ORC Week 4: Tile the Floor

Juliette DellaviaDIY 0

We have passed the halfway mark of the Fall 2024 One Room Challenge! Week 4 has us finishing the flooring after we decided to tile the floor. As I mentioned in Week 3, hubby has taken on this project as his own, and he has been doing an awesome job!

Installing the Backer Board

After demo-ing the laminate flooring in week 3, he installed Durock Cement Board on the floor. This involved cutting all of the pieces to fit the space and screwing everything down. Should he have applied mortar first? Maybe. But, we consulted a friend who has a lot of experience in tiling…he said it’s not a requirement. I guess we will find out.

screwing durock backer board on floor

Choosing the Tile.

While Scott was cutting the backer board to fit the space, I took the chance to head to Floor & Decor to pick up the tile. We needed 60 sq feet. I had planned on choosing a large scale hexagon tile, with fading in a neutral color scheme. I walked into the store, and I was completely underwhelmed. It really had stuck in my mind as exactly what I wanted, but seeing it in person, it just wasn’t going to work. Don’t get me wrong–I love it. I think we may want to choose it for a bathroom in the future. But, the laundry room vision I had? Suddenly, I found myself walking quickly, hoping I’d be inspired.

And I was. Very, very inspired.

flat cart with tile supplies

I was able to grab everything I needed that day so that we could get to work.

Measure, Cut, Dry Fit.

These 12″ x 24″ tiles were going to be much easier to lay out, measure and cut to fit. The black with the white veining…it’s so good. Scott spent a good amount of time laying everything out, lining it all up, figuring out the placement of the cuts. By far, the planning stage–along with the cutting and then dry–is the lengthiest part of the process.

measuring laundry room floor for dry fit and cut of tiles

Before the Mortar

After the tiles are dry fit in the space, you have to remove them. I took masking tape and a sharpie, using a placement code so we wouldn’t mess up the order. We had 7 columns. Each tile got labeled with the column and then the number spot. Then, I carried them out and placed them in order just outside the door.

floor tiles lined up outside in marked order

It’s Time to Tile the Floor!

We mixed up a 50 pound bag of mortar in a 5 gallon bucket.

mixing mortar in a five gallon bucket

We followed these steps to tile the floor:

Dampen the backer board with the large sponge.

Spread mortar wider and longer than the tiles, working in small sections.

spreading mortar to tile the floor

Place the tiles, using spacers to ensure equal spacing between all tiles.

placing spacers on the edge of the tiles

Place the self levelers in the spacers.

Tighten the levelers with the tool provided.

tightening self-levelers for tile floor

Repeat until finished.

Black Grout!

After the flooring had spent a couple days drying, we got ready to grout. This is a pretty quick process, but it’s messy…especially when the grout is black. It just seems messier.

spreading black grout on black tile floor

Scott pretty much handled this process himself. He used a grout-specific blade on our oscillating tool to grind away any mortar. Then, I got him the water to mix up the grout. This part goes fast, and it’s really not a two person gig. You apply the grout all over the floor, concentrating on making sure the gaps are filled with grout. Once done, you set a timer for 30 minutes. Then, using a large scrub sponge, you wipe it away, rinsing the sponge in a bucket of clean water as you go.

When Can You Walk On It?

The product we used said three hours later. We did it in the evening, so it wasn’t really a concern, but plan accordingly if you are on a strict timeline since they all will have their own specific details.

The Haze

One thing you’ll notice after tiling is the “haze” that covers much of the floor. It’s easy to get rid of, and you don’t need any fancy products. Two cups of white vinegar + two cups of water in a bucket. Use a sponge and wipe all over the floor. Once it dries, make another batch if you can still see any of it.