The Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Tile Installation Checklist

Many say that just choosing your tile is the most difficult and time-consuming part of laying new tile. That will certainly be the case when you begin your tiling project armed with this list of tools—as long as you have the right equipment, tiling is a piece of cake. • So, you’ll begin with your tile and whatever adhesive (typically Thinset) is recommended for use with it. Talk to the people at the store where you got it—they will know better than anyone how to make sure your work lasts as long as the house stands. • For spreading the Thinset (or whatever adhesive is recommended) you’ll need a notched trowel. After you spread the adhesive on the surface you are tiling, you will run the notched side of the trowel over it to ensure that it is an even coat. • Make sure that the surface you are planning to tile lies completely flat—any bumps will translate into uneven tile. It may be best to lay cement board or another kind of backer board over the surface to ensure that this doesn’t happen. You’ll need to secure the cement board with special screws for that purpose. You’ll also need some kind of alkali-resistant backer board tape to smooth over the spaces between the boards. • You should have a pencil, so when you lay out the tile (or “dry run” it) you can mark where the tiles should lay and what pieces of them will need to be cut. • You’ll need to rent a tile saw. Be sure to follow the instructions for its use—it can be dangerous. You should get tile nippers too. • Depending on how wide you plan to make the spaces between tiles, you’ll need to get either sanded or non-sanded grout. Sanded binds grout better and is used for wider spaces. Use a tile spacer to make sure that you are making your spaces consistent. • To mix your adhesive and your grout you’ll need a drill with a mixing attachment. • A rubber grout float is necessary to smooth the grout between the tiles and make sure it is evenly spread out. • Additionally, you should have a tape measure, level and a carpenter’s square on hand to ensure that the spacing and placement of the tiles is even and straight. • You need a rubber mallet to tap the tiles once they are laid in the adhesive. The mallet needs to be rubber so some light tapping won’t break the tiles. • Have a bucket and some sponges to clean up errant adhesive before it hardens, and to wet the backer board before putting on the adhesive.