by Jeremy Mcnabb

Created on: May 01, 2008   Last Updated: May 08, 2008

Nothing dates a house like old ceramic tile. Today, companies are more conscious of how "innovative" designs quickly become decade-specific, but in the 1970's, it wasn't that way. There are times when I am half-tempted to open a museum of aged ceramic tile to deter anyone from overly flamboyant choices. When you've torn out and replaced as much tacky flooring as I have, you cannot help but wonder what some people were thinking. Was there ever a time when decorators honestly believed that an entryway would look good with a brown turtle shell design or paisley three-inch tile?

When choosing tile, learn from previous owners' mistakes. Select neutral colors and designs. Earth tones and marbled patterns age well and I always suggest tile that is twelve inches or larger.

Step one in updating a ceramic floor is getting the old stuff out of your house as quickly and neatly as possible. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you'll want to purchase several items. You're going to want enough drop-cloths to cover the carpet between your tear-out and the nearest exit. You'll need two five gallon buckets to carry out the broken tile. Safety glasses are a must. This isn't a just warning so that my rear is covered in the legal sense, on the odd chance someone gets hurt. You WILL take tile shards to the face when tearing it out, so you need to protect your eyes. If you can break the tile out with a sturdy hammer, go for it, but you may want to rent a jackhammer with a two-inch chisel, to make it easier on yourself.

Once your floor is cleared and swept, pull your trim and cut the bottom of your doorjambs to a height where a mortared tile can slide beneath them. Most home improvement stores sell hand saws that will cut jams, but powered versions are available through catalogues and the internet. This step will leave you with a layer of sawdust on your floor that must also be swept away before you can begin setting tile. Run a line of tiles from the entryway, into the room, without mortar. Then, with spacers, find the configuration that looks centered and will leave you with the least number of small pieces of tile.

If your floor has noticeable valleys, tile will accentuate them. Using mortar or self-leveling mix, "float" the low spots even with the higher ones. Give it a day to dry before sticking any tiles.

After you've decided on a layout and checked the level of your floor, you're ready to start. Be sure to use a proper trowel size (3/8 for 12-inch or smaller, inch for 13-inch or larger) when spreading mortar on the floor. Corners don't always match up, and you'll need to adjust their heights by pressing or lifting the offending tiles to match the others. Take your time and watch the consistency of your grout joints. Give your tiles a day to set.

Your last step is the grouting stage and this is what can make or break a job. Spread your grout in sections that you can clean with a sponge before it dries. Wipe diagonally across the tiles, so as not to wipe the grout out of the joints. And always take the time to clean out corners, especially around kitchen cabinets. If, after an hour, there's a haze, it will rub off with a dry towel.

If you take your time, and watch the look of your floor as you go, a handsome tile job will still look good in fifty years.

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