About this Project

When the adhesive has been combed to the right thickness, immediately begin setting tiles. The most important tile is the first one you set; make sure that it is aligned perfectly with your layout so that the rest of the tiles will fall into place nicely. You will be rewarded at this stage for having spent all that time on the layout. Your reference lines will help to guide you through the entire process; take care not to cover them over with adhesive.

Work in sections small enough to set the tiles before the adhesive beings to dry out. Start by spreading adhesive in a 2- to 3-square-foot area; set the tiles and remove excess adhesive before moving on to the next section. With practice, you can work in larger sections. If the adhesive has begun to skin over, do not set tiles in it. Rather, scoop up and discard the adhesive and apply a fresh layer.

Whenever possible, set all full tiles first, then set the cut tiles. But also avoid kneeling on top of just-set tiles in order to lay the cut ones. On a large job, you might want to set all of the full tiles one day, then handle the cut tiles the next day.

Take care not to tile yourself into a corner. Set tiles so that you can leave the room without walking on them. Don't disturb floor tiles until the adhesive has cured -- preferably overnight.