Things You'll Need:
- Pipe wrench
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- 5/8-inch cement board (enough to cover the floor)
- Razor knife
- Jigsaw
- Carpenter's glue
- Screwgun
- Thinset mortar
- Adhesive trowel
- Snapline
- Plastic tile spacers
- Tile saw
- Grout mix
- Bucket
- Grout float (rubber trowel)
- Sponge
- Grout sealer
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Step 1
Remove the toilet, using your pipe wrench to disconnect the water supply and the mounting screws on the base. Put a wadded-up towel in the open drain to prevent sewer gas from rising into the house. Remove any other obstructions from the floor, including floor trim. Strip the floor down to wood subfloor if it isn't already.
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Step 2
Lay cement board over the whole floor, installing it with carpenter's glue and screws set every square foot. Use your razor knife to score and break the boards as needed to fit, staggering the seams so there are no four-way intersections. Use your jigsaw to cut out the hole for the toilet drain. Spread thinset mortar over the seams between the boards, getting it flat and smooth and letting it dry.
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Step 3
With the snapline and tape measure, divide the room into four equal squares. Starting in the corner of one of the squares at the center of the room, spread thinset mortar over a few feet of area, using the notched side of your trowel. Press the first tile into place, using the two intersecting lines as your guide. Lay neighboring tiles alongside it, using the plastic spacers to separate them. Lay all the full tiles that will fit in the room in this manner, then go back and cut tiles for the edges and around the toilet, using your tile saw. Pull out the plastic spacers and let the tiles set overnight.
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Step 4
Stir up your powdered grout with water to the consistency of thick mud. Let it sit in the bucket for ten minutes, then re-stir and apply it to the floor using your rubber grout float. Working in sections, press the grout into the lines while squeezing it off the tile face, then wipe off the excess with a damp sponge. Let the grout dry for two days, then seal it with grout sealer, which should include a sponge applicator on the bottle. Re-install the toilet and floor trim.
