If you are looking for a clean and tidy look for the bathroom, then tiling is the best option available with you. Whether you are planning for a bathroom remodeling or you want to decorate the bathroom of your new house, tiles improve the visual appeal of the bathroom décor manifolds. Besides, bathroom cleaning becomes much easier. Thus it helps to maintain health and hygiene. When it comes to bathroom floor tile installation, you have to be extra careful as each and every piece of tile has to be installed properly. Even if a single tile is laid improperly, it can completely ruin the entire bathroom floor.
How to Install Bathroom Floor Tiles
The tools and materials that are needed for installing floor tiles are: measuring tape, chalkline, thinset mortar, grout, tile spacers, trowel, grout float, a bucket of water and rag. The important steps of bathroom tile installation are as follows:
Step #1: Selection of right tile. First of all, you have to select the right kind of bathroom floor tiles. Ceramic, marble, granite, porcelain are some of the tile materials which are suitable for bathroom flooring. Among them, ceramic tile is most widely used. This is because it is durable, inexpensive and has strong resistance towards moisture. Most importantly, it is easy to install. It is found in lots of colors, sizes, shapes and texture. You must select the color and design of the tile that suits your bathroom design. Take measurements of the floor and calculate the number of tiles that you need. Always buy some extra tiles than what you actually need, as there are chances that a few tiles may get damaged during the installation process.
Step #2: Preparing the floor. If you are remodeling your bathroom, then you have to first remove the existing bathroom flooring completely. Clean up the old adhesives and nails from the floor. You need an even surface for laying ceramic tiles. If you find any defects on the floor surface, then repair them. In case, the floor is not properly leveled, apply mortar on it in order to make it a uniformly leveled surface.
Step #3: Laying down the tiles. Ascertain the center or midpoint of the floor by taking measurement from each of the four walls. Then draw perpendicular lines parallel to the walls that meet at the center point. These lines will serve as a guide for laying the tiles. While laying the bathroom tiles, place the first tile at the center point and then proceed towards the direction of the wall following the chalk line. When you reach the wall, you will find a gap where one single tile cannot be fitted in. Measure the gap and mark it on a whole tile. Then cut the tile as per that measurement. Now you can cover up that gap with this piece of tile. Continue to lay the next rows of tiles following the same technique until the entire bathroom floor is covered up with tiles.
Step #4: Setting the tiles. For this, you need to prepare the thinset mortar. Read the directions provided by the manufacturer carefully and prepare the mortar accordingly. Once the mortar is ready, apply it under each of the tiles that are laid down on the floor. Lift a tile, apply some mortar at its back and then put some mortar on the floor area using a trowel. Press the tile on the ground so that it sets well. Any extra adhesive that comes out of the edges should be wiped off. Tile spacers should be used in between any two tiles to keep the gap between tow tile uniform. Apply the mortal under all the tiles in the same manner. For your convenience, you should start applying from one corner of the room and move towards the entrance door of the bathroom.
Step #5: Grouting the tiles. In general, the tile adhesive takes a fortnight to dry up. Then you can start grouting the tiles. Prepare the grout as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Then remove all the tile spacers. Use a grout float to apply the prepared grout into the empty space between the tiles. Put enough grout into the space so that it fills up the gap properly. Any excess of grout on the tile surface should be cleaned up immediately with a damp piece of cloth. After grouting all the tiles, keep them untouched for a week so that the grout firm up thoroughly. Finally, a silicone grout sealer need to be applied to ensure protection for the grout.
You can opt for some interesting tile flooring ideas for bathroom that can enhance its visual appeal even further. There are tiles with designs and patterns on them and when you lay them, it looks nice. During bathroom floor tile installation, you are free to use your creative mind to create some unique tile patterns with tiles of different shapes and colors.
