Tile guides
Practical, step-by-step guides for every stage of a tile job — measuring, layout, waterproofing, cutting, grouting and sealing — each paired with the calculator that does the math.
6 min read
How to Measure a Room for Tile (Step by Step)
Measure any room for floor or wall tile: handle closets and alcoves, convert inches to decimals, subtract fixtures, and add the right waste percentage.
Read the guide →5 min read
Choosing the Right Tile Size for Your Room
How tile size changes a room: when 12×24 beats 4×4, why small rooms can take large tile, grout line math, and the flatness rule for big formats.
Read the guide →5 min read
Sanded vs Unsanded vs Epoxy Grout: Which One Do You Need?
Grout types explained by joint width and location: when sand scratches tile, why epoxy wins in showers, and how much of each type a bag actually covers.
Read the guide →6 min read
Modified vs Unmodified Thinset: The 30-Second Answer (and the Long One)
Which mortar for porcelain, which for Kerdi and Ditra, what ANSI A118.4 and A118.1 ratings mean, and why the bag price difference is worth it.
Read the guide →7 min read
Waterproofing a Tiled Shower: The Layer Cake That Keeps Water Out
Why tile and grout are not waterproof, how sheet and liquid membranes work, where corners and niches fail, and the flood test you shouldn't skip.
Read the guide →5 min read
Avoiding Lippage on Large-Format Tile
What causes one tile edge to sit higher than the next, the 1/8-in-in-10-ft flatness rule, why 50% offsets are banned on plank tile, and how leveling clips help.
Read the guide →7 min read
How to Tile a Kitchen Backsplash (Beginner-Friendly)
The full backsplash workflow: find your starting line, deal with outlets and the under-cabinet gap, choose mastic vs thinset, and grout without scratching.
Read the guide →6 min read
How to Tile a Shower Floor: Slope, Mosaic and Drain Details
Why shower pans need small tile, how to follow the 1/4-in-per-foot slope, cutting around the drain, and sealing the pan before the first tile sticks.
Read the guide →6 min read
How to Cut Tile: Snap Cutter, Wet Saw, Grinder and Nippers
Match the cut to the tool: straight rips on a snap cutter, L-cuts and notches on a wet saw, curves with nippers, and when a $10 scoring wheel is all you need.
Read the guide →5 min read
How to Grout Tile: Timing, Technique and the Two-Sponge Method
From mixing to the final haze buff: when to start wiping, how to avoid pulling joints low, cleaning epoxy haze, and when grout is actually cured.
Read the guide →5 min read
How to Seal Grout and Tile (and What Never Needs Sealing)
Penetrating vs topical sealers, the water-drop test to know if you need it, sealing porcelain (no), sealing natural stone (yes), and the re-seal calendar.
Read the guide →5 min read
Can You Tile Over Existing Tile? When It Works and When It Fails
The bond test that decides it, height and door-clearance math, prepping glossy tile for mortar, and the situations where removal is the only honest answer.
Read the guide →6 min read
How to Remove Tile: Demo Day Without Destroying the Subfloor
Hammer-and-chisel vs rotary hammer, protecting the subfloor, dealing with mastic vs mortar beds, dust control, and when a demo crew is worth the money.
Read the guide →6 min read
Heated Tile Floors: How Radiant Heat Under Tile Actually Works
Mat vs cable systems, the square footage you actually heat (not the whole room), wiring and thermostat basics, running costs, and thinset rules over mats.
Read the guide →6 min read
Leveling a Floor for Tile: Flat vs Level, and How to Fix Both
Why tile needs flat (not level), the straightedge test, self-leveling compound basics, primers, and depth math that decides your bag count.
Read the guide →5 min read
Tile Trim and Edging: Schluter, Bullnose, Pencil and Miter
Every way to finish a tile edge — metal L-profiles, bullnose, mitered corners, and transitions — with the order of operations that makes them look pro.
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· Reviewed by the Smart Tile Calculator editorial team