How To Lay Floor Tiles - B&Q

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How to tile a floor

By Tom Drake | 20th August 2025 | 5 min read

B&Q Summary

To tile a floor, you first need to prepare the subfloor and plan the layout of your tiles. You can then apply tile adhesive to the floor with a notched trowel, lay your tiles on the adhesive, and place tile spacers around the edges. Continue laying tiles across the floor, making cuts when needed. Once your tile adhesive has dried, apply grout to the gaps between the tiles.

This guide outlines the steps required to tile a floor. From preparing the subfloor to grouting the tiles, we show you how you can achieve a professional finish that will look great for years to come.

How to lay tiles steps:

  1. Prepare the subfloor
  2. Plan the layout
  3. Apply adhesive to the floor
  4. Lay tiles on the adhesive
  5. Cut tiles
  6. Grout the tiles

1. Prepare the subfloor

Before you can start laying your tiles, you need to make sure your subfloor, which is the surface underneath your tiles, is prepared.

Person using a dustpan and brush to clean a bathroom floor with tile backer boards installed on top.

Wooden floors

Before tiling over chipboard or floorboards, secure any loose or creaking sections of the floor. Then, you’ll need to lay plywood or tile backer boards over the top of the floor to create a level surface. When tiling a bathroom, use a tile backer board suitable for wet environments. Once you’ve prepared your subfloor, make sure it’s clean before laying your tiles.

Concrete floors

If you’re tiling over a concrete floor, start by removing any dirt and grease from the surface. If you’re replacing existing tiles, ensure all the adhesive from the previous tiles has been removed. You’ll then need to repair any cracks or holes in the concrete. If your concrete isn’t level, you may need to use a floor levelling compound to create a flat surface ready for your tiles.

Once your floor is ready, apply a primer, which will help the tile adhesive bond to the concrete.

Person laying floor tiles on top of tile backer board without any adhesive to plan the layout.

2. Plan the layout

It’s a good idea to plan the layout of your tiles before you start tiling. Starting in the centre of the room, lay a row of tiles in all directions up to the edges of the room.

You can now check to see if you will be left with any awkward cuts or a very small tile next to the wall and adjust the layout accordingly.

Person using a notched trowel to spread tile adhesive onto the top of tile backer boards. Notched trowel has created grooves in the adhesive.

3. Apply adhesive to the floor

With your floor prepared and layout planned, you can start laying the tiles on the floor.

Use a notched trowel to spread adhesive onto around 1m² of the floor. As you spread the adhesive, hold the notched trowel at a 45 degree angle to create consistent ridges in the surface. This will help spread the adhesive evenly and prevent air pockets from forming.

Do I need to apply adhesive to tiles as well as the floor?

Applying a thin layer of adhesive to the back of tiles as well as the floor is recommended if you’re laying larger tiles, natural stone tiles, or if you’re laying tiles on an uneven surface. This process is also known as back-buttering tiles.

Back-buttering can help ensure that tiles are fully adhered to the floor, but it isn’t necessary in many cases.

Person using two hands to carefully lower a floor tile onto a bed of tile adhesive.

4. Lay tiles on the adhesive

Place a tile firmly onto the adhesive, using a twisting motion to ensure the tile is fully bedded into the adhesive. Once you’re happy with the position of the tile, use a spirit level to check its level. You may need to push the tile further into the adhesive or add more adhesive to the bottom of the tile to get it level.

Once the tile is in position, add tile spacers around the edges. Make sure these are pressed below the surface, so they won’t be visible when you grout later. For extra help keeping large tiles flat and level, you can also use tile levelling clips – they make it easier to achieve a professional-looking finish across the whole floor.

Once you’ve laid the first tile, you can continue laying tiles across the room. You won’t be able to walk on your tiles once they’ve been laid, so work in a direction that allows you to finish at a door.

Person holding the handle of a manual tile cutter which has scored a line across a tile.

5. Cut tiles

To fill any gaps between the last whole tile and the wall, you’ll need to measure and cut some tiles.

To work out how much of the tile you need to cut, place a tile on top of the last whole tile you laid next to the wall. Next, place another tile on top and slide it up against the wall, with a tile spacer placed between the wall and the tile. You can now mark a line where the edge of the top tile overlaps the tile underneath, which will show you where to cut the tile.

You can cut tiles with an electric or manual tile cutter, angle grinder, tile scribe, or tile nippers. Take a look at our tile cutting guide for more information.

  • 6. Grout the tiles

    Once the tile adhesive has set, you'll need to grout the tiles.

    Grouting involves working grout into the joints between the tiles, cleaning off any excess, and then finishing the joints with a grout finishing tool. For more help, take a look at our How to grout tiles guide.

  • How to grout tiles

    Learn how you can complete your newly tiled wall with our guide to grouting tiles.

FAQs

Can I tile straight onto floorboards?

Floorboards will move and flex over time. If you tile straight onto floorboards, your tiles will move with the floorboards, which will lead to cracks in the grout and other issues. Instead of tiling straight onto floorboards, you’ll need to lay plywood or tile backer board over the top.

Where should you start when tiling a floor?

When tiling a floor, start tiling in the centre of the room. If you tile from the centre of the room, you can work outwards evenly, which will give your room a more symmetrical look. Tiling from the centre also helps to ensure all the tiles at the edge of the room are a similar size.

How long do you need to wait to walk on a newly tiled floor?

You should wait at least 24 hours before walking on your newly tiled floor. However, the amount of time you need to wait will depend on the type of adhesive you’re using, so always check the instructions on your packaging.

Do I need to remove skirting boards before tiling a floor?

If you want to achieve the best finish, removing skirting boards before tiling is recommended. However, if you don’t want to remove your skirting boards, you can tile up to the edge of them, then use tile trim or sealant to close the gap.

How much space should be left between tiles?

Typically, a gap of 3mm-5mm is left between floor tiles, with 3mm suitable for smaller tiles and 5mm recommended for larger tiles or when tiling a large area. This gap allows room for slight movement and expansion in the floor without the grout cracking.

Related Floor & wall tiles articles

  • How to cut wall tiles

    Unless you're tiling a small area like a splashback which you can restrict to whole tiles only, you'll need to cut your tiles to fit.

  • How to grout tiles

    Learn how you can complete your newly tiled wall with our guide to grouting tiles.

  • How to remove tiles

    Discover how you can quickly and safely remove your wall tiles ready for your renovation project.

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