Cost Effective Tile Floor
When deciding to renovate your bathroom a major factor is always price. A question that regularly gets asked is “What is the most cost-effective way to tile a floor?” Well, in this article I do my very best to break it down for you, and even include the bare minimum tools and material needed. Everything on the lists below comes out to less than $700!!
First off, having the tools needed for this project is a hurdle some people need to tackle from the start. Below is the bare minimum tool list I believe is necessary to tile a floor. If you already have some of these tools, Congratulations! You're going to be able to save some money!
Trowels: ½”x ½” and ¼”x1/4” $5.48+ $10.99
The reason for needing two trowels is that to install the backerboard you need a ¼”x ¼” notch for the thinset beneath the tile. It will also be used to embed the mesh tape over the joints of the backboard. The ½”x ½” is for the actual tile. When working with a 12x24” tile I recommend using this size notch because it allows the installer (you) to ensure there is enough thinset to ensure full coverage.
Margin trowel: $7.48
I recommend a margin trowel to help clean the edges of the tile up and also to help scoop thinset onto the tile and the floor. It’s also used to mix the grout when that step is reached.
Bucket x 5- $21.15
Buckets are a necessity in the tile installation process. They are needed to hold clean water, hold mixed thinset, for a wash bucket, and mixed grout near the end of the process.
Grout float- $11.98
A grout float is necessary when grouting, you can probably find something cheaper than this at a local box store.
Sponges x3 - $10.50
Sponges are needed to clean tools after use and to also clean the tile during setting. They are also needed during the grouting phase to wipe up the grout.
Mixer Craftsman ½” chuck variable speed- $69.00
A mixing drill is important because it takes torque to mix thinset, some standard drills on the market are not properly equipped to handle such a tough job and can risk burning the motor. You will also be using this drill when installing the backerboard because you screw it down. Because of this, I recommend spending a little extra money on a mixing drill.
Paddle for mixer- $17.28
The paddle that I recommend is an egg-beater-style mixer. You use this to mix up the thinset for the backboard installation and tile installation.
Level 2’ 4’- $13.98 + $9.98
Levels are needed to check the tile for flatness as you are installing. They are also helpful when making layout lines on the floor before you begin installing the tile as well as marking the backboard where it may need to be cut.
Speed Square- $5.48
A speed square will help to mark lines on tile where they need to be cut.
Grinder $44.00
A grinder is needed to cut the tile, some might think that they just need a cheap snap cutter, but when having to cut around a toilet flange a grinder makes the process much easier.
Grinder blade $29.98
Finding a cheaper grinder blade can be done, but this price point is solid, and a blade at this price will do just fine cutting tile.
Spacers- $7.68
Spacers are needed during the installation phase. They help to keep the tile evenly spaced apart from each other which leads to having consistent grout joints.
Tape measure- $4.00
I feel as though this is self-explanatory, you will use the tape measure during the prep phase (backboard installation) and tile installation phase.
Utility knife- $3.00
The utility knife is needed to cut the backerboard to fit during those phases. It will also be used throughout the project to sharpen pencils.
The materials needed for this project are as follows:
Backerboard ¼” thick 3’x5’ 8 sheets- $94.80
The backboard is installed on top of your existing plywood subfloor. The best way to install this is to use the ¼”x ¼” trowel to put the thinset down on the floor and then lay the backboard on top. You then screw the backboard every 6-8” (whatever the manufacturer recommends) with the backboard screws. When laying multiple sheets (again depending on the manufacturer) you may have to leave an ⅛” space between them. After installing them all you will have to put thinset in all the ⅛” joints and embed the alkali resistant mesh tape in the thinset over the joint.
Backboard screws 1 ¼” - $34.98
These are used to screw down the backerboard to the subfloor
Seam tape- $7.88
This is used on all the joints of the backerboard on the floor
Thinset x3- $32.94
Thinset is used when installing the backerboard as well as the tile.
Grout $34.98
Grout is used in the final steps to complete the project. I spec’d Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA 25lb bag for this project which is most likely overkill.
Tile: 68 Pieces, Covers 132.00 Sq. Ft.
Total Price:
$186.32 @ $2.74 / piece
This tile is very cheap and not something that I would normally recommend to people, but if balling on a budget is the ultimate goal, cheap tile is the best way to go. This does assume 10% extra in case of weird cuts, so if making a pattern you may need to add 15-20% more.
