Bathroom Remodel : Laying Tile

Laying tile floor was something I had never done before and I was amazed at how relatively easy it was to do!  A majority of the work was done in a single weekend.

First step was removing the linoleum and bringing the floor down to the subflooring.

We also removed all the trim, including the trim around the doors

After exposing the subflooring, we laid down cement board.  This is a vital step in laying down tile in a wet environment.

<-- Here my husband is nailing the cement board down to the subflooring.

I began laying the tile in the center of the room.  This gave me an idea on how the tiles would lay out.

I simply continued the pattern.  Once all the tiles were laid out, I had to cut some tiles to fit.  This requires a wet saw.

This is the wet saw in action.  OOOOOOO - power tools!

With the tiles cut and laid out, I labeled each and every one so once I removed them to lay down the tile cement I would know exactly where each one went.  I also color coded the labels by row.

I suppose I can be a tad organized.

The 2x4 scrap wood was used to ensure the tiles were level.  Once I laid a row down in the cement I gently tapped the wood with a rubber mallet to ensure each tile laid down evenly. 

Nothing could ruin the room quicker than having the tile uneven and spending the next umpteen years tripping over a corner that didn't lay flat.  Imagine all the ruined pedicures!  Tragedy I tell you!

After drying time, next on the agenda is spreading mortar inbetween the tile.  Mortar can come in many, many, MANY different colors.  Choose the right color to enhance what you are doing in the room.  I chose one that blended well with the tile.

Once the mortar has dried, it is time to rinse the floors.  Don't panic!  It's suppose to look like this.

Rinse, repeat.  Rinse, repeat.  Rinse, repeat.  It's every shampoo-er's nightmare.

The tile will eventually become clear after several rinse and repeats.

The final step is sealing the floor.

As complicated as it may look, it truly was a lot simpler than I anticipated.  You can do this!

Next on the remodel : Installing everything important to a bathroom.