Domakihub How to Tile a Floor: Get a Durable, Professional Finish
Plan your layout, set the tiles right, and grout for a result that lasts decades.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Tiling a floor is one of the highest-value upgrades you can make to a home, rental apartment, or hotel room in Greece — porcelain and ceramic tiles handle the heat, the sand tracked in from the beach, and decades of foot traffic without complaint. The video above walks through the full process from prep to grouting; the steps below translate it into an ordered workflow you can follow room by room. Whether you are refreshing a kitchen in Athens or renovating a Cycladic holiday villa, the fundamentals are the same.
Why the subfloor is the most important decision you will make
Tiles are only as good as what sits beneath them. A subfloor that flexes, even a millimeter, will crack grout joints within a season — and in Greece's summer heat, thermal expansion makes that even more punishing. Concrete slabs (the norm in Greek construction) are generally ideal, but they must be level to within 3 mm across a 2-metre span and free of dust, oil, and old adhesive residue.
If you are working over a timber subfloor — common in older island properties — you need to add a cement backer board or uncoupling membrane before any tile goes down. Skipping this step is the single most common cause of tile failure in renovation projects.
Choosing the right tile and adhesive for Greek conditions
For floors exposed to outdoor air, direct sun, or moisture — terraces, bathrooms, pool surrounds — always specify a porcelain tile with a water absorption rate below 0.5 %. Ceramic is fine for dry interior floors but can absorb moisture and crack if used outside. In tourist rental properties, a large-format tile (60×60 cm or 60×120 cm) reads well in photos and is easier to keep clean between guest stays.
Match your adhesive to the tile weight and the substrate. Large-format porcelain on concrete needs a flexible polymer-modified adhesive (C2S1 or C2S2 classification in EN 12004). In summer Greece you will be working in heat above 30 °C, so mix small batches and never let adhesive skin over before you bed the tile — 15 minutes open time disappears fast in direct sun.
How to tile a floor: the 5 key stages
- 1
Prepare and level the subfloor
Sweep, vacuum, and damp-wipe the slab to remove every trace of dust and efflorescence. Fill dips deeper than 3 mm with a self-levelling compound and let it cure fully — at least 24 hours in summer heat. Check for level with a long straight-edge or laser level across the whole room before you open a single bag of adhesive.
- 2
Plan your layout and find the centre
Dry-lay a row of tiles from the centre of the room toward each wall to see where cuts will fall. Aim for cut tiles at the edges to be at least half a tile wide — anything narrower looks amateurish and is fragile at the edges. Snap chalk lines through the centre of the room along both axes; these are your reference lines for the first tile and every row that follows.
- 3
Spread adhesive and bed the tiles
Mix adhesive to a smooth, peanut-butter consistency and spread it with a notched trowel (10 mm notch for most floor tiles). Work in sections of about 1 square metre. Apply a thin "back-butter" coat to the back of large-format tiles as well — this eliminates air pockets and gives full contact coverage. Press each tile firmly with a slight twisting motion, check it with a spirit level, and tap with a rubber mallet to bring it flush with its neighbours. Use plastic spacers to keep grout joints consistent.
- 4
Cut border and obstacle tiles
Measure each cut tile individually — walls are never perfectly straight. Score-and-snap cutters work for straight cuts on standard ceramic; for porcelain or curves around pipes and door frames, use an angle grinder with a diamond blade or a wet tile saw. Always wear eye protection and a dust mask; porcelain dust is hazardous. Cut tiles slightly short rather than tight to the wall — the baseboard or silicone bead will cover the gap.
- 5
Grout, seal, and finish
Let the adhesive cure for at least 24 hours (48 in cool weather) before grouting. Remove all spacers, then mix grout to a smooth paste and work it into the joints with a rubber float held at 45 degrees, packing joints fully. Wipe off excess with a damp sponge in circular motions before it hazes, then polish with a dry cloth. Once grout has cured (72 hours), apply a penetrating grout sealer to protect against staining. Seal the perimeter joint between floor and wall with flexible silicone rather than grout, so movement does not crack the finish.
Rather have a pro handle it?
Get a vetted renovation pro in your city — one number, booked in EN/EL/DE.
FAQ
- How long before I can walk on a newly tiled floor?
- With a standard cement-based adhesive, wait at least 24 hours before light foot traffic and 48–72 hours before moving furniture back. In hot Greek summers the adhesive sets faster, but do not be tempted to rush — the tile needs full bond strength before it takes weight.
- What grout joint width should I use for floor tiles?
- For rectified (precisely cut) porcelain, joints as narrow as 2 mm work and look sharp. For unglazed or hand-made terracotta tiles — popular in island renovations — use 5–10 mm joints to accommodate size variation. Wider joints are also more forgiving on slightly uneven subfloors.
- Can I tile directly over old existing tiles?
- Yes, if the existing tiles are fully adhered (tap each one — hollow spots mean it must come up), the surface is level, and your ceiling height allows for the extra build-up (roughly 10–15 mm). Use a tile bonding primer before laying new adhesive. Tiling over loose or cracked existing tiles will always fail.