Many people are interested in learning how to lay ceramic tile. Kiln-fired, clay ceramic tiles have lately become a popular flooring choice, because of features like durability and resistance to scratching, fading, and staining. Installing ceramic tile is a skilled combination of art and science. Anyone with a basic set of tools and instructions can reasonably expect to do a good job installing ceramic tile.
Here’s a basic list of tools you will need for laying ceramic tile:
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Chalk line
- Fiber glass tape
- Rubber gloves
- Tile nippers
- Dust mask
- Safety glasses
- Tile cutter
- Pencil
- Wet saw
- Grout float
- Trowel
Even if you think you already know how to lay ceramic tile, remember it’s not as simple as it looks. You’ve got to prepare your subfloor, decide on a layout, spread your thinset mortar, then set the tiles, then grout.
You can lay ceramic tile over almost any surface like concrete, plywood, existing flooring, underlayment, even old ceramic tile. But its important to prepare the subfloor surface so that it is level, smooth, and clean.
The first step is to measure the floor you’ll be laying ceramic tile on. Be sure you have a solid surface - it’s the foundation you’ll lay your tile on and it needs to be true. It’s often necessary to use an underlayment like Hardibaker cement board, which is rigid and impervious to water damage.
Well, that’s just a taste of how to lay ceramic tile and what it takes.