Install ceramic tile

The key to how to lay ceramic tile is preparation and having the right tools.

1. Measure opposite sides of the room and mark the centerof each side. Snap a chalk line between the marks. Measure and mark the center of the chalk line. From this point, use a framing square to establish a second line perpendicular to the first. Snap a second layout line across the room.

2. Check for square with a 3-4-5 triangle. Measure and mark one layout line 3 feet from the center point. Measure and mark the perpendicular layout line 4 feet from the center point. Measure the distance between the marks. If the layoutt lines are perpendicular the distance will be exactly 5 feet.

3- Lay tiles and spacer along one line from the center to the wall.

4- Divide the floor into manageable boxes, roughly 2-feet-by-3-feet for setting the tiles. Begin by laying out an L shape in the center of the room. Use the chalk lines as a guide, and separate the tiles with spacers.

5- Measure both branches of the L from the center to determine the size of the boxes you will lay out on the floor. Add the widthe of one spacer to each measurement.

6- Remove the tiles. Lay out a chalk-line grid, with each box the size of the sample you measured in Step 5.

7- Do a dry run to determine the placement and cuts. Place a row of tiles along each line using spacer.

8. To set tiles after proper preparation of the surface, begin at the center of the room and work out. Follow working lines and keep tiles aligned with plastic spacers.