The trend in ceramic floor tiles these days is “big,” according to Carlo Odella of Europamerican Tile & Marble in Centerville, Ohio
“When I started this business 15 years ago, 8-inch tiles were our bread and butter,” he said. “Now, out of about 1,500 samples in the store, I doubt if I have five samples of 8-inch tiles. A lot of manufacturers don’t even make them anymore. There’s no demand.”
What’s hot now are tiles 16 to 18 inches wide. Odella said the larger tiles make small spaces look bigger, and they’re more practical than smaller tiles because they require less grout.
Laying ceramic flooring is probably within the skill reach of the average do-it-yourselfer, and the results can be dramatic. A ceramic tile landing just inside the front door provides an easy-to-clean place to take off muddy boots before stepping onto carpets, hardwood floors or area rugs.
Odella said the best selection of tiles currently are in tiles that are about 16 to 18 inches. The tiles must be rated for floor use. You should expect to pay about $2.75 to $4.50 per square foot for the tiles.
Always buy a few extra tiles to replace damaged tiles in the future and because you might break or damage some during installation.
Tile cutters, which are similar to glass cutters, usually can be rented or borrowed where ceramic tile is sold, but it takes practice to get them to work properly. Somewhat easier to work with is a wet cutter. These machines, which rent for about $40 to $50 a day, have rotating blades that are kept wet with a pump to keep dust down. Of course, you’ll need to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying ceramic chips.
Odella suggests laying all the tile that doesn’t need to be cut first and then renting a cutter on a second day to make all the cuts at once. That way, he said, you won’t be tempted to rush through the job to get the cutter back in time.
Buy top-quality adhesive and grout material.
You’ll need a chalk line, a builder’s square, a disposable trowel for the adhesive, a rubber float to apply the grout and a grout sponge. Some people use grout spacers to help align the tiles, but Odella says you’re better off having someone else in the room supervising the job to tell you when the position of the tiles you are laying is off.
Ceramic tile installs easiest on concrete, but it also can go on a plywood subfloor that is at least 11/4 -inch thick.
If your subfloor isn’t that thick, nail down a layer of cement and fiberglass board that is usually sold under the names Wonderboard or Durock. An extra layer of plywood also will work, but the cement board is superior.
Using a chalk line, mark the subfloor with a horizontal line through the center of the project area. Mark a vertical line through the center of the project making sure it is perpendicular to the horizontal line.
Without applying any adhesive, lay out a row of tiles and grout spacers, if you’re using them, along both lines. Grout spacers are little plastic X-shaped pieces that hold the tiles the correct distance from one another.
Mark new chalk lines and move the rows if needed to create an attractive pattern and to limit the number of difficult cuts you’ll have to make. Avoid rows that are less than half a tile wide.
Starting at the center of the area, put tile adhesive on the floor according to the instructions on the container and start pressing the tiles into place. Don’t cover your layout lines with adhesive.
It takes about a day for the adhesive to set. When it’s ready, remove the grout-line spacers and mix the grout compound according to package instructions.
Use the grout float to spread grout across the tiles, working in sweeping motions in 45-degree angles across the tiles.
Wipe the excess grout from the tile surface with a damp grout sponge. When the grout is completely dry, polish the tile with a soft cloth.
Wait at least two days (or as long as the brand of grout you used takes to cure completely) and apply a sealer to protect the grout.
