How to Tile a Shower Floor

Tiling a shower floor can be simple if you have a little know how. There are several different ways to tile a shower floor, some good and some not so good. This article will show you the correct way to tile a shower floor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hot Mop floor
• Cement & Sand
• Tile
• Thin-Set
• Various tile tools

1. 
    
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   The very first step is to make sure the shower pan is water proof. The best and in my opinion, only way to do this is to have it hot mapped. Some offer the shower pan liners but these can leak.

2. 
    
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   The next step is to float the floor so it will pitch into the drain so water will drain out instead of create puddles. This step involves mixing cement, water, lime, and sand together in a thick consistency. Pour the mortar on the floor and using metal float sticks, scrape off the mortar until it is level with the drain. Let it dry.

3. Once the float is dry, it is time to set tile. Its time to find the center of the floor. Once this is done, lay out how the tile will lay before you put thin-set mortar on it. This will give you a visual of where to begin.

4. When ready, sprinkle dry thin-set mortar on the floor covering it completely. Sponge water over the mortar. Start in the middle of the back wall and lay a piece of tile out. Put in a plastic spacer to keep the grout lines straight. Go all the way to one wall. Go back to the middle and work to the other wall. Do this all the way to the front of the shower.

5. Be sure to lay a level on the floor to make sure your pitch is headed toward the drain. Once this is done, you have a beautiful tile floor.