Tile is unforgiving of a bad foundation and very forgiving of patience. Most failures — cracked tiles, popping grout, lippage — trace back to the substrate or a rushed cure, not the tiling itself. This guide covers a clean install on floors and walls from prep through sealing.
What you'll need
Work out quantities first with the Tile Calculator — it gives the tile count plus the thinset, grout, backer board, and spacers to go with it. You'll also want:
- Cement backer board (and a waterproofing membrane for wet areas).
- Thinset mortar and grout (sanded for wider joints, unsanded for narrow).
- A notched trowel, tile spacers, a rubber grout float, and a large sponge and bucket.
- A tile cutter or wet saw, plus a level, chalk line, and tape measure.
- Grout sealer (for cement-based grout) and knee pads for floors.
Step by step
- Prep and check the substrate. Make sure it's flat, clean, structurally sound, and rigid. Install cement backer board on floors and wet walls, and add a waterproofing membrane in showers and tub surrounds.
- Find your layout. Measure to the centre of the area and snap chalk lines. Dry-lay a row in both directions so cut tiles land symmetrically at the edges and you avoid a sliver against a wall.
- Mix the thinset. Add powder to water and mix to a peanut-butter consistency, then let it slake (rest) per the bag and remix. Only mix what you can use before it starts to set.
- Set the tile. Spread thinset with the flat side, then comb with the notched side held at a consistent angle. Press each tile with a slight twist, add spacers, and check level as you go. Back-butter large tiles for full coverage.
- Cut to fit. Measure and cut edge and corner tiles with a tile cutter or wet saw. Plan outlets and obstacles before you reach them.
- Let the thinset cure. Stay off the tile and wait the full cure time (commonly 24–48 hours) before grouting.
- Grout. Remove spacers, then press grout into the joints with a float held at 45°, working diagonally across the tiles. Wait a few minutes, then wipe with a damp (not wet) sponge, rinsing often.
- Clean the haze and seal. Buff off the grout haze once it's dry, let the grout fully cure, then seal cement-based grout to resist stains and moisture.
Pro tips
- Dry-lay first to balance your cuts — never start tight against one wall.
- Check coverage early: pull up a freshly set tile and confirm thinset covers its back with no gaps.
- Watch for lippage (uneven tile edges); a tile-levelling system helps with large-format tile.
- Keep joints consistent with spacers, and don't grout until the thinset is fully cured.
- Buy from one dye lot and keep a few spare tiles for future repairs.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Tiling over drywall in wet areas or over a flexing floor — both crack tile and grout.
- Skipping waterproofing in showers and tub surrounds.
- Grouting before the thinset has cured, or sealing grout before it has.
- Starting the layout from a wall instead of the centre, leaving thin slivers at the edges.