Tiling a Bathroom Floor

In this episode, the bathroom floor as well as a carpeted powder room area are tiled.

Tiling a Bathroom Floor

Materials:

ceramic tiles
wrench
ratchet set (for toilet floor bolts)
bleach or bathroom cleaning solution
plastic bag filled with paper towels
cold chisel
hammer
pry bar
straight edge
utility knife
plywood
cement backerboard
eightpenny nails
fiberglass mesh tape
tile adhesive
notched trowel
galvanized screws
power drill
tile spacers
clean towels
grout
grout float

Steps:

1. First turn off the shutoff valve on the water supply line to the toilet. Flush the toilet to empty the tank and bowl. Next, disconnect the water supply line at the shutoff valve and at the toilet tank. Remove the nuts from the tank bolts, remove the tank and set it aside.

3. Clean and disinfect the flange and stuff a plastic bag filled with paper towels into the sewer opening to keep gases from escaping (figure B). Be aware that if your new tiles raises the toilet higher than the flange, you may need to purchase an extension flange kit.

4. Use a hammer and cold chisel to carefully remove tile baseboards in the bathtub area. Also remove wood molding with a hammer and pry bar from the carpeted area ( figure C).

5. Using a utility knife and straight edge, cut the carpet at the doorframe and pull it up. Remove the padding and finally the tack strips from the subfloor (figure D). If you have thresholds, take extra care removing them so they can be reused.

6. Use a cold chisel and hammer to break away each tile (figure E). Once you have a good start on the tile, you can use a pry bar to attack the tile edges for removal. If the tile isn't popping up, you can break each tile individually and then remove it in pieces. Remove the grout along the tub and sweep the floor thoroughly.

7. Have plywood cut to size for the length and width of your bathroom/powder room measurements. Place the cut plywood on the subfloor and attach them with eightpenny nails (figure F). Don't forget to practice safety.

8. Cut cement backerboard with a straight edge and utility knife (or circular saw). Once the pieces are cut, secure them to the plywood with adhesive and a notched trowel (figure G). Once the cement backerboards are in place (figure H), further secure them with galvanized screws. Be sure to leave an 1/8-inch gap between the backerboards to allow for expansion and contraction.

9. Next, fill the backerboard seams with adhesive. Press fiberglass mesh tape to the adhesive across the seams then press a second layer of adhesive over the tape using the smooth side of the notched trowel (figure I). Allow the adhesive to dry according to manufacturer's suggestions.

10. Determine the best place to start laying tiles and snap a straight, perpendicular chalk line. Dry fit several tiles and spacers to make sure this is an appropriate starting point (figure J). Start the pattern where the full tiles are most visible and the cut tiles least visible. Before actually laying the tiles, dust them thoroughly.

11. Scoop adhesive with the notched trowel and place it on the backerboard. Comb it evenly, holding the trowel surface at a 45-degree angle (figure K). Set the tiles with a firm twisting motion, working one section at a time (figure L ). Use tile spacers to maintain consistent spacing.

12. When the adhesive has set, remove the spacers and wipe away any excess adhesive. Allow the adhesive to cure according to the manufacturers suggestions.

13. Time to grout. Starting in a corner, spread the grout evenly with a rubber grout float. Holding the float at a low angle, pack the grout into the joints until they are completely filled (figure M). Scrape off the excess with the same float.

14. Working in small sections, use a damp sponge to clean the tiles. Wipe across the tiles, being careful not to pull any grout out of the joints. Once the grout has set, buff and polish the tiles with a dry cloth (figure N).

15. Replace the baseboards and toilet and finally apply a sealer when the grout is completely dry. This project takes three days (because of drying time) and costs around 325 dollars.