How to Tile a Bathroom Floor

Installing bathroom floor tiles is a wonderful way to make a statement in your home. It reflects your individual tastes and brings your unique tile flooring bathroom ideas to life.

Although tiling a bathroom has traditionally been thought of as a complex task, it’s perfectly possible to achieve a professional finish yourself. We’re here to help you get the job done right. With thorough planning, and by carefully working your way through the steps we provide in this guide, you can create a floor you’re truly proud of.

Bathroom floor tiles are durable and easy to clean, which means that in the long term, they’re very cost-effective to install. Other than regular cleaning and the occasional replacement of sealant or grout, your bathroom tiles are also low maintenance.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the whole process of fitting your floor. We cover planning, cutting, laying, and finishing off with sealant and grouting, so you’ll have all the info you need to get started.

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Before laying tiles, your floor needs to be solid, level, clean, and dry, which involves removing old flooring and installing water-resistant tile backer boards.
Finding the right starting position involves measuring your room to find the centre point and dry-laying tiles to ensure edge tiles are at least half the width of a whole tile.
Self-adhesive bathroom floor tiles provide a fast alternative to traditional tiles and can be pressed directly onto a smooth, clean, and dry existing floor surface.

What do I need to consider for my floor tiling project?

When exploring bathroom floor tiles design, consider the finish of the tile you choose. A bathroom floor tile anti-slip finish is a great choice for wet and humid areas. It provides extra safety and peace of mind for your whole household.

It’s also important to order tiles that look consistent. Tiles are usually given batch numbers. To ensure proper colour matching across your floor, try to buy all your required tiles from the same batch.

To make sure you order enough tiles for your space, follow these steps:

Calculate your surface area in square metres by multiplying the length by the width of the room.
Check this against the coverage of the tile pack.
Add at least 10% for inevitable wastage and offcuts.

You’ll need to consider your adhesive too as the surface you’re laying onto determines the type of tile adhesive you use. Usually, a flexible tile adhesive is suitable. But a strong high-bond adhesive is best for concrete floors. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions first.

How to prepare a floor for bathroom tiling

Thorough preparation is crucial. If you want your tiles to be laid properly and last a long time, do not skip the prep work. Before you start laying tiles, your floor needs to be solid, level, clean, and dry.

If you’re thinking about tiling over existing floor coverings, the general rule is don’t! Durable tiling relies on perfect adhesion to the floor. Your new tile floor may feel secure at first, but the old floor beneath probably won’t be. This will only lead to long-term issues.

First, you need to understand how to remove tiles from bathroom floor surfaces:

Put on your safety goggles and protective gloves.
Use a chisel and a hammer to carefully chip away the old tiles and adhesive.
Sweep up all the debris so you have a clear, clean space to work with.

Some existing surfaces, such as a level concrete floor, don’t require a sub-floor. You can lay tiles straight on top of concrete. Just make sure the surface is level, completely clean, and free from old adhesive.

How to install bathroom floor tiles

Now you’ve prepped your space, it’s ready to start laying your new floor. Follow our guide detailed below.

If your bare floor is topped with plywood, you’ll need to prep this properly. New changes to British standards don’t allow tiles to be installed directly onto plywood. You’ll need to install tile backer boards that are suitable for use in wet and humid areas as these provide a safer, water-resistant alternative that’s designed for hard-wearing floors.

Start by laying your tile backer boards on the floor. Make sure the entire area is covered. You can cut your panels to size as needed.

Use a plasterboard-friendly sealant along the edges of your backer boards. This holds them together on the floor and against any vertical surfaces.

Screw them firmly into the floor with a drill and specialised corrosion-protected screws, such as stainless steel.

Brush the floor to remove any debris from drilling.

Seal your floor using a primer to reduce porosity levels before you start tiling.

Now your floor is prepped, it’s time to start the tiling process.

So, where do you start when tiling a bathroom? Well, finding the right starting position is crucial when laying your tiles. It determines whether the finished floor looks right and symmetrical.

The object of planning your layout is to create a central area to lay down whole tiles. Then, you lay edge tiles around this central space.

When you’re laying your tiles, you want to be able to exit the room without walking across newly laid tiles. It’s best to work from the central areas to each corner, then finally work towards the door.

During this planning stage, it’s very helpful to dry lay your tiles. This helps you know exactly what the final layout will be without rushing.

Measure the width of your room and mark the centre point on the floor with a pencil.
From this centre point, position the tiles going towards one of the side walls. Insert tile spacers between each tile. Because a thinner edge will look untidy once laid, it is important to ensure your edge tile is at least half the width of a whole tile. If the gap between the last whole tile and the wall is less than half the width, move all your tiles and spacers away from the wall by half a tile’s width. This simple step ensures a larger and better-looking edge tile.
Once the gap is more than half a tile’s width, mark the position of the last whole tile on the floor. This will be a starting mark for the fitting line.

Measure the distance from this first fitting mark back to the centre of the room and note it down.
Move further down the room and find the midpoint of the room again. Use the measurement you noted down to mark the next position of the fitting line.
Repeat this process as many times as necessary. You want to be confident you have a straight line running the length of the room.

Once you’re confident in your tile layout, you can start cutting the edge tiles to fit.

Measure the width between the fitting line and the wall. Transfer these measurements onto your tiles. Make sure you’re subtracting the gaps between the tiles to allow room for grout

Trim them down with a single straight cut using a manual tile cutter. This will give you a clean, professional edge.

Note: Bathrooms often have pipes, toilets, and basins to work around. If you have obstacles on your bathroom floor, we have a helpful video to guide you. Watch our video on how to cut tiles and tile around obstacles. It forms a key part of this guide and shows you how to shape your tiles safely and accurately.

When preparing your adhesive, check the manufacturer’s instructions for the ideal water-to-product ratio.

Use a drill and whisk to mix the adhesive with water. You want to get a consistency that is thick enough to hold its shape on the trowel, but still malleable enough to spread easily.

When you’re done, clean the whisk in a bucket of clean water. This prevents the adhesive from building up and ruining your tool.

Apply the adhesive to the floor using the notched side of your spreader. Straight, uniform lines help to avoid creating air bubbles, so you get a stronger bond.

Then you’ll need to backbutter the tile. This means using the straight side of the spreader to cover the back surface in adhesive. Apply a smooth layer and scrape any excess back into the bucket.

Place the tile onto the floor in line with your measurements, pushing down on all sides.

Put spacers in the gaps to make sure everything is evenly spaced. Use a spirit level to ensure the tiles are perfectly level. Continue this method for the entire floor, working towards the corners before finishing by the door.

If necessary to ensure all tiles are flush against your wall, use a handheld circular saw to cut into the bottom of your door frames, architrave, skirting boards, and other decorative mouldings. Use the depth of your tiles as a measurement guide.

Check your adhesive’s packaging to find out how long it needs to set. Once set, you can safely remove the spacers.

If you’re using traditional ceramic or porcelain tiles, the final step is grouting.

Note: Keep in mind that natural stone bathroom tiles such as limestone, marble, and slate will need sealing first. This is usually done after laying the tiles but before grouting. Most ceramic tiles and glazed porcelain tiles don’t need sealing.

Mix your grout with clean water according to the instructions on the packaging. Mix it with a drill and whisk until you get the perfect consistency. It should be thick enough to hold its shape on the trowel, but malleable enough to fill the grooves between your tiles.

Starting at the centre of the floor and finishing by the door, place the grout over the joins. Gently work it into the gaps with a grout float, making sure it’s flush with the tiles.

Leave it to partially dry and wipe off any excess with a damp sponge. Be careful not to apply too much pressure at this stage so you don’t pull any grout out of the floor. It’s also a good idea to wipe across the joins rather than along them for the same reason.

Are you looking for a faster project? Self-adhesive bathroom floor tiles are a fantastic option for a speedy room refresh. Stick-on floor tiles for bathroom spaces are cost-effective and come in many different colours and styles.

If you want to know how to lay stick-on floor tiles on bathroom flooring, the process is very straightforward:

First, ensure your existing floor is completely smooth, clean, and dry.
Simply peel away the protective backing and press the tile firmly onto the floor.
Work from the centre of the room outwards, just as you would with traditional tiles.
You can usually cut these tiles easily with a sharp utility knife. This makes fitting them around obstacles very simple and reduces the need for heavy tools.

And that’s it! You’ve now laid a newly tiled bathroom floor.

You can then continue to tile the rest of your bathroom if you’re refreshing your walls and bath panel.

For more bathroom tiling how-to guides, check out how to tile a bathroom wall, how to tile a bath panel and how to tile a bathroom splashback.

FAQs

Bathroom tiles are very easy to maintain. Simply sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any loose dust and dirt, then use a mop with warm water and a mild floor cleaner. Avoid harsh abrasive chemicals, as these can wear down the grout over time. A soft brush is great for keeping the grout lines looking clean and fresh.

Yes, you can paint ceramic bathroom floor tiles to give your room a new look without replacing the whole floor. You need to clean the tiles thoroughly and apply a high-quality primer. Then, use a specialist tile paint designed to withstand foot traffic and moisture. Finish with a clear sealant to protect the painted surface.

You absolutely can. Tiling an upstairs bathroom just requires a strong and stable sub-floor to prevent the tiles or grout from cracking. British standards require that you install waterproof tile backer boards over your wooden floorboards or chipboard, rather than tiling directly onto plywood. Secure the backer boards firmly before you apply your tile adhesive.