How to Lay Terracotta Floor Tiles
- 1). Measure the length and width of your floor to find the center. Use the center of your floor as a reference to mark a grid across the surface with a chalk snap line. Allow the grid lines to guide you as you lay your tiles.
- 2). Lay out all of the tiles as if you were installing them. Remember to leave spaces for the grout. Take note of any tiles that need to be cut to accommodate corners, trim or other structures.
- 3). Pick up all of the tiles, being careful not to disturb the chalk lines. Make any necessary tile cuts using an angle grinder with a stone-cutting wheel attachment. Prepare the thick-bed adhesive by mixing it with the amount of water required for your particular product.
- 4). Carefully pour enough adhesive onto the center of the floor to cover a reasonably sized section that you can tile before the adhesive begins to set. Carefully smooth and level the adhesive with a straight trowel.
- 5). Lay the tiles, working from the center of the floor to the edges. Use plastic tile spacers if needed to make the grout spacing even. Apply and spread out more adhesive when you move to a new section of floor, keeping the thickness uniform from one area to the next.
- 6). Sweep away any dirt or dust from the tile surfaces with a broom. Seal the tiles once the entire floor is laid and the adhesive is dry but before grouting. Apply a single coat of boiled linseed oil to all of the tiles with a paintbrush and let it dry completely.
- 7). Scoop up wide-joint grout with the pointed end of a pointed trowel. Carefully apply the grout only in the tile seams and avoid getting any grout on the tile surfaces. Wipe up any grout from tiles immediately with a dampened sponge.
- 8). Grout one area of the floor at a time; press a narrow piece of rounded metal pipe over the grout lines while they are still damp to make the grout a bit concave. Let the grout dry completely, apply a second, thin coat of linseed oil to the tiles and mop up any excess oil after 20 minutes. Wax the finished terracotta tile floor, then wax it again once a week for the next four weeks.
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