Installing Tile Floors for Beginners

How did I, a mom of three with zero background in carpentry/renovations, demo and tile our powder room all on my own? Youtube! Where would I be without it! This past year as I have really delved into the DIY world and learning new skills have relied so much on Youtube tutorials, and not just I have a problem let me youtube a solution. I have spent hours researching every step of the process before I dive in. If I had to put a number on it I probably watch at a minimum 10 videos per step of the process, but the cool part is once I’ve done it with my own two hands I have mastered it and have that knowledge from here on out! Isn’t that cool!? Okay I fear I’m sounding nerdy so I’ll digress!

Things You Should Know

Youtube is your friend. Let it be your guide. I find a lot of DIY accounts come with a handy dad who is just a phone call away and can solve any issue. For me, I didn’t grow up that way. My dad is an amazing salesman and raised and provided for 7 kids, he didn’t teach me a darn about carpentry but can I blame him? I don’t think I even expected I’d be asking for power tools for Christmas!
Demo’ing (especially tile) is the hardest part. No i’m not joking and I’ve never tiled before. I competed gymnastics for 8 years and had callouses like you couldn’t imagine. My hands have never hurt worse than chiseling away at 30 year old thinset! Get through this, its worth it!
It’s messy. Like real messy. If the tile doesn’t come up in whole pieces you’ll have tiny shards of tile poking you and flying everywhere. Use protective wear – close toed shoes, glasses, pants.
Don’t skimp out on mortar and grout. Go for the good stuff. According to the several youtube tutorials I watched, there is a big difference in quality with only about a $20 difference. You don’t tile a floor everyday and repairing can be costly, go for the good stuff.
Trowel size matters. Pay attention to the recommended trowel size for your tile. The notches are specifically created to give the tile the buoyancy it needs.
Leveling kits are a game changer. It seemed weird when I first discovered them, but as I was laying the new tile it all made sense. this allows your tiles to sit flush with one another and ensures no bumps!
Rent your tools. If you don’t expect to tile often, rent your tools. Mine only cost $26 to rent for the day versus dropping $400 on a nice manual tile cutter.