How to Install Ceramic Tile in an Entrance Way
Ceramic tile is a good choice for an entrance-way floor because of its durability. Installing tile in an entrance way is an ideal project for a beginner, since the small size of the area keeps the scope manageable. Select plain ceramic tiles in a neutral color for a subtle or utilitarian look, or choose brightly colored ceramic tiles for a dramatic view as visitors enter your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tile spacers
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Snap cutter
- Chalk line
- Permanent marker
- Yardstick
- Thin-set mortar
- Notched trowel
- Beater board
- Rubber mallet
- Grout
- Grout float
- Sponge
Instructions
-
-
1
Dry-lay a row and column of the tiles on the entrance way floor with tile spacers in between the tiles. This will tell you if you need to cut some of the tiles to fit the space. Measure the length of three tiles, including tile spacers, with a measuring tape and write down this measurement for later with a pencil.
-
2
Mark the tiles to be cut by laying them on the floor by the wall, overlapping the adjacent tile. Mark the tile with a pencil on each side where it overlaps the adjacent tile. Cut the ceramic tile at the marks with a snap cutter. Repeat for as many tiles as needed. Skip this step if you don't need to cut any tiles.
-
-
3
Mark the floor along each wall in intervals equal to the measurement you took in Step 1. Snap chalk lines between opposite marks, creating grid lines to guide you as you place the tiles. Trace the lines with permanent marker, using a yardstick as a straight edge.
-
4
Spread thin-set mortar on the entrance way floor with a notched trowel, staying inside one of the boxes of the grid. Run the edge of the notched trowel over the thin-set mortar, creating grooves. Place the ceramic tiles on the mortar, following the grid lines and placing tile spacers in between the tiles. Repeat until the floor is covered, finishing with the partial tiles.
-
5
Place a beater board over the ceramic tiles and tap it with a rubber mallet. This presses the tiles into the thin-set mortar, creating a flat and even surface. Run a tile spacer along the spaces between the tiles, removing any excess mortar. Let the thin-set dry overnight.
-
6
Remove the tile spacers. Spread grout over the tiles with a grout float, pressing it in between the tiles and scraping it from the tile surfaces with the side of the grout float.
-
7
Run the corner of a wet sponge along the grout lines, first in one direction and then the other, creating an even depth and finish. Wipe the excess grout from the tile surfaces with a wet sponge, being careful not to touch the grout lines. Let the grout cure overnight.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Place the partial tiles on the least visible part of the entrance-way floor, such as under coat hooks or a side table.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
