Moroccan Tiles - Do it Yourself: Install Moroccan Tiles in One Weekend

So you may have had your eye on Moroccan tile for some time now, but don’t know how to install it. Your troubles are over. Installing Moroccan tile in the home is much easier than you might imagine and can be done in one weekend.

The first thing you need to do is decide what design of Moroccan ceramic tile you want. That is going to be the hardest part. Then determine how much you will need by measuring the length and width of the floor to get your square footage. I recommend getting extra tiles, because you never know what could go wrong.

Now make sure that the floor you are working on is a flat surface. Anything excess such as paint, grease, and glue need to be removed. High spots can easily be flattened with a hammer and chisel. For some surfaces it is necessary to apply a sub-floor. Any local hardware store will help you decide that. You also want to be sure to remove and molding or baseboards that will get in the way.

The trickiest part of laying tile is that the space your working in is most likely not a perfect square. Getting the tile pattern just right may take some time and some tile cutting. Here is a really simple method to lining up the tiles easily.

Snap two chalk lines going down the center of the room, one horizontally and one vertically so that they meet in the center. Place tile along each line, leaving space between them for grout. Make sure the spaces are even, giving an equal appearance. You may need to move them around to get as many full tiles in as possible.

Now it is time to set the tiles. For most ceramic tiles, you will need to purchase thin set, which looks like cement and is sold in bags. Most stores will take back opened bags of thin set so don’t be afraid to overbuy. Mix the thin set with water in a five-gallon bucket until it has a thick, pasty consistency.

Once you have mixed the thin set, trowel it over the area where the tile will be set. Only trowel an area that you can safely reach on your knees. Use a notched trowel and run it so that it leaves rows that run in a straight line.

Take a ceramic tile and place it into the thin set using a slight downward pressure. Once in place take a rubber mallet and lightly tap it to assure good coverage. If any thin set comes up around the tile, quickly remove it before it dries. Do your full tiles first, then move onto the cut tiles. Let this sit overnight, and relax, because tomorrow you’ll be grouting.

To mix your grout, add the powder to a small bucket first and then add water. Stir it until it is a yogurt-like consistency and let it sit for 10 minutes. When you come back, if its no longer soupy, add more water and try it again.

Once the grout is ready, using a grout float, take a glob of grout and spread it over the grout lines. Make sure to work it in really well. To remove excess grout, run the grout float flat across the lines at a 45-degree angle, then run a damp sponge over the line. Be sure to work in small sections.

Once the grouting job is done, you should run a sponge over all the lines. The trick to removing grout is to wash the sponge frequently and use very little water. Too much water will wash out the grout you need.

Let everything set and dry before replacing you furniture in the room. After only one weekend you have a beautiful new room with beautiful Moroccan tiles. To keep the Moroccan style throughout the room, add Moroccan furniture or other Moroccan artwork.

Adeal Benhayoun is the owner of Star of Morocco, which specializes in Moroccan tiles and Moroccan bedding.