Laying Floor Tiles Once your surface is prepared, you'll need to lay out where the tiles will go. For a good-looking installation, layout lines must be square. Otherwise, you'll end up with odd-shaped tiles at the walls.

When you're doing the dry layout of the tiles, place spacers upright between tiles to maintain the right gap for the grout joints.

Tiling a Kitchen Floor Part 1 Video Tiling a Kitchen Floor Part 2 Video

Follow These Steps

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  • Step One

    Establish a layout line by measuring opposite sides of the room and marking the center of each side. Snap a chalk line between the marks. Measure and mark the center of the chalk line. From this point, use a framing square to establish a second line perpendicular to the first. Snap a second layout line across the room.

  • Step Two

    Check for squareness with a carpenter's triangle. Measure and mark one layout line 3 feet from the center point. Measure and mark the perpendicular layout line 4 feet from the centerpoint. Measure the distance between the marks. If the layout lines are perpendicular, the distance will be exactly 5 feet.

  • Step Three

    Lay tiles and spacers along one line from the center to the wall. If the space at the wall is narrower than half a tile, move the other line back by half a tile. You'll end up with wider cuts at both walls.

  • Step Four

    It's best to divide the floor into manageable boxes, roughly 2- by 3-feet square, for setting the tiles. The best way to determine the exact size of box that's right for your tiles is to lay them out and measure them. Begin by laying out an L in the center of the room. Use the chalk lines as a guide and separate the tiles with spacers.

  • Step Five

    Measure both branches of the L from the center to determine the size of the boxes you will lay out on the floor. Add the width of one spacer to each measurement.

  • Step Six

    Remove the tiles. Lay out a chalk-line grid, with each box the size of the sample you measured in Step 5.


    To add radiant floor heating to your laying floor tile project, click here

Skill Scale
Easy
Time Required
You can lay out ceramic tiles in a 5x7-foot bathroom in 30 minutes.
Videos
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Shopping List:

tools

Tape measure

Framing square

Marking pencil

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