First tile job

We're in the flooring stage for our home.  I wanted to show off our first tile job, because I'm so tickled with how it came out.

Tiling is messy, and you have to be very precise in what you do.  After making sure the subfloor was flat and as dust free as possible, I applied a tile underlayment product.  After a lot of research, I decided to use Durock Tile Membrane.  I liked that it was waterproof, thin, and that I could do it myself.  It was also less expensive than any other alternative like Ditra.

Once it had cured, I laid out the pattern I wanted, including the spacers that would help hold everything in it's proper place.

Mr. Pickup and Big Brother had a good time cutting the tiles that needed a trim.

I had been hoping to find some fun rectangle shaped tiles since we first saw them in the Boise Parade of Homes last year.  I laid it out in a traditional subway pattern...which I love!

The tile is actually from Home Depot.  (We bought and paid for it, this project wasn't sponsored in anyway.)  If you're interested, the tile is porcelain, made by Marazzi, and is called Graphite Granite.  It is such a pretty warm grey.  I was really happy with the variety in the different tiles.

As I laid out the tiles, I was sure to pull from different boxes so that there was a randomness to the color and texture.  My hope is that it would look more like real granite tile when all is said and done.

Next up, mixing up mortar, and (gasp!) actually making the floor a permanent installation.

As instructed on the mortar package, I used a very thin skim coat first.  Then with the notched side of the trowel, I added more mortar.  Mr. Pickup back buttered each tile for me, and the big kids helped us by  numbering each row, and bringing the tiles as needed.

We let the mortar cure for 24 hours, and then it was time to grout.  I mixed up about a quarter of a bag of grout to cover the entry.  If you ever decide to tile, be sure to always follow the package instructions.  There are specific times to mix, let the grout sit, and then to clean it off.

Just after I snapped the photo of the grout, Dolly asked me to take a picture of her.  She has a new "picture face".  Silly girl.

Using a float, I worked the grout in between each tile.  This takes more muscle than I thought it would.

After removing the big chunks, I let the grout dry for the allotted time.  Using a big sponge, I then wiped off the excess.  I waited two more hours, and then wiped off the tiles again to remove any additional grout haze.

I love how the tile turned out.  Now off to the bathrooms and laundry room.