How to do put down floor tile

i had tile put down in my kitchen at my first house. That's been about 30 years ago. Several big box diy home improvement stores do clinics on how to lay tile. It's clean floor, put down tile ad spacer for grout, repeat until floor is covered. When tile is set then grout. As to today's products....I'm out of date.

It depends on what kind of flooring/subflooring is presently in the room, and how level overall the floor is, and what kinds of flooring are in the adjoining rooms (the differing heights of the transition areas may be a problem). If you could give a few more details as to your situation, and what kind of tiles you are considering, more Hometalkers would be able to give answers specific to your your needs.

Floor tile is easy to do. Tiles can cost between .99-$6-7 a square foot. Measure the room and see approximately how many tiles you will need. There is a method to estimate the amount you'll need. Take the measurements to Homedepot or Lowe's, and someone will help you with the amount of boxes you'll need. I strongly urge to purchase 1 extra box for future replacement or a mistake. IMPORTANT check the lot #s on each box to make sure they are all the same. When the tiles are made, different lot # s can change from one batch to another. This could mean one box of brown can be one shade, an another box can be another shade, with the same design. You start from the middle of the room and work your way out to the walls. The tiles have arrows on the bottom, so you know which way to lay them on the floor. Good Luck!

Take a free class from a big box store, it will really help. Also watch a few utube videos too. The quality of your floor relies solely on your subfloor, it needs to be sturdy. Tile floors can be terribly cold underfoot in winter. If there are kids, pets or older adults think about adding a heating element underneath. I have arthritis in my feet, right knee and hip, which is why I mention this. If laying a small patch by an entryway or mudroom, not necessary, but if in a large room or kitchen where people work and hang out, it might be something to consider. Also choose a grout color that will not show every speck of dirt and seal well for ease of maintenance.

Oh, my, start in the middle of the room? Bad advice!!! Do a dry layout so you'll know where the tiles in the entranceway and at the edges will land -- exactly. Use spacers or measure very carefully. You'll want to adjust until you have no "slivers" of tile anywhere, especially in a visible place. Underlayment is of utmost importance. Look up the specs (johnbridge.com tile forum; www.ceramictilefoundation.org; etc.) for your substructure before you start. Any floor that flexes even a tiny bit will cause the tile to break its bond with the subfloor and the tiles will lift and crack. If you do it properly, your tile floor will last longer than any of us! If you're not going to do it properly, you may as well not bother.