Laying Small Hexagon Tiles

Lay out the sheets of hexagonal tiles on the floor where they will be installed. The sheets will not have square edges; the tiles are meant to interlock into one another like puzzle pieces to produce a seamless effect. Play around with this interlock to find the best direction for the sheets to face. Step back from flower patterns to ensure that the flowers are spread evenly and not clumping into groups on the floor. Make adjustments as needed.

Use a razor blade to trim the sheets to fit the edges of the room. Get as close to the edges as possible, then use tile nippers to cut the individual tiles to fit. Use loose tiles pulled from the cut edges to fill in any gaps left by the interlocking pattern. Set these aside with the sheets they will be installed with until they are needed.

Spread thinset over the floor, grooving it with the notched trowel. Turn the trowel and smooth out the groove marks once the thinset is the proper depth to help prevent the excess thinset from coming up between the tiles.

Lay the sheets of hexagonal tiles into the thinset in the direction and pattern you determined earlier. Place three or four sheets at a time, then lay a flat board on top and beat the tiles into the mortar with a rubber mallet. This will produce a flat, even installation with no loose tiles.

Wait 24 to 48 hours after installing the hexagonal tiles for the mortar to dry. Grout the installation by spreading the grout over the entire floor at once using a rubber grout float. Hold the float at a 45 degree angle to the floor to pack the grout into the joints surrounding the hexagons. Turn the float to 90 degrees to scrape the excess grout off the surface of the tiles.

Wait 10 minutes for the grout to begin to harden. Slightly dampen a grout sponge, then wipe the surface of the tiles clean using a circular motion. Rinse the sponge frequently and work the same areas several times to ensure no grout haze remains. Let the grout dry for 24 hours before walking on the floor.