Ceramic Floor Tiles

Ceramic tiles can add a touch of class to your entryway floor.

Spruce up your entryway with ceramic floor tiles.

All About

Product Ideas

Problem: You aren't happy with the way the entryway looks in your home.

Solution: Ceramic floor tiles can add a touch of class to your entryway and give every guest a good first impression of your home.

Materials and Tools:
chisel
backer board scoring tool
utility knife
dove-tail saw
hammer
pry bar/breaker bar/wrecking bar
drill with drill bit and driver bit
caulking gun with construction adhesive
measuring tape
sponge
grout float
notched trowel
tiles
thin-set mortar
grout
cement backer board
straightedge
safety glasses

Steps:

Make sure your entryway floor is flat, sturdy and level. You may need to add additional supports underneath your floor for extra stability.
Measure the square footage of your entryway by multiplying the length by the width. Add 10 percent to the measurement (15 percent if you plan to do a lot of cutting) to determine the number of tiles you'll need. When you purchase your tile, check the box for the square footage the tiles will cover.
Remove the shoe molding or baseboard trim from around the entryway. You may need to use a utility knife to break the paint seal between the shoe molding and the baseboard.
Because the tile will need to go under the door casing, you'll need to cut out a small section. Place a tile flat on a piece of concrete backer board and hold them next to the bottom of the door casing. Use a fine-tooth dovetail saw or handsaw to undercut the door casing at that height. You may need to use a chisel to remove all the pieces of casing. When you're finished, slide the backer board and tile under the casing to be sure they'll fit. Then check the clearance of the door itself; you may need to remove the door and trim a section off the bottom.

Figure A

Lay a piece of cement backer board in place and mark it at the proper size with a straightedge and pencil. Using the straightedge as a guide, score a line across the backer board with a scoring tool (figure A) and snap the backer board in two.

Figure B

Apply construction adhesive over the existing floor (figure B), and lay the backer board in place. If you're using more than one piece of backer board, leave a 1/8" gap between the pieces to allow for expansion and contraction. When the board is in position, secure it with screws.

Lay out your tiles in a dry run to make sure you have enough to cover the entryway. The dry run will also help you identify potential problem areas.

* If your entryway is large, you may want to follow traditional tile installation procedures and start in the center of the entryway. However, if your entryway is small, you might want use whole tiles around the most visible edges so that the cut tiles will be hidden from view.

* Unless you're extremely lucky, you'll need to cut some of your tiles. If it looks like you're going to have to cut several pieces, you might want to rent a wet saw, which uses a diamond-tipped blade to cut the tiles. If you'll only be cutting a few tiles, you can probably get by with a standard tile cutter and a pair of tile nippers.

Apply tape around the outer edges of the entryway to protect your floor from the tile adhesive.
Apply tile adhesive with a notched trowel. Only apply the amount of adhesive needed for one piece of tile at a time.

Figure C

Set each tile in place by pressing it into position and twisting slightly (figure C ). Maintain straight grout lines by using plastic spacers. Wipe off any excess adhesive with a wet cloth or sponge.

Allow the adhesive to dry for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer; then remove the plastic spacers. Prepare for grouting by applying masking tape to the base molding around the perimeter of the entryway.

Spread a baseball-sized amount of grout material over the tiles with the grout float. Then, holding the float at a 45-degree angle, begin working the grout into all the joints.

As the grout begins drying to a haze, use a grout sponge to begin removing excess grout material. Dampen the sponge and wipe the grout from the tile. Be sure to rinse the sponge frequently. After the grout dries completely, you can remove the remaining film with a damp cloth.

Finally, replace any trim pieces that were removed earlier.

* You may want to attach a threshold around the perimeter of the entryway. This can help give the entryway a more clean, finished look.