How to Install & Seal Tile
- 1). Snap two perpendicular chalk lines across the middle of the floor so that you have four equal squares that intersect in the center. Before you snap the second line, make sure it's 90 degrees from the first line.
- 2). Use a notched trowel to spread thinset mortar over the middle of the floor, covering a few square feet over the intersection. The lines should still be visible through the mortar.
- 3). Set the first floor tile into the mortar in one corner of the intersection, bordered on two sides by the two lines. Set additional tiles against each edge of the first one, lining them up squarely against the first one, while putting spacers between them.
- 4). Continue laying the tiles against one another, edge to edge, building out from the middle of the floor in a grid pattern. Spread more mortar as needed, working your way toward the walls in each direction. Use a tile cutter to cut the tiles as needed to fit against the walls at the edges of the floor. Do the whole floor.
- 5). Let the tiles set overnight. Remove the spacers. Starting at the far end of the room, away from the door, brush tile sealant over the tile surface, using a paintbrush to get it thin and smooth. Brush only on the surface, not in the spaces. Work your way across the whole floor and out the door. Let the sealant set for four to six hours.
- 6). Grout the surface with a grout float, scraping the long edge of the float over the face of the tiles to force the grout into the lines. Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge.
- 7). Let the grout set for 48 hours. Brush another coat of sealant over the surface, again starting at the far end of the room, but this time covering both the tile and the grout. Let the sealant set for six hours before using the floor.
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