A newly tiled floor in a fresh room of the house is enough to make me do jazz hands. We’re absolutely in love with this laundry room floor, so here’s a clear, practical rundown of our laundry room tile installation—from subfloor prep to grouting and sealing.
Before any tile went down, we prepped the subfloor with cement board, the preferred substrate for tile. Cement board comes in large sheets, and in this room I fit two full pieces plus a few strips. I cut the boards by scoring with a utility knife and snapping along the score line—simple and effective.
After dry-fitting the cement board pieces, I adhered them to the wood subfloor with thinset. A thinset layer prevents shifting and reduces flex between boards and the wood beneath. I mixed the thinset according to the bag directions using a drill with a mixing paddle. For spreading I used a 1/4″ notched trowel: first coat the surface with the flat side, then rake grooves with the notched edge, much like you would when laying tile.
With the cement board pressed into the thinset, I secured the edges with cement board screws every 6–10 inches, and added screws in the field about every 12–16 inches for long-term stability. Instead of fully mudding seams and screw holes right away, I applied mesh tape to the seams and planned to feather thinset over them during the tile setting. That approach helped avoid raised ridges at seams or screw heads.
We began dry-fitting tiles to plan our brick-pattern layout. Initially centered, the pattern left thin slivers on each side, so we shifted the layout slightly left to allow a full tile on the left edge and a larger cut on the right. That adjustment also aligned nicely with the washer and dryer placement, where a cabinet and the door would hide smaller edge cuts.
Cutting tiles became easy after we bought a full-size wet saw. The difference from a small tabletop saw was dramatic: a proper stand, a large water tray, a laser guide, and a sliding tray for precise, straight cuts made the process much faster and cleaner. The wet saw rapidly sped up the project and improved cut quality.
Before permanently setting tiles, we went through our tile boxes to pick the best-looking pieces for prominent spots. Because these tiles have attractive veining and movement, we sorted favorites for the center of the room, regular tiles for less visible areas, and reserve pieces for underneath appliances where they would be hidden.
My essential tile-laying supplies (not including the wet saw) were:
- Bucket for mixing thinset and grout
- Drill with mixer paddle
- Margin trowel for handling thinset
- 1/4″ notched trowel for spreading thinset
- Square and pencil for marking cuts
- 1/16″ spacers to maintain consistent grout joints
I purposely mixed the thinset a bit looser this time—too-thick thinset is a common habit of mine—aiming for a pancake-batter consistency so tiles would bed evenly. I worked two rows at a time, cutting pieces as needed and using a long level to ensure a flat, even surface.
Once I began placing tile, the installation moved quickly; it took under two hours to set all the tiles in place. I left the layout untouched for about a day and a half before removing spacers and preparing for grout.
One feature I’m particularly proud of is the transition between the tile and the adjacent hardwood: we aimed for a flush, transition-free doorway. That required extending the hardwood subfloor slightly into the doorway so the finished heights matched exactly. With careful planning and attention to subfloor height, the tile and wood ended level and seamless.
After letting the thinset cure for 48 hours, we mixed non-sanded grout (appropriate for joints under 1/8″) in small batches and applied it with a rubber float. Grouting large-format tiles is efficient because the joints are quick to fill. I wiped off excess grout with a barely damp sponge to avoid over-wetting the joints and waited for the grout to set slightly before buffing haze with a dry microfiber cloth. That produced a much cleaner finish than repeated wet wiping.
We allowed the grout to cure for three days, then used a grout haze remover sparingly to clear any remaining film. After rinsing and letting the floor dry for about 12 hours, we applied a penetrating sealer to both tile and grout to help protect against stains. The sealer application was straightforward: wipe on with a sponge, let it soak briefly, and remove excess.
Here’s the project cost summary:
- Cement board & screws: $48
- Blast Anthracite 12 x 24″ tiles: $353
- Thinset: $29
- Grout (Dolorean Gray): $13
- Buckets, sponges, trowels, spacers, float: $8 (we already owned most tools; estimate $25–$35 if buying new)
- Haze remover: $0 (leftover; typical cost ~$9)
- Penetrating sealer: $0 (leftover; typical cost ~$13)
- Total: $451
That comes to roughly $350 for tile and $100 for supplies. I excluded the new wet saw cost since it’s an investment beyond this single project, though upgrading from a cheap saw significantly improved our workflow and results.
With the floor finished, we can start installing cabinets and bring the washer and dryer back into the space. We plan to hang the upper cabinets first to avoid risking damage to appliances. Once the cabinets and appliances are in place, we’ll finally be back to doing laundry at home—an exciting payoff after this tile project.