I recently purchased by first home – and old 1924 townhouse that had a galley kitchen. Because I love to cool and entertain, the first order of my home renovation was to fix up and modernize the kitchen. I had an aggressive approach – for better or for worse.
Within the first week that I bought the house, I successfully knocked out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, creating a large open space in the back of my house that I really liked. From there, I ripped up the linoleum floor and tore out the cabinets. I had no idea what I was getting into until it was too late!
My dad, luckily, had laid the tile in his own kitchen, so he and I spent a weekend together on the kitchen floor. It is important to lay tile in a kitchen before the new cabinets come in. If you lay tile after the cabinets are already in, it becomes nearly impossible to even change out a dishwasher or stove, as they become essentially wedged between the raised tile floor and the cabinets. It is best to have the appliance resting on top of the tile when they come in.
Laying a tile floor is easy. It just takes time, money and patience. Before we could even get started with the tile part, we had to make sure that the floor was level. Since the house already had linoleum floors, I pretty much knew that it would be level. We used a leveler to double check anyway.
Next, we purchased the floorboards, which are huge blocks of almost cement-like boards that lay flat on the floor. These boards create strength so that the floor does not bend under the weight of a body. If the floor were to bend under the weight of a body, you run the risk of breaking the tile when you step.
Once the layers of board were stapled to the floor, it was time to lay the first layer of “butter”, or hard cement that goes underneath the tiles. This cement layer goes in about a three foot radius at a time. Any wider and it is hard to reach the tile areas.
Simply spread the tile cement out evenly across the floor about a quarter of an inch thick. Then, use a quarter-inch rake to create grooves in the cement. Do the same buttering and groove-making on the tiles itself. Then, place the tile firmly on top of the floor and move it around slightly to force out any air bubbles that could be between the two cements. Repeat the process with several tiles until your three-foot radius is covered with tiles.
Next, place a “spacer” between each tile on the corners and in the middle of the tile. Force the tiles together until they are all flush with spacers and tiles. The spacer simply helps to ensure that all tiles are evenly spaced.
Let the floor sit for 24 hours without walking on it. Once it is completely dry, install grout between the gaps in the tile. Wipe away excess grout with a wet finger or a rubber sponge. Let dry for 48 hours and then you are ready to use your new tile floor. It is much easier than it seems – trust me!