How to Put Ceramic Tile on a Tabletop

Find a sturdy table that you would like to attach the ceramic tiles to. Another option is to use a sturdy piece of wood as the tabletop and attach it to a table base. You must decide on the tabletop surface, shape and size, before proceeding.

Draw your planned design on a piece of scratch paper. Measure your tabletop with a tape measure. Use the dimension of your table surface and the size of your tiles and plan accordingly. You may choose to use large or small tiles, all one size, or you may mix a variety of different sized tiles to create an interesting pattern. Another option is to use broken tiles to create a mosaic patterned table top.

Score the surface of the tabletop or sturdy wood board using a razor knife. Cover the top and edges of the tabletop with a thin coat of polyvinyl glue using a paintbrush. Allow the glue to dry completely.

Dry fit your design on your tabletop. Lay each tile in place and use a pencil to draw to mark any tiles where they will need to be cut. Use tile spacers to uniformly space the tiles.

Cut tiles where marked using a wet saw. Wear safety goggles and gloves while operating the wet saw. Smooth rough, sharp or jagged edges using a tile file.

Apply mastic to the back of each tile and lay it in place. Use tile spacers to uniformly space the tiles. Allow the mastic to dry for 30 minutes and then remove the spacers. Allow the mastic to dry for 24 hours before proceeding.

Apply grout to fill the space between tiles using a trowel. Work the grout into the spaces by using a groat float to move the grout across the surface. Remove excess grout from the tile surface using a rubber scraper. Remove any lingering grout residue from the tiles by spraying with water and wiping clean with a sponge. Allow the freshly grouted surface to dry for 48 hours before use.