- 1). Mark the center of one wall of the room where the floor meets the baseboard with a pencil. Walk across the room to the opposite wall and repeat this process. Drive a 4-penny nail on the mark where the floor meets the wall.
- 2). Hook the end of the string in the chalk box on the nail, stretch it across the room to the first mark and pop a line on the floor. Next, mark the center of that line with a wax pencil. Center the first tile on the mark and trace its shape onto the floor with a wax pencil.
- 3). Mix the thin set mortar according to the manufacturer’s instructions and spread enough of it to cover the bottom of the first tile with a notched trowel. Place the tile on the traced lines and push it to the floor. Spread thin set mortar on the floor in either direction. Keep the mortar about ½-inch from the chalk line.
- 4). Set the necessary tiles to cover the mortar placing tile spacers between them. Push on them just hard enough to make contact with the floor. Finish the first row. Continue laying all the pieces until reaching the walls. Be certain to place tile spacers between the tiles.
- 5). Measure the space between the last full tile and the wall, and mark a tile with a wax pencil. Cut the tile with a wet saw. Lay the tile as you did the others. Once laid, allow the mortar to set before applying grout.
- 6). Next, mix the grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the tile spacers and force the grout into the grout line with a grout float, using a crisscross pattern.
- 7). Spread enough grout to cover three square feet at a time. Clean the excess grout with a damp sponge. Wring the sponge out in a bucket of clean water frequently. Remove haze that appears directly after cleaning, with a soft clean cloth.
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