Backer, thinset, tile and grout sized to your tile — bathroom, kitchen or entry, with the toilet reset when there is one.
Answers
Sheet
Sheet A-1 · Floor tile
8′ × 5′ bathroom
DIY OK
Tile
19
tiles · 38 sq ft
Thinset
2
50 lb bags
Grout
1
10 lb bag
Floor rises
1″
new height
11–16 h of work
Three days minimum: backer and tile the first day or two, grout after 24 hours.
Draft
The rules behind this Sheet are waiting for a licensed pro’s sign-off.
Drawing
Layers + layout
1
Tile 12×24, 3/8″ thick.
2
Grout joint 1/8″ wide, full depth.
3
Movement joint Silicone at the wall and tub — not grout.
4
Thinset bed ½″ × ½″ square notch trowel; 95% coverage in wet areas.
5
Cement board ¼″, screwed every 8″ over a thinset bed.
6
Subfloor Plywood/OSB screwed to the joists; flat and stiff.
7
Start lines Centerlines; adjust so the doorway row isn’t a sliver.
8
Threshold At the door.
Tile, grout and a trowel shown to scale in the notch strip; layers exaggerated in height.
What to buy
14 items · 1 if needed
Save to your jobs to check things off in the store.
Buy every box of tile from the same lot number — the shade can change between lots. Check the labels before you leave the store.
Fasteners
Cement board screws 1¼″
≈135 screws
Coated screws with ribbed heads.
Tile
Floor tile
12×24, porcelain
19 tiles (38 sq ft)
Porcelain or ceramic.
Large-format tile mortar, 50 lb
50 lb bag
1 bag
Thicker, non-slumping mortar for big tile.
Cement backer board ¼″ (3×5)
3×5 sheets
3 sheets
Stable, water-tolerant base for tile over wood.
Under the backer
Modified thinset mortar, 50 lb · 50 lb bag
1 bag
Cement-based adhesive that bonds tile.
Alkali-resistant mesh tape 2″
2″ × 150 ft
1 roll
For backer-board seams.
Sanded grout
1/8″ joints
1 × 10 lb bag
For joints ⅛″ and wider.
Tile leveling clips + wedges
clips (single use) + wedges
57 clips (1 × 100) + 1 set of wedges
Pull neighboring edges flush on large tile (no lippage).
Grout sealer
penetrating
1
Slows staining in cement grout.
100% silicone, color-matched
color-matched to grout
1 tube
Flexible movement joint at walls and the tub.
Threshold / transition
36″
1
Finishes the tile edge at the doorway.
Plumbing
Wax ring (or wax-free seal)
standard
1
Seals the toilet to the drain flange.
Closet bolts
brass
1 set
Hold the toilet to the flange.
Flange extender / spacer ring
If needed
fits 1″ rise
1
Keep the receipt — return it if you don’t use it.
Raises the drain flange to the new floor height.
Tools
You own 0 of 28 must-haves
Tap the ones you already own. That builds your Tool Shed as you go — no setup.
Must have
The job stalls without it.
Notched trowel
½″ × ½″ square notch
Margin trowel
Narrow flat trowel for mixing and back-buttering.
½″ drill + mixing paddle
Thinset mixed by hand stays lumpy
5-gal buckets (2)
Mixing, rinsing, hauling.
Grout float
Rubber float that packs grout into joints.
Grout sponges + 2 buckets
Cleans haze. One bucket to rinse, one of clean water.
4-ft level
Checks plumb and level over a long span.
Straightedge (6 ft)
Dead-straight edge for cutting sheets and checking floor flatness.
Chalk line
Snaps a long straight line on floors, subfloors and ceilings.
Tape measure (25 ft)
The red boxes every 16″ on the blade are stud spacing.
Speed square
Triangle square for marking square and angled cuts on lumber.
Carpenter's pencil
Flat, doesn't roll away, marks rough lumber.
Angle grinder + diamond blade
Notches around the toilet flange
Knee pads
Flooring and tile are all knees.
Rubber mallet
Taps block, tile and planks into place without damage.
Work gloves
Thinset is caustic
Safety glasses
Every cut, every nail, every time.
Hearing protection
Saws and nailers are loud enough to damage hearing.
Half-face respirator (P100)
Silica dust from dry cuts
Cement-board scoring knife
Carbide tip: score, snap, done.
Cordless drill/driver
Drills holes, drives screws, mixes small batches.
Oscillating multi-tool
Undercut the door casing
Utility knife + blades
Scores drywall and vinyl plank, trims pad. Swap blades often.
Putty knife
Scrape off the old wax
Screwdriver set
Outlet covers, hardware, toilet bolts.
Pry bar
Old floor removal
Floor scraper
Removes old pad, staples and adhesive.
Shop vac
Drywall dust, grout, sawdust.
Rent it
Costly to buy for one job. Rent it for a day.
Wet tile saw
Clean cuts in porcelain and stone
Rent
Nice to have
Faster or cleaner, not required.
Tile snap cutter
Fast straight cuts, no water
Order of work
11–16 h of work
01
Shut off the water, pull the toilet and stuff a rag in the drain. Remove the old floor down to the subfloor.
Check first
The new floor sits about 1″ higher: flange extender and threshold planned before you start.
02
Screw down the subfloor and check flatness: ⅛″ in 10 ft for large tile.
Check first
Straightedge the floor — ⅛″ in 10 ft for large tile — and fix it before anything goes down.
03
Set ¼″ cement board in thinset, screws every 8″, gaps ⅛″; tape seams with alkali-resistant mesh and thinset.
04
Dry-lay from the doorway view: no slivers under half a tile at the door or along the tub. Keep the offset at ⅓ or less (long tile warps).
Check first
No slivers under half a tile at the door or along the tub.
05
Mix thinset, let it slake 5–10 minutes, remix. Comb with the ½″ × ½″ square notch in straight lines; back-butter every tile; set leveling clips. Lift a tile now and then to check coverage.
Check first
Leveling clips and wedges on hand before you start setting.
Right trowel: ½″ × ½″ square notch — lift a tile now and then to check coverage.
06
Cut with the wet saw; notch around the flange with the grinder.
07
Wait 24 hours. Grout diagonally across the joints; clean the haze with a barely damp sponge.
Check first
Leave the wall and tub joints empty — they get silicone, not grout.
Wait 24 h — thinset cures before grout
Stay off the tile and grout after 24 h. Some rapid-set mortars allow grouting sooner — follow the bag.
Wait 2–3 days — grout cures before sealing
Most cement grouts want 48–72 h before a penetrating sealer — follow the grout bag.
08
Leave the wall and tub joint ungrouted and fill it with matching silicone.
09
Reset the toilet on a new wax ring, with the flange extender if the flange ends up below the tile. Seal the grout once it cures.
Mistakes that ruin the job
3 mistakes
1
Grouting the change of plane
Grout at walls and the tub cracks as the house moves. That joint gets flexible silicone.
2
Too small a trowel
Big tile over thin ridges leaves hollow spots that crack when stepped on. ½″ × ½″ square notch here, plus back-buttering.
3
Forgetting the new floor height
The floor rises about 1″. Plan the toilet flange and the door threshold before you start.
Plan it
The load
To haul
380 lb
from the store to the room
On your knees
8–11 h
wear knee pads
Helpers
0
a solo job
Heaviest
Floor tile · 38 sq ft · 171 lb
Cement backer board ¼″ (3×5) · 3 sheets · 90 lb
Large-format tile mortar, 50 lb · 1 bag · 50 lb
Rent: Wet tile saw
When you’ll finish
Pick when you can start and how many hours you have.
Hours you can work
Each weekday evening
0
h
Each weekend day
8
h
Saved for every Sheet. Waits run overnight and on days off; work only fills the hours you have.
DIY vs hiring it out
Estimate
Typical US store prices and labor rates, not a quote. A real price can differ a lot.