5 Easy Steps on Redoing Your Home Tile Flooring

Redoing your home tile flooring is not much of a big deal and can be done by any homeowner if you know what to do and how to do it properly. Doing it on your own is ideal as it would significantly cut down on the cost of your home renovation project saving you a few thousand bucks.

Here’s our take on how to redo your home tile flooring the easy way:

The tools you will need are:

  • a long straightedge
  • grout
  • rubber float
  • notched trowel
  • margin trowel
  • hand saw
  • tape measure
  • rubbing stone
  • tile cutter
  • folding A-square
  • wet saw
  • tiles

Make sure that the tiles you selected have good quality and won’t easily break in high traffic areas and can resist puddles of liquid substances. Planning ahead is very crucial so you can measure everything correctly and figure out beforehand if you need to cut the tiles. Place the tiles on the floor and arrange them according to how you want the layout to be. Use a straightedge to find the center of each wall and mark them with chalk lines. The intersecting line is the center-most of the room and where you will set the first tile. Make a dry layout by placing a row of tiles equally and use a tile spacer to make sure that the joints have the same measurements.

1: Place tiles along the chalk lines and align the edges of the tiles with the lines you’ve drawn. Measure the distance between the center tile and the wall vertically and horizontally. Keep adjusting until the two measurements are the same to find the very center of the room. Also, make sure that the gap or joint between rows of tiles is consistent. Use a flush cut saw to trim door casings so putting tiles under them won’t be a problem.

2: You’re now ready to make a mix of powdered thinset and latex additive until it has the same thickness as mayonnaise. Let it sit for 10 minutes before spreading a thin layer. Before the thin layer of thinset dries, apply more using the notched edge of the trowel and spread evenly. Make sure to apply pressure while spreading the thinset mortar to push the air out.

3: Set the tile according to the dry layout and measurements you’ve done. Use tile spacers to make sure you space the tiles evenly. Use an A-square to check if the tiles equally square with each other. Make sure the tiles have the same height as the other tiles. If the walls are uneven, use a snap cutter to cut the tiles or wet saw. Measure the tile by holding it against the wall and mark where it touches the tile. After cutting, place the tile down and let sit overnight.

4: Mix grout until the consistency is a little looser than mayonnaise and spread on the tiles using a rubber float. Let sit for 30 minutes and scrub the tiles with a damp sponge to clean the tiles. 

5: Double check if there are tiles higher than the others. If there are, push down before the thinset dries. Otherwise, let the tiles sit overnight without getting moved. 

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