How to tile a bathroom floor—from planning to completion

With a bit of instruction, you can learn how to tile a bathroom floor properly. It’s a great DIY job and will make an aging bathroom look like new.

• You can install bathroom tile yourself—it’s not that hard
• How to tile a bathroom floor—measuring and layout
• How to lay ceramic tile in your bathroom—installation and grouting
  

You can install bathroom tile yourself—it’s not that hard

Don’t be intimidated by the thought of tiling your bathroom floor. It’s really pretty straightforward. First, choose a tile that will go with the other decor in the room. You’ll find beautiful choices for every budget.

Read the manufacturer’s instructions and choose a compatible adhesive. Also, choose a matching grout. It’s best to buy all the materials at once to avoid possibly needing to buy more later. Another batch may have a slight colour variation.

How to tile a bathroom floor—measuring and layout

To determine how much tile you need, multiply the length and width of the room. Then divide this number by the square foot coverage listed on the package of tile. Add about 10% for cuts or breakage. That will tell you how many boxes to buy.

Lay out a row of tiles in each direction and try to centre them so that the cuts at the edges will be about the same size. Then, near the centre of the room, draw a line along a tile edge parallel to one wall, and extend it across the room. Next, draw a line at 90° to the first one. Now you have your guide for laying the tiles.

How to lay ceramic tile in your bathroom—installation and grouting

Now comes the main part, installing your tile.

Start at the intersection of your lines and tile a section at a time as follows:

1. Using a notched trowel, spread adhesive over a small area.
2. Lay a tile, lining it up with your guidelines. Twist the tile a bit as you set it down to make solid contact with the adhesive.
3. Use tile spacers between your tiles as you install them to keep the gaps uniform.
4. After you have a few tiles down, use a level to make sure the surface is flat and even. If a tile is not level, use a rubber mallet to tap the high corner down gently. If one is too low, pull it up, add more adhesive, then reset it.
5. Wipe away any excess adhesive on the surface of the tiles immediately with a damp sponge.
6. As you come to a wall or an obstruction, carefully measure and cut the tile with a tile saw. Trim small areas with tile nippers. Hint: for complicated cuts, use a cardboard template, then trace it onto a tile for cutting.
7. When completed, allow the tile to dry overnight before grouting.

Once the tile adhesive is fully dry, remove the spacers and mix up your grout. Apply grout over the entire surface with a grout float, working it firmly into the gaps between tiles. Use a damp sponge or towel to wipe the excess grout off the surface of the tile while leaving a uniform amount of grout in the joints. You may need to do this a few times, allowing it to dry and “haze up” in between. Finish up by polishing with a dry towel.

Have a loose tile that needs refastening? For a quick and easy fix, try Loctite Epoxy Quick Set. This two-part adhesive forms a rigid, high-strength bond in just 5 minutes when combined in equal parts. The convenient dual syringe makes mixing easy. This super adhesive is resistant to water and can even be tinted or mixed with sand for colour matching. It bonds to ceramic, metal, glass, wood, and many other materials.