How to Install Ceramic Tile on Pier & Beam Flooring

Tile is often used as a flooring surface in areas, such as basements, bathrooms, kitchens and mudrooms, that receive a lot of exposure to moisture. This is because water won't damage tile like wood or carpet, and it's easy to clean. Installing tile flooring can be a smart decision if your home is built in a flood-prone area, which requires that it be raised on piers.

Tape measure
Chalk line
Thinset
Notched trowel
Tiles
Tile spacers
Wet saw
Safety goggles
Ear protection
Gloves
Needle-nose pliers
Putty knife
Grout
Grout float
Sponge
Paper towels

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length and width of each wall in the room where you're installing the tile. Mark the midpoint of the walls along the base.
- 2
  Divide the subfloor into four equal sections by snapping a chalk line in each direction at the midpoint of the walls.
- 3
  Mix a batch of thinset mortar, following the instructions on the packaging.
- 4
  Apply the thinset to an area about 2-by-3 feet in one of the divided floor sections at the center of the room. Spread the mortar with the smooth edge of a notched trowel inside the chalk lines, then make a pass with the notched edge of the trowel to create grooves in the surface.
- 5
  Place the first tile into the mortar, aligning the outer edges with the chalk lines. Put tile spacers next to the tile.
- 6
  Continue to lay tiles on the floor, adding thinset and tile spacers as needed. Work toward the side wall. If you cannot fit a full-sized tile along the edge of the wall, stop laying the tiles. You will lay cut tiles later on in the process.
- 7
  Return to the first tile you laid at the center of the room. Lay another row of tiles in the same section of the floor, but this time work toward the wall in front of you, so that you have two rows of tiles shaped like an "L." Continue laying tiles with this process until the first section of the floor is complete.
- 8
  Lay tiles in the other three floor sections, using the same method you used for the first section.
- 9
  Cut tiles to fit around the perimeter of the floor with a wet saw.
- 10
  Lay the cut tiles into position on the floor. Allow the tiles to set for about an hour.
- 11
  Remove the tile spacers with needle-nose pliers, and scrape away any thinset that got on the surface of the tiles with a putty knife.
- 12
  Spread grout onto the floor, beginning in one of the outer corners of the room. Glide the grout float diagonally over the surface of the tiles, and make multiple passes before moving onto the next section so that the joints between the tiles are completely filled with the grout. Allow it to set for about 30 minutes.
- 13
  Wipe down the floor with a damp sponge, rinsing it frequently.
- 14
  Wipe the haze off of the tiles with paper towels about 45 minutes after you sponge the floor.

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