Step #1: Prepare the Sub-floor.

Your tile installation will only be as good as what is under it. You need to prepare your sub-floor correctly in order for your tile to lie properly. An uneven or badly repaired sub-floor can cause cracked grout or tiles and uneven flooring when your floor is finished. Here's the checklist:

• Make sure your sub-floor is sound. Any points where the floor flexes when walked over, has areas of rot, or that aren't strong enough to hold up tile should be addressed.
• Even out the lumps and bumps. Make sure all nails heads in a wood sub-floor are even with the flooring and that any rough spots are sanded down. Repair any cracks or holes in cement sub-flooring, sand down any major high spots and remove minor bumps with a chisel. You can lay tile directly over linoleum flooring as long as it is not peeling.
• Remove all baseboard and trim affecting the floor area.
• If you are laying tile in a moist area, be sure to use cement fiber boards for your sub-floor to create a moisture barrier.

Step #2: Choose a Pattern and Lay it out.

If all of your tiles are the same size there are two basic patterns you can lay them in. The common, or "jack-on-jack" pattern, is one where tiles are laid in rows and columns much like a checker board while the "running bond" pattern is where grout lines are offset like the pattern most common for laying brick.

Once you've chosen the pattern you want to lay your tiles in, you'll want to dry lay them in the room to see how they fit. Center your first tile to the center of your room. Your ultimate goal is to use as many whole tiles as possible, so if you are going to have to make too many cuts, try starting from a different point in your room, like slightly off-center.

Step #3: Installation.

Spread the adhesive with the notched side of the trowel. The spaces between the ridges of the adhesive should be almost bare to give yourself an even undercoat of adhesive. You can eyeball the width of your grout lines or for a more even look, use spacers. If you are using spacers, be sure to remove them before the adhesive sets. Clean up any excess adhesive. Once you've laid several rows of tiles, use a leveler and mallet to set the set the tiles into the adhesive levelly. Once all the whole tiles are laid, you can start making cuts for the perimeter of your room. Install your perimeter tiles and re-apply your base board and trim that you removed.

Step #4: Grout.

Mix your grout according to the manufacturer's instructions, but the end result should be a paste. Pack the paste in between the joints of your tile with a float. Let the grout sit for about twenty minutes then use a sponge to clean excess grout from the tile. Let your grout cure. After your grout has cured for about a week, it would be advisable to seal it against discoloration.