How to Lay a Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tiles are durable and easy to maintain. There are myriad ceramic tile patterns that are attractive. However, laying the ceramic tiles requires a lot of patience and some specific tools. Let us discuss in detail how to lay ceramic tile.

How to Lay Ceramic Tile - Tools and Material
Some specific tools are required to lay the ceramic tiles. The list of these tools is given below;

• Measuring tape
• Goggles
• Carpenter's square
• Sponge
• Clean rags
• Pencil
• Grout float
• Notched trowel
• Hammer

The list of the material required is as follows;

• Tile
• Tile adhesive
• Silicone caulk
• Silicone grout sealer
• Tile spacers

How to Lay Ceramic Tile
The steps given below are the answer to your question of how to lay ceramic floor tile.

Step 1
The foremost step is to remove the old flooring. However, if you are constructing a new home, this step is not applicable. The only thing is that the sub floor must be leveled neatly, so that it becomes easy to lay the ceramic tile.
Step 2
The next step is to make a layout of the ceramic tile flooring. Keep in mind that you should divide the room horizontally and vertically. With the help of a measuring tape, first pre-determine the size of the room and then estimate the number of tiles required to be set on the floor.
Step 3
There are two types of patterns to lay the ceramic tile. Jack on jack and running bond pattern. You can opt for the jack on jack pattern, because it is easy to lay and resembles a checkerboard.
Step 4
In the layout with the help of a measuring tape, find out the center of the room and virtually divide the room into four parts by drawing two lines with a chalk line. One line is to be drawn along the length of the room and the other along the breadth of the room. Start tiling from the center of the room. Choose one square out of four squares that are formed once you chalk out the room floor.
Step 5
The next step of how to lay ceramic tile is to spread the adhesive with a trowel and comb it into beaded ridges. If desired, the tile spacers can be added. These tile spacers are made of plastic and are laid so that straight grout lines are maintained.
Step 6
Start laying the tiles and if the adhesive exudes, clean the excess adhesive with the rags before it gets dried. The adhesive must be cleaned with the help of a sponge which is soaked in some kind of solvent (used to clean the floor).
Step 7
After you lay the tiles, fix them into the adhesive by a tile leveler and a hammer.
Step 8
The last step is to lay the tiles along the perimeter of the room. The ceramic tiles are cut according to the desired shape and size required to fit in the remaining space. Wait for the adhesive to dry. This completes the procedure of the laying ceramic tile.

Keep all the tools and the material required handy to make the job easy. These are the steps to solve your query of how to lay ceramic tile.