How to Install Ceramic Tile for Beginners

Check the integrity of the surface. If you're putting tile on a cracked, buckled, loose or uneven surface, you'll have a disaster on your hands. Tile needs to be on a firm, flat surface. If you're laying tile over an old laminate countertop, make sure the glue holds the laminate firmly down and the area is structurally sound. Glue and clamp it down if necessary. If you put tile on the floors, make sure all the boards are in tight. Use a floor leveler for any uneven areas. Floor leveler is similar to cement, and it is used to fill in uneven areas. Apply it to level the area.

Select the type of tools you'll use to cut the tile if necessary. You can cut ceramic tiles with an inexpensive tile cutter. Simply mark the line where you want to cut and glide the tile cutter handle and blade across it. You also can score a line on the glazed side of the tile with a carbide-tipped scorer and use nippers, a tool that looks like pliers with sharp edges, to break off the scored area.

Cut out a paper pattern of the area. No matter what type of area you cover with tile, it's a good idea to use a template or paper pattern made of butcher paper to lay out the tiles. This lets you cut the necessary pieces and try them out before you put the adhesive on the counter. It's easier to move tiles around a template on the floor than it is if you're covering a shower wall. Always make sure you leave room for grout between the tiles when you lay out your pattern.

Decide whether you'll need a membrane underneath. If you install tile anywhere near water, use a fabric membrane to cover the area first. Apply a latex-modified thinset with a trowel that you mixed in a mud pan after you roughed up the surface. You rough up a surface with sandpaper so the thinset sticks. Cover the area with the fabric membrane. Make sure there are no seams for water to get into when you do this. If you're doing a floor, you'll need an uncoupling membrane. Seal this on with a layer of thinset and then you use a 75-pound roller to flatten and bond it.

Apply a coat of thinset to the area and begin to lay the tiles. When you build a row of tiles on a wall in which the bottom doesn't set on another surface, you need to build a ledger, which is a board temporarily nailed to the wall to prevent the tiles from slipping. Always use spacers when applying tiles vertically. These small plastic crosses keep a space open for grout. Allow the thinset to dry before you move the ledger.

Allow the tiles to dry overnight. Lightly clean any loose thinset. In the morning, clean the tiles thoroughly and apply a layer of sealer before you grout. The sealer makes it easier to clean the tiles. This is particularly important if you are working with porous tiles.

Grout the tiles and then clean the tops of the tile without disturbing the grout in the grout lines. Allow this to dry overnight and thoroughly shine the tiles in the morning. Wait at least a week, then seal the entire tiled area twice. Make sure you cover the grout with the sealer.