Tiling 101!

First off, these are not professional instructions, just my interpretation of Paul’s great instructions. So sorry if I don’t get all the terms correct and what not!

For tiling a table top the first thing I had to consider is how to frame the tiles.  I used pine door stops which you can find in 7’ lengths at your local hardware store for around $4.99 a piece. Of course you can use whatever you want, any type of trim will do, get fancy with it! Use a miter saw to cut the trim at 45 degree angles, or whatever your measurements are. NOTE: the size inside your frame depends on your tile size and the size you want your grout to be, on average its around 1/8 of an inch.

Once that is glued and nailed into place using fine cabinet making nails, prime and paint them to match the table top.

To begin tiling, apply a layer of Thin Set to the top, working in smaller sections and making sure the thin set is even on the surface. Place the tiles, making sure they are equally spaced and flat.

Once all the tiles are in place and are even and flat, wait 24 hours for the thin set to dry!

I found grouting to be much less stressful then putting them in place. After mixing the grout as per the bag instructions, use a sponge float to work the grout over the tiles, pulling it in all directions over the surface. Paul showed me how to form an "S" shape which works well.
Once the grout is worked in, start removing the excess grout on top of the tiles by using a tiling sponge. This may take a lot of rinsing the sponge until the surface is clean.

If you are really unsure about tiling, and need a visual aid (like me), there are many videos on YouTube that go over this : )