How to Install Large Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is a great surface with which to cover a floor. However, one of the disadvantages of the tile is that while it is very strong when properly laid down, it can easily crack and break if mistakes are made. This is doubly true for large ceramic tiles.

Things You'll Need

• Large ceramic tiles
• Magnesium straightedge
• Thinset adhesive
• Grout
• Putty knife

Instructions

1. Make sure your floor is flat. This is always an issue with laying down ceramic tile, but it is especially important for large ceramic tiles. Any bumps or humps will need to be filled in with cement-based floor leveler. Ideally, your floor will be both flat and level, but flat is the most important part. The best way to find any hidden bumps or holes is to use a magnesium staright-edge.

2. Clean the surface. You will want to get the dust, dirt, and grease spots off the surface to which you will be adding the ceramic tile.

3. Measure out the surface you want to tile. This is especially important when using large ceramic tiles, since the tiles themselves will be fairly large and harder to cut. You should buy enough tile to cover the surface, plus another 10-15% or so to account for breakage and cut tiles.

4. Lay out your tiles. You will want to get an idea of where all of your tiles will be going before you permanently set them with the adhesive, so this can help you plan. It will also let you know where you will need to have cut tiles.

5. Cut your tiles. This can be pretty difficult, actually, because many cutters do not have a big enough board to accommodate large ceramic tiles. This may mean that you have to freehand your cuts.

6. Mix up your adhesive. Most of the time, when installing large ceramic tiles, you can use thinset adhesive, which is easy to mix and will dry quickly.

7. Lay down the tile. One trick is to apply the adhesive to the back of the large ceramic tiles and then laying them down. Gently twist them into place and then tap them down with a rubber mallet.

8. Grout the joints. After giving the adhesive some time to dry, the last thing you will need to do is to apply grout to the inter-tile joints. Use a putty knife to apply the grout, and try to avoid using a grout that will stain your tiles.