Install a Ceramic Tile Floor

Category: Flooring · Difficulty: Intermediate · Time: 12h · Estimated cost: $550

Tools needed

Install cement backer board
Lay backer over plywood subfloor with 1/8" gap at seams. Screw every 8" with backer screws. Tape and thinset all seams with mesh tape.
Duration: 1h 30m
Dry-lay and snap layout lines
Find the room center with two chalk lines. Dry-lay tile from center out — adjust so cut tiles at walls are at least 1/2 tile wide and equal on both sides.
Duration: 45 min
Mix thinset to peanut butter
Mix thinset with the paddle and drill to a stiff peanut butter consistency. Let slake 10 minutes, mix again briefly.
Duration: 15 min
Spread, set, and space
Spread thinset with the 1/4" notched trowel — flat side first, then comb at 45 degrees. Set tile, twist 1/4 turn to collapse the ridges, press level. Insert spacers between tiles.
Duration: 4h
Cut edges with the wet saw
Wet saw for fancy cuts (L-cuts around door jambs, toilet flange). Snap cutter for straight rips. Always leave 1/4" expansion at walls.
Duration: 2h
Cure 24 hours, then grout
Let thinset set 24 hours minimum. Remove spacers. Mix grout, push diagonally across joints with the float, then wipe excess with damp sponge in clean circles.
Duration: 2h 30m
Final wipe and seal
Haze wipe with cheesecloth next day. Wait 72 hours, then brush on grout sealer. Caulk (don't grout) the perimeter where tile meets walls and cabinets.
Duration: 1h

Wet saws spray water everywhere — set up outside or tarp the room and wear eye protection.
Thinset and grout are caustic — wear nitrile gloves and a dust mask when mixing.
Never grout the perimeter or fixture joints — always caulk so the floor can move.

Heated tile floor installs, on-slab or below-grade installs with moisture, or large-format tiles over 18" — these need specialty membranes and skill.