One way to instantly update the look and feel of your bathroom is to replace old or outdated linoleum or vinyl flooring with new tile - a project that's much, much easier than you might think. Read on for our step-by-step guide on how to tile a bathroom floor just like the pros.

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Level of Difficulty

• 3 out of 5

Time Taken

• 5-7 days

What You'll Need: Materials

• 2-3 x 20l buckets
• 15 cement boards, like HardieBacker
• Cement board screws
• 3 x 20 kg bags of thinset mortar
• Tile
• Tile spacers
• 3 x 10 kg bags of sanded grout
• Grout haze remover
• Tile sealer

What You'll Need: Tools

• Hammer
• Rubber float
• Diamond blade wet saw
• Notched trowel
• Hammer drill
• Utility knife
• Margin trowel
• Safety goggles
• Respirator mask
• Knee pads
• Foam brush
• Microfibre cloths
• Gloves
• Measuring tape
• 60cm level
• Wooden block
• Fibreglass tape
• 2-3 sponges

How to Tile a Bathroom Floor

Step 1: Calculate Square Metres

Materials & Tools: Measuring Tape

Measure the length and width of your room. Multiply the two numbers to get the total square metres. If your bathroom is made up of several areas - if the toilet, for example, is behind a separation wall - divide the space into smaller rectangles, measure those, and add them together. To ensure you will have enough tile for your profile, be sure to add an extra 10-15% to your total when ordering the final amount.

Step 2: Order Samples

Materials & Tools: Tile Samples

Test out a few options before buying by ordering samples. You'll be able to get a better feel for the colour and sizing in person. Try leaving your samples in a group by a window to test the colour in multiple lighting situations. This will also give you an opportunity to perform a soak-test to check for quality control.

Tip: Take advantage of Wayfair's tile calculation tool found on all flooring product pages. If you input the square metres of your room, our tool provides the number of cartons you need to order.

Step 3: Choose Grout

Materials & Tools: Grout Samples and Grout

When purchasing grout, try selecting a colour that matches your tile; this will help to reduce noticeable mistakes and irregular grout lines. Similar to ordering samples, you can ask to order a few grout colour swatches to determine which will work best with your tile before placing your final order.

You'll also need to choose between sanded versus unsanded grout. Use unsanded grout if your joints are 0.3cm or smaller. If your joints are larger than 0.3cm, or you're grouting the floor, then use sanded grout.

Step 4: Determine Cement Board Layout

Materials & Tools: Cement (HardieBacker) Boards

Cement boards like HardieBacker are installed for several reasons: to ensure proper floor thickness for smooth room transitions, prevent mould in high-moisture areas, and reinforce floor strength. The recommended thickness is 0.5cm - unless 1 cm thickness is required for transitions between rooms or existing flooring.

Your goal is to cover the entire floor with the boards, staggering the edges so there isn't a single place where all four corners of boards meet at one point.

Step 5: Cut Cement Boards

Materials & Tools: Cement (HardieBacker) Boards, Pencil, Measuring Tape, Level, Utility Knife, Hammer, Safety Goggles & Respirator Mask

Place the board evenly on the floor and measure the distance you need to cut and mark it. Be sure to check it with a level before cutting. Using a utility knife, score a groove along your cut line. Next, break apart the board along your line. Do not use a saw to cut the boards, as this will produce a lot of harmful dust crystalline silica, which can irritate your eyes and lungs.

To accommodate bathroom fixtures, etch around the perimeter of the cutout and snap the HardieBacker board away from yourself with a hammer.

Step 6: Prepare Thinset

Materials & Tools: Respirator Mask, Safety Goggles, Thinset, Cement (HB) Boards, Bucket, Mixing Drill & Notched Trowel

When you prepare the thinset, be sure to wear a respirator mask and safety goggles.

Now that you have an idea of what will go where, mix water and thinset in a 2 litre bucket. For the correct ratio, you should follow the thinset manufacturer's instructions. Keep in mind that you'll have approximately a 30 minute window to work with the mixture before it dries up. We recommend working in smaller batches.

Run your mixing drill on low for 3 minutes to combine the water and thinset. The thinset should be thick enough so when removing your notched trowel, it doesn't instantly fall back into the bucket.

Let the thinset rest for 5 minutes, then mix for 2-3 minutes. The thinset should not have lumps.

Step 7: Apply Thinset between Subfloor and Cement Boards

Materials & Tools: Thinset, Cement (HB) boards, Notched Trowel & Kneepads

Next, you'll need to remove a few boards at a time and apply an even layer of thinset to the floor using the smooth side of the notched trowel. Apply more as needed, dragging the trowel in the same direction.

Then, holding the notched side of the trowel at about a 45 degree angle, comb it atop the layer of thinset to create grooves. Rather than an adhesive, the thinset acts as a space filler, eliminating air bubbles and ensuring a smooth and even surface.

Step 8: Screw Down Cement Boards

Materials & Tools: Hammer Drill, Concrete Board Screws, Measuring Tape, Pencil & Kneepads

Place your boards on top of the thinset, then using a hammer drill, attach the concrete boards to the floor with cement board screws, making sure to space the screws approximately 15-20cm apart.

Position the screws no more than 1cm to 5cm from the outermost edge of each board, and leave a minimum of 0.5cm gap between the outer perimeter of the boards and the walls.

Step 9: Tape Cement Board Seams and Cover with Thinset

Materials & Tools: Fibreglass Tape, Notched Trowel, Thinset & Kneepads

After you've attached all the boards, tape over the joints using fibreglass tape. Start at one end of the room and simply roll the tape along the joint to the other end of the room, using your hand to press the tape firmly to the boards. Then, using a notched trowel, cover each length of tape with a thin layer of thinset, making sure to feather out the edges.

Step 10: Determine Tile Layout

Materials & Tools: Tile, Tile Spacers, Measuring Tape, Pencil & Kneepads

Take the time to lay bathroom tile exactly where you want it without adhering it to the floor just yet. Doing so will help you use as many whole tiles as possible and to plan out where you will need to make cuts. Plan out the installation so that cut tiles are placed at edges and corners, where they'll be less noticeable and not subject to as much foot traffic.

If your tile has a unique shape, you'll need to decide which direction to place it. For example, if you're using arabesque tile, do you want the traditional lantern shape to be more prominent when a visitor first walks into the bathroom, or would you rather have it be more prominent from a different angle?

Insert tile spacers as you continue dry-laying the bathroom tiles on the floor. The spacers help maintain an even and consistent grout line between tiles. To know what size of spacers to use, check the specific tile listing on Wayfair, which recommended a grout size of 0.3cm.

If your tile is square or rectangular, regular 4-corner spacers are fine, but if your tile has a unique shape, then you'll need what are called 'tombstone-style' spacers.

Once you're satisfied with the completed layout, remove the tiles and tile spacers. If you have multiple tiles that need to be cut, be sure you remember which one goes where - whether that means arranging them in the next room in the proper order, or stacking them in the order you'd use them.

Step 11: Cut Tile as Necessary

Materials & Tools: Tile, Measuring Tape, Level, Pencil, Diamond Blade Wet Saw, Safety Goggles & Respirator Mask

When cutting tile, use a measuring tape, level, and pencil to mark the cut lines in the appropriate places. Then, using a diamond blade wet saw, carefully guide the tile along the line to make the cut. Be sure to wear safety goggles and a respirator mask.

Make sure the space is completely clean before installing bathroom tile.

Step 12: Mix and Apply Thinset

Materials & Tools: Thinset, Bucket, Mixing Drill, Kneepads & Notched Trowel

Once again, prepare thinset following the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure to keep the speed of the mixing drill low or you can risk getting air bubbles, which decreases the strength of the bond between the thinset and tile. Put on kneepads before beginning the installation.

Start at the corner farthest away from the main entry and work your way to the main entry, making sure you've planned the installation so you don't step on any newly installed tiles as you proceed. This may require installing the bathroom tile over the course of several days.

Begin applying thinset using the smooth side of the notched trowel and spread an even layer of thinset over the floor. Working in an area of about 1 square metre makes the process more manageable and will prevent the thinset from drying out before you can get to it.

Use the notched edge of the trowel to create ridges in the layer of thinset, and lay down the tile in the exact place from which you picked it up. Do take your time with it - especially in the beginning, as those first few tiles will serve as a guide for the rest of the installation.

Step 13: Lay Bathroom Tile

Materials & Tools: Tile, Hammer, Wood Block, Tile Spacers, Level, Paper Towels, Grout Remover Tool & Kneepads

Lay the bathroom tile where you’ve applied thinset, being extra meticulous with the first few tiles, as they will determine the straightness of the rest of the installation. Use a rubber mallet, or a hammer and a block of wood, to gently but firmly tap each tile into the thinset. Place plastic spacers between each tile as you proceed.

Periodically use a level to check that the tile height is the same, and no one tile is sticking out higher than the others.

Keep paper towels nearby, and if some of the thinset oozes up into the grout lines, clean it immediately. You can use a grout remover tool, or anything else of a similar nature, to remove the excess mixture from the grout lines. A screw works well and is especially useful around curvy grout lines. At least 2/3 of the grout space should be free for grout installation.

Step 14: Remove Excess Thinset

Materials & Tools: Margin Trowel, Bucket & Kneepads

Scrape leftover thinset from the tiles with a margin trowel. Be sure not to wait too long, or it will have already cured and require more extreme measures to remove. Allow at least 24 hours for the tile to set before removing the spacers.

Step 15: Grout Joints

Materials & Tools: Grout, Bucket, Mixing Drill, Margin Trowel, Rubber Float & Kneepads

Before grouting, wipe down the tile with a damp sponge. Grout will need to be prepared in smaller batches and used within the half hour it's made, similar to thinset. Following the manufactures instructions, combine the appropriate ratio of grout to water in a 2l bucket. Put your mixing drill on the lowest setting and blend for 3-5 minutes. Let rest for an additional 5 minutes. Then mix for 1-2 minutes before applying.

Begin grouting in the corner farthest from the main doorway, making your way backwards to the entry. Remember to plan the grouting process so you're not stepping on any newly grouted tile in order to leave the room.

Typically, grouting in a diagonal direction is recommended for square or rectangular tile, but with an arabesque shape, a half-circle method works best and avoids pulling out too much of the freshly installed grout.

To ensure all joints are grouted, use a margin trowel to scoop additional mixture onto floor and with a rubber float, carefully massage it into the grooves. Continue smoothing over the joints until all are completely filled with grout.

Step 16: Remove Excess Grout

Materials & Tools: Sponge, Clean Cloth, Haze Remover & Kneepads

After letting the grout sit for 15-30 minutes, use a damp sponge to remove as much of the excess grout as possible. Be extra careful not to get the grout too wet or you risk weakening the bond. Let the tile rest for another 30 minutes, then use a microfiber cloth and lightly buff the tile. This will further wipe away the layer of film on the tile surface.

Wait three full days to allow the grout to cure. If you still notice a slight haze on the tile, use a haze remover to get rid of any grainy texture. We recommend testing a small area first, as the haze remover can sometimes remove glaze from the tile. Do not walk on the floor for at least 24 hours after using the haze remover.

You may notice that the grout colour lightened slightly as the grout cured - this is completely normal and expected.

Step 17: Apply Sealer

Materials & Tools: Sealer, Sealer Applicator & Kneepads

Ensure your tile is clean and dry before applying sealer. Plan your sealer application so that you start in a corner furthest from the main entry and work your way backwards to the exit. Don't forget to put on kneepads. Dip the sealer applicator into the sealer, and generously apply to the tile and grout.

The grout will turn slightly darker as you apply sealer, which helps you see where you've already applied the sealer. Let the sealer soak into the tile and grout for at least 15 minutes.

Step 18: Remove Excess Sealer

Materials & Tools: Clean Cloth & Kneepads

After 15 minutes, use a clean cloth to remove excess sealer from the tiles. The sealer will need 24-48 hours to cure completely.

Tip: For more ways to renovate and instantly upgrade your bathroom, check out this easy step-by-step guide to replacing a bathroom tap.