How to Re-Tile Your Shower Floor

It is often times necessary to re-tile your shower floor as ceramic tiles are vulnerable to mildew and mold that can result to staining making your ceramic tile shower floor look worn and ugly. Below are the materials that you need along with the instructions on how to re-tile your shower floor.

Step 1-Remove the Old Shower Tiles

With a putty knife or grout removing tools, remove the grout that holds the tiles together. This way you can still reuse the old ceramic tiles for other purposes. Pry the ceramic tile off its base by inserting the putty knife all the way beneath the tiles until it is deep enough to remove the ceramic tile. To exert more force on the ceramic tile, tap the handle of the putty knife with a small hammer. After removing the first ceramic tile it will be easy to remove the rest of the tiles using the putty knife.

Step 2-Examine the Base of the Shower Floor

After you have removed all of the tiles, check the base floor of your shower for any tile adhesives. Remove the tile adhesives by applying paint remover and scrubbing with a scrub brush. Make sure that the base floor surface is even and free of any stubborn tile adhesives as a smooth surface is essential to the proper adhesion of the new tiles.

Step 3-Check the Existing Water Barrier

After removing all the tile adhesives check the condition of the water barrier of your shower floor. A water barrier is a thin layer of materials that is used to prevent water from soaking into the base of your shower floor. Repair or replace damaged existing water barrier.

Step 4-Apply Thin Set Mortar

Mix thin set mortar according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Apply an even coat of thin set mortar to the floor area where you want to install the new tiles. As a guide to keep the thin set mortar from setting before you can install the tiles, apply only thin mortar in a floor area that you can install the tiles on within 15 minutes. Do not apply thin set mortar on the entire floor area at once.

Step 5-Install the Tiles

Before you install the tiles it is best to comb over the thin set mortar you applied in the previous step using an old comb. Tiles adhere better on a coarsely applied thin set mortar rather than a flat thin set mortar surface. Place the first row of tiles on the coarse thin set mortar and gently tap the each ceramic tile using a small hammer. To make sure that the tiles are evenly placed, put a flat board on tiles and press gently.

Step 6-Use Tile Spacers

To make sure that all the ceramic tiles are evenly placed, use a tile spacer that you can purchase at your local home improvement depot. After laying down all of the tiles, check for any spacing anomalies and make the necessary changes.

Step 7-Finishing Touches

Before you apply tile grout make sure that the thin set mortar is fully dry. Mix the grout according to manufacturer’s instructions and with a grouting trowel, apply grout in between the spaces of each tiles. Remove excess grout with a wet sponge.