I wanted to know how easy it is to tile a floor, so I ask for help from a few professional tilers to give me instructions on how to tile a floor on my own, I can tell it took some time to understand their jargon but beyond that, it was relatively manageable.
Normally I would not advise a homeowner to take on projects on their own, but some DIY projects can be completed with relative ease within a short period, and with some direction, it might seem like a daunting task but it can be done, so let’s look at how I managed to tile a floor.
I had to get some equipment before I could continue the first on the list was protective gear like safety glasses, dust mask, and PPE the next is a sprit level, tile cutter, Trowel, and Bucket, the last item I had to get was a good pencil for marking. don’t forget The tiles Tile adhesive and spacers.
Preparation
The first thing you need to do is to clean the surface that you are tiling on, and by clean I mean thoroughly vacuum it, sweep it and then follow up with detergent, a layer of dust if not cleaned will not allow the tiles to bind well with the floor.
After the floor is cleaned I started with the inspection, it was really weird having to work with two tillers hovering over my shoulders, making funny sounds every time I made even the smallest mistake, I proceeded with the spirit level, fortunately, the flour was leveled, there is however a few things you can do if the floor is not leveled, you can us use a self-leveling underlayment mix or you can add some3 cement to the affected areas and level it using the spirit, make it is your spirit level, you can also use leveling compound or filler if there are cracks
The Layout
Once you are done with the leveling the next thing to do is to check your layout, I wanted to star in the center and move outwards but was advised against it since I would be left with cutoffs at both sides, so we decided to start from the corner because the room was squared, and by star I mean first, a dry run, placing the tiles on the floor to see how the layout is and the number of tiles that need cutting, you also have to inspect the tiles for mismatched color and damages at this point, you can use tile for cutting vinyl tiles or a wet saw for ceramic tiles
Laying the Tiles
Start by removing the tiles furthest from the door because you will start tiling there first, prepare your mix and spread it evenly in the corner you start from or in the center if you are using the centerline of the room to start tiling, place the tile and push it down lightly to ensure it adheres, my advice is to get spacers to place between the tiles since it is a DIY project, I have seen professionals do it without spacers, then again they have years of experience, place the tiles in a three by 3 grids, moving back towards the door, you wouldn’t want to tile yourselves into the room, you must make sure that the tiles are level so its best to always check with the spirit level when done with a row of three, this might be the only time you will get a chance to do so
Grouting
Allow it to set for 24 hours, then it’s time for grouting, mix the ground according to specification, and make sure it totally lump-free, take the grout out of the bucket with a float.
And apply it at a 45-degree angle, make sure you fill all the grout spaces leave it for at least 20 to 25 minutes and clean it with a damp cloth, we are nearly done, let the grout set for 2 to 3 days and then apply sealant with to it or apply a sealant to the whole surface to make the tiles waterproof.
That’s it, you’re done, takes a couple of days but the end result is something you can be proud of.
