How to Lay Marble Floor Tile

Install marble tile much like you would any other tile.

Laying down a marble floor is not much different than tiling with ceramic tile or other types of stone tile. However, marble is a soft stone and it cannot withstand construction traffic or debris. Once you begin installing marble tile, you have to protect it like the hood of a fancy car. Marble tile also offers a unique challenge due to the veins in the stone. These give the floor beautiful depth and texture, but require you to create a visually pleasing mosaic of veins. Not all the marble tiles you buy are meant to be placed next to one another.

Things You'll Need

• Marble tile
• Tile cutter
• Marble sealer
• Latex fortified mortar
• Fiberglass joint tape
• Backer board
• Circular saw
• 1-1/2-inch galvanized screws
• Sanded thinset mortar
• Notched trowel
• Tile spacers
• Grout

Instructions

1. Install the backer board on top of the subfloor. Mark your cuts on the board with a pencil, drawing a straight line with the help of your level. Cut the board with a circular saw, but score both sides with a utility knife prior to using the saw. Fasten the backer board onto the subfloor with 1-1/2-inch hot dipped galvanized screws. Be sure to offset the seams of your backer board from the seams in the subfloor.

2. Seal the seams in the backer board with latex fortified mortar. After filling the seams with the mortar, quickly apply fiberglass joint tape. Once the tape is set, cover it with a layer of the same latex fortified mortar.

3. Lay out your marble tiles. Blend the tiles together so that the veins in the marble go together. Pay attention to the veins as you lay down the tile. It looks odd to have tiles installed together with really different vein patterns.

4. Lay down some protection on the floor of the room and begin to seal all the tile before it is installed. Use a marble sealer which is available at hardware stores.

5. Spread sanded thinset slow setting mortar with a notched trowel at around a 45 degree angle. Start your tile layout against the wall.Slide the tile into place as opposed to pressing it into place. If mortar is oozing up in between your tiles as you place them, you've used too much mortar. Revise the amount of mortar you trowel on as you progress. Be sure to clean off any excess mortar that has accumulated on your floor tile before it dries.

6. Use tile spacers as you go in order to keep your tile installation uniform with attractive looking straight lines.

7. Seal the tile again before installing the grout. Grout leaves a haze on the floor tile once you've finished installing it. This haze will forever cloud the finish of your floor tile unless you seal it before the grouting process. The tile sealer prevents the grout haze from bonding with the tile and it is then easily washed off.

Tips & Warnings

• If there is going to be construction traffic over this floor, you will to install some good protection. Typically, builders use red rosin paper. This kind of protection is not sufficient. You need a heavy duty cardboard product that you can cut and fit into place. Use duct tape over the seams. Any other tape will fail after a couple of days of construction boots.