When you're remodeling your bathroom, one of the most cost-effective changes you can make is to replace the floor. You may have old linoleum that's bubbling or peeling up, or maybe you have broken tiles with mildewed grout lines. You can choose from a variety of tile flooring to give your bathroom a new look. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Prep and Remove the Old Floor
1. Choose tile to replace the old flooring in your bathroom. You can pick any material, from lower-cost porcelain to luxurious marble.
2. Remove the toilet. Turn off the water, flush it once and scoop out any remaining water in the bowl and tank. Unscrew the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor as well as to the water line.
3. Use your box cutter to score the caulk sealing the bottom of the bowl to the floor, and then rock it a bit to break the seal. Carefully lift the toilet and carry it out of your house. Stuff an old rag into the drainpipe in the floor to keep any fumes from the sewer from coming into your home.
4. Pull up the old flooring. Take off the baseboards and any quarter-round that someone may have previously installed. If you have vinyl or linoleum bathroom floors, peel up the old flooring. If it's tile, use a hammer and chisel to remove it; you can use a jackhammer if your bathroom is large enough.
5. Clean up the old floor material and scrape off any leftover adhesive with a putty knife.
Install New Tile
6. Set out a few tiles in the middle of the room, complete with spacers. Make sure they're straight and snap chalk lines to act as a guide for laying the rest of the tile.
7. Apply adhesive to the back of the first tile with a trowel and set it into place. Repeat for each successive tile, using spacers to make sure your grout lines will be even.
8. Allow the adhesive to dry and remove the spacers. Make sure you allow it to cure before moving onto the next step.
9. Spread grout into the spaces between each tile using a grout float. Make sure you completely fill the spaces. Use a damp sponge to wipe off excess grout and let it dry.
10. Seal the grout with grout sealer and allow it to set. Put the baseboards and toilet back into place afterward.
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