How you ever considered installing floor tiles in your bathroom by yourself? Yes, that’s something that you’d usually need a professional for but, as it turns out, it’s entirely possible to manage such a project by yourself if you have the right tools and if you do some research before you actually start the project. The difficulty level is medium but can vary depending mainly on the type of tiles you want to use. Here’s a short guide on how to tile a shower or a bathroom floor:

Calculate the square footage

Before anything else you should calculate the square footage of your bathroom and for that you’ll only need a measuring tape. This step is super easy if the bathroom isn’t divided into separate areas and has a unified floor plan but if that’s not the case then just divide the floor into smaller areas and measure those separately. Calculate the total and be sure to add an extra 10% when ordering the supplies.

Get some samples

Next it would be nice to get some samples of different types of tiles or different colors just so you can get a feeling of how they’ll look like on your bathroom floor. Also, choose the grout. You have several options here. You can choose to match the grout to the tiles which would help to hide any imperfections or irregularities or you can choose different colors that contrast with each other or complement one another.

Install cement boards

The next step would be to install cement boards. This is done in order to ensure proper floor thickness and a smooth and seamless transition between rooms as well as to prevent mold in areas with a lot of moisture. You may not need to do this if the floor is already prepped and ready to receive the tiles.

Determine the layout

After that, figure out how to arrange the tiles. To determine the layout, just lay the tiles on the floor exactly how you want them to get an idea of how they’ll look like and where you’ll need to cut them. Don’t forget to use tile spacers. Several sizes are available so be sure to pick the right one. Next, you can cut the tiles that need to be cut or you can do this as you adhere the tiles.

Lay the tiles

Finally, apply thinset and lay the tiles using spacers. Keep in mind that this time the placement is final. Use a level as you lay more tiles to make sure you’re doing this right. After 24 hours )minimum), remove the spacers and apply grout to fill in the lines. Let the grout sit for a few minutes and then wipe off the excess. You should also apply sealer at the end, considering that the bathroom floor is exposed to moisture and water constantly. You can find additional details in the guide featured on wayfair.

The tools you’ll need:

There are a lot of different types of tiles to choose from with many variations of color, texture or pattern but no matter what you select you’ll need to be prepared for installation and that means you’ll have to have a few tools:

a hammera diamond blade wet sawa hammer drilla notched trowela margin trowela rubber float (for grout)a levela measuring tapefiberglass tapea wooden blockspongesa foam brushgloves, safety goggles, knee pads and other such accessories

Individual floor tiling projects

Installing new bathroom floor tiles can refresh the entire bathroom and would also have a positive effect on the rest of the home as well. You may think it’s a very difficult task which requires a big budget, lots of time and the help of a professional but that’s not exactly true, as demonstrated by the tile installation guide we just showed you. Moreover, installing tiles can actually be quite fun. Just think of all the ways in which you can customize this project. For example, you could opt for a honeycomb pattern using hexagon-shaped tiles like the ones featured on remodelaholic.

The bigger the tile pieces are, the easier and quicker it is to install them all so take this detail into consideration when planning your bathroom floor remodel. Most standard tiles look like the ones featured on abeautifulmess. they’re easy to install and they come in lots and lots of different colors and patterns. This white marble look is very chic and stylish. It really brightens up the space.

Prepping the floor is just as important as installing the tiles and you can’t do one without the other. So how do you prep the floor anyway? There’s a pretty good description of this task on atcharlotteshouse. Assuming you don’t need to remove old tiles or boards first, you can start by cleaning the floor. Then you mix the mortar and you apply it, placing concrete boards on top as you advance. Wait 24 hours and then tape the seams between the boards. After that you can start installing the tiles.

No matter how big or small your bathroom floor is or what type of tile you want to install, the main ideas are generally the same. You prep the floor and then to lay the tiles. There are, of course, variables that you need to take into consideration. For example, the pattern you want to create. Even if you chose the classic, rectangular-shaped tile, you still have to decide where to start installing them from and how to position them. A cool idea could be to create a diagonal pattern as shown on sarahsbigidea. Given that the area in question was in this case a long hallway, the pattern seems quite suitable. Of course, you must decide this detail based on the particularities on your own bathroom floor.

Installing bathroom floor tiles, as you can see, is not that difficult, at least not if you know the basics and you have an understanding of how to choose and use all the materials and tools. Tutorials such as the one on apartmenttherapy are very helpful at explaining the process from start to finish and offering useful tips. In case you also want to install new tiles on your bathroom walls, you should know that the process is basically the same. You should use tiles designed specifically for walls as they can differ slightly from floor tiles. You can match them to the floor to create a seamless transition or you can pick an entirely different color and pattern.