos, I remembered the steps that I had previously performed years back and it was almost like muscle memory. The only difference this time was that I needed to lay hardi board down to level out the floors and remove any “old home squeaks”.
Now I don’t have a step by step video of myself for you, instead I’ve got one better! I’ve outlined a complete shopping list for your tile laying needs, as well as supplied a Home Depot video that was VERY helpful for me. I also shared some tips that I wish I would have known in advance. By leveraging these resources, you will be a pro in no time.
SHOPPING LIST
Hardi backer board
Screws - stagger joints
Exacto knife + blades
Premixed thin set
Sanded Grout
Grout Sealer
Spacers - 1/8th or 3/16th
Notch Trowel (correspond with tile choice)
Grout float (cheapest one is best surprisingly)
Tile saw (water cooled)
5-10 Sponges
3-5 Buckets
SHOP THE POST:
TIPS
Buy multiple blades for your exacto knife. When cutting the hardi board, you should not be surprised if you go through more than a dozen razor blades.
If you decide to use dark tile and dark grout, be sure to buy dark thin set. Although your grout is used to fill the spacing between each tile, by leveraging dark thin set you will mitigate any risk of having a speckle of white show through a few after letting everything dry.
Grout should be sanded for sizes over 1/8, but for 1/8 or smaller you need to use unsanded grout (ie backsplash).
Highly contrasting tile and grout tends to show more imperfections. If this is your first time, I would recommend going either dark tile + dark grout or light tile + light grout. By allowing it to appear more uniform, any irregularities from the spacers or tiles that have shifted will not show as greatly.
If you are using tile that has different color finishes like stone, be sure to lay out a handful at a time. This will allow you to visually apply different color variances strategically and mitigate any strange sections from being created.
Be sure to pull out all appliances and clean your floors thoroughly before beginning.
Apply thinset to your original floors and then hardi board. Some use screws to stabilize the hardi board in place, but by using thinset it helps reduce floor squeaks and sound proofing. (Of course don’t do this if you ever think you will want to refinish the original flooring).
After laying 3-7 tiles and allowing them some time to set, depending on how slow or fast you move, but sure to wipe off any access thin set. You want to leave room for your grout to fill between spaces and don’t want any thin set to dry on the top of the tile itself.
Check the leveling of the floor along the way! Your trowel will help regulate the amount of thin set you are using each time, but it is still important to check that your tiles are pressed down and level with one another.
Well, I think that sums it up. Believe me when I say you can do this! It may be a bit tedious, but in the long run it will save you money and will bring you pride. And don’t you worry, if you get started and need someone to talk you off the ledge, just give me a call! My brother-in-law listened to me complain for six days straight and now I couldn’t be happier with my flooring. I’m here for you if you need me!
Best of Luck!
Jen
