Domakihub How to Tile a Kitchen Floor: A Step-by-Step Guide
Plan your layout, set tiles correctly, and grout for a finish that lasts decades.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 6 min read
A new kitchen floor tile job transforms the look and hygiene of any space — from a family home in Athens to a holiday rental in Crete or a boutique hotel on the islands. The video above walks through the full process visually; this guide breaks it into clear stages so you know exactly what to prepare, what to buy, and when to call a professional tiler. Done correctly, a porcelain or ceramic kitchen floor will outlast almost every other surface in the room.
What Kind of Job Is This?
Tiling a kitchen floor is a skilled DIY or tradesperson task. It does not require a building permit in Greece for a straight like-for-like floor replacement inside an existing kitchen. However, if the renovation involves moving or adding drains, altering a screed over underfloor heating, or addressing rising damp through a ground-floor slab, you should involve a licensed builder (politis michanikos or ergolabos) and potentially seek a small-works permit. Always check with your local municipality if you are unsure.
For a straightforward retile — removing old tiles, repairing the substrate, and laying new ones — a competent tiler or an experienced DIYer with the right tools can complete a typical kitchen floor in one to two days, plus grouting and curing time.
Choosing the Right Tile for a Kitchen Floor
Kitchen floors need a tile rated R10 or higher for slip resistance (the R-rating indicates anti-slip grip under wet conditions) and a PEI wear rating of at least 4, since kitchen floors take heavy daily foot traffic. Porcelain is the preferred material: it is denser than ceramic, absorbs almost no moisture, and handles dropped pots without cracking as easily. Large-format tiles (60x60 cm or 60x120 cm) are popular in modern Greek kitchens because they create fewer grout lines that trap grease and debris.
Tile thickness matters for matching door thresholds. Standard floor tiles are 8–10 mm thick; add the adhesive bed (roughly 5–10 mm with a notched trowel) and you are adding 13–20 mm to the finished floor height. Check this against adjacent rooms, appliance kickboards, and existing door clearances before you buy.
How to Tile a Kitchen Floor: The 5 Key Steps
- 1
Prepare and Level the Substrate
Remove all old flooring and assess the concrete or screed beneath. The surface must be structurally sound, clean, and level to within 3 mm over 2 metres — use a long spirit level or laser level to check. Fill dips and hollow spots with floor-levelling compound (self-levelling screed), following the manufacturer's mixing and pour instructions. Allow it to cure fully — typically 24 hours per 3 mm depth — before tiling. Any cracks wider than a hairline suggest a substrate issue that a structural engineer or licensed builder should assess before you proceed. Apply a diluted primer (bonding agent) once the substrate is dry to improve adhesive grip.
- 2
Plan Your Layout
Never start tiling from a wall. Kitchen walls are rarely perfectly straight or square, so starting from a corner will make your tile rows visibly skewed by the time you reach the opposite side. Find the centre of the room by snapping chalk lines between the midpoints of opposite walls; the intersection is your starting point. Dry-lay a row of tiles along each chalk line to see where cuts will fall at the edges. Aim for cut tiles at the edges to be at least half a tile wide — if they would be narrower, shift your starting point by half a tile. Mark your final layout lines with chalk or a pencil and a straightedge.
- 3
Mix Adhesive and Bed the Tiles
Use a flexible, polymer-modified floor tile adhesive rated for the tile size and substrate you have. For large-format porcelain (any tile where either edge exceeds 30 cm), use a large-format adhesive with back-buttering: spread adhesive on the substrate with a notched trowel (10 mm square notch for most floor tiles) AND apply a thin additional coat directly to the back of each tile with a flat trowel before laying. This eliminates hollow spots beneath the tile that cause cracking under load. Press each tile firmly into place with a slight twisting motion and tap with a rubber mallet. Use tile spacers (2–3 mm for kitchen floors) to keep joints consistent. Check level across multiple tiles frequently — tap down any high corners immediately before the adhesive skins over.
- 4
Cut Edge and Obstacle Tiles
Once the main field tiles are set and the adhesive has hardened (usually overnight), measure and cut the edge tiles. A wet-cut tile saw (available to hire from tool shops) gives clean, straight cuts through porcelain; angle grinders with diamond discs work for curves around pipes or obstacles but require care and eye protection. Mark cuts with a pencil or felt-tip on the tile face. For holes around pipes, use a tile drill bit of the correct diameter. Always wear safety glasses and a dust mask when cutting tiles — porcelain dust is fine and harmful to breathe.
- 5
Grout, Seal, and Cure
Wait at least 24 hours after laying the last tile before grouting — longer in humid conditions or if the adhesive instructions specify it. Mix floor grout to a smooth, paste consistency and work it into the joints with a rubber float held at 45 degrees, pressing firmly to eliminate voids. Clean excess grout off the tile faces with a damp sponge in a circular motion before it hardens — work in small sections. Once the grout has fully cured (typically 48–72 hours; check the product datasheet), apply a grout sealer to kitchen floors to resist grease and staining. Keep foot traffic off the floor for at least 24 hours after grouting and avoid wet mopping for 72 hours. Silicone sealant (not grout) should be used at the joint where the floor meets the wall or kickboard, as this junction will move slightly with thermal expansion.
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FAQ
- Do I need to remove old tiles before laying new ones on top?
- In most cases, yes. Laying new tiles directly over existing tiles adds significant height to the floor (often 20–30 mm total), which can cause problems with door clearances, appliance plinths, and adjacent room transitions. More importantly, if the existing tiles have hollow spots or loose sections, the new layer will eventually crack over those weak points. The professional approach is to remove the old tiles fully, repair the substrate, and start fresh. If the old tiles are perfectly bonded, dead flat, and the height gain is manageable, a licensed tiler may approve tiling over them — but this needs case-by-case assessment.
- How much tile should I order, and what does waste allowance mean?
- Always add 10–15% to the area you measure when ordering tiles. This accounts for off-cuts on borders (especially in rooms with bay windows, islands, or irregular shapes), breakages during cutting, and the need to keep matching tiles for future repairs. In Greece, tile batches are produced in lots (partides); tiles from different lots can have slight colour or size variation even under the same product code. Buy everything you need from the same batch. Check the batch number printed on the box before purchasing.
- Can I tile a kitchen floor myself, or should I hire a professional?
- A straightforward kitchen retile on a level, sound concrete floor is achievable for a patient DIYer who is willing to rent the right tools and take their time with layout. The most common amateur mistakes are inadequate substrate preparation, poor layout planning resulting in thin slivers of tile at the edges, and rushing the adhesive cure time. If the substrate is uneven, if the kitchen has underfloor heating, if there is any sign of damp rising through the slab, or if you are tiling large-format porcelain over a span greater than about 15 square metres, hiring an experienced tiler is strongly recommended. A professional tiler will also carry liability if tiles crack or de-bond — a protection you do not have with a DIY job.