How to Lay Tile on a Plywood Subfloor
Standard floor tile is generally one square foot or less, but for a bolder, more dramatic look, you can get larger tiles. Tiles that are 16 inches on a side will give a solid, slab-like feel to the floor, and installing them actually goes quicker than with smaller tiles, because you have to lay fewer of them and they are easier to cut. On the downside, large tiles are more likely to crack over time if the underlayment isn't completely firm, so make sure it is. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Chalk snap line
- Square
- Tile mortar
- Mortar trowel (1/8th-inch notches)
- 16-inch floor tile
- 1/8th inch tile spacers
- Tile cutter
- Grout
- Grout float
- Sponge
Instructions
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1
Snap your chalk snap line over the floor in two perpendicular directions, dividing it into four quadrants. Use a square to ensure that the lines are 90 degrees from each other as you snap the second one.
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2
Spread tile mortar over the intersection of the two lines, covering enough area to encompass four 16-inch tiles. The lines should still be visible through the mortar.
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3
Press the first four tiles in place in the mortar, using the four corners of the intersection to keep them straight. Put tile spacers between them.
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4
Spread more mortar over the floor and lay more tiles, building off the middle tiles and working out toward the edges of the room. Put spacers between all of them. Install as many full tiles as will fit in the room.
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5
Let the mortar set for a day. Install the partial tiles at the edges of the room by measuring the remaining space, cutting the tiles on a tile cutter, and setting them in mortar with the cut edges facing the walls.
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6
Let the mortar set for another day. Remove the spacers. Grout the floor with a grout float, spreading the grout over the surface in sections of a few square feet, pressing it into the spaces, and wiping up the excess grout with a damp sponge. Let the floor cure for 48 hours before walking on it.
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