Noise Control for Ceramic Tile Installation

Roll out a small piece of underlayment, and set a ceramic tile on top of it. Measure the thickness of the tile plus the underlayment. Cut the perimeter insulation to this height using a utility knife or pair of scissors.

Roll out the perimeter insulation around the edge of the room. The perimeter material should also go around obstacles such as pipes, radiators or other materials the tile will be installed up against.

Peel the perimeter insulation back, and spray the area it will be installed against with spray adhesive. Spray the back of the insulation as well, then press it firmly into place.

Roll out the sound barrier underlayment. The underlayment should cover all areas of the floor and be laid right up to the perimeter insulation. Cut it to fit as needed with a utility knife or pair of scissors.

Peel back the underlayment and trowel on a layer of adhesive beneath it. Press the underlayment back into position, and roll the floor with a 100-pound floor roller to adhere the underlayment to the subfloor.

Locate the wall furthest from the door you enter the room you are tiling by. Measure it, and mark its center point. Stretch a chalk line tool from this point across the room to the opposite wall, and snap a chalk line down the center of the room.

Dry layout your ceramic tiles onto the underlayment to determine the best fit and layout of the tiles. Set the first tile against the wall you measured, right on the chalk line. Lay out the next tiles evenly to each side. This will give you balanced cut tiles on either side of the room. Lay the tiles on the underlayment and on top of the perimeter insulation to the edges of the room. Cut the tiles to fit the edges of the room on a tile wet saw, and double check their fit with the rest of the tiles before installing.

Take up the tiles from the underlayment, and stack them nearby.

Spread modified thinset over the underlayment with the flat edge of the trowel. Drag the notched edge of the trowel through the thinset in one direction to create grooves in the mortar.

Press the tiles into the mortar, sliding them into position by pushing them perpendicularly to the grooves in the mortar. Install them in the same layout you determined in your dry layout earlier.

Set a beating block on top of the tiles, and beat it with a rubber mallet to drive the tiles evenly into the thinset. Set a level on top of the tiles periodically to ensure the tiles are even. If not, beat in the higher tiles or pry up the lower ones, and apply additional mortar. Tile yourself backwards out of the room you entered by.

Let the mortar dry for 24 hours, then grout the tiles using a modified grout. Spread the grout over the tiles using a grout float. Hold the float at a 45-degree angle to the floor, and direct the grout into the joints from multiple angles. Let the grout set up for 10 minutes.

Clean the surface of the tiles with a grout sponge. Lightly dampen the sponge, and work it in circles over the tiles to remove the excess grout. Rinse the sponge thoroughly until the tiles are clean. Let the grout dry for 24 hours before walking on the floor.