Tile a bathroom floor

A long weekend with a rented saw. The backer board under it is what makes it last.

How big is the floor?

square feet

This fits in a car

About 532 lb of materials. Comfortably inside what a car carries (200 lb), so any shopper can take it. ⚠️ 1 item on the list has no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.

Before you start

A wet saw needs eye and ear protection and a dry spot for its plug. The tile cartons can run 70 lb and the thinset bags are 50 lb each, so lift with your legs and take help.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Tile

4 cartons of porcelain floor tileBuy every carton from the same lot or dye number, printed on the carton end. Check the square feet on the carton; this list assumes about 15.
4 sheets of cement backer board, 1/4 in, 3×5The 1/4 in board is the one for floors. A 3×5 sheet does not lie flat in a small car trunk.
2 bags of modified thinset mortar, 50 lbGray unless the grout is white or a light color, then white thinset.
1 bag of sanded grout, 25 lbMatch the grout color to the sample card the customer picked.
1 roll of alkali-resistant mesh tape
1 pack of tile spacers or leveling clips
1 bottle of grout sealer

Hardware

1 box of backer board screws, 1-1/4 in

Flooring

1 Floor transition strip

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

1 Wet tile saw· most people have this
1 Square-notch trowel, 1/4 × 3/8 in· most people have this
1 Drill with mixing paddle· most people have this
1 Grout float· most people have this
1 pair of knee pads· most people have this
1 4 ft level· most people have this

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about a long weekend · confident

Take up the old floor and check the subfloor. If it bounces or is soft anywhere, stop and have it looked at before tiling.
The toilet has to come up and go back down on a new wax ring. Book a plumber for that part if you have not done it before.
Set the backer board in a bed of thinset, screw it down every eight inches, and tape the seams with mesh.
Dry-lay the tile from the center of the room so the cut pieces at the walls are even.
Spread thinset, set the tile with spacers, and check it with the level as you go. Let it cure a day.
Grout, wipe the haze, and seal the grout once it has cured.