When you tile a floor, the first issue you need to consider is what kind of subflooring to use. In some cases, you can lay your tile over an existing wood floor or over a plywood subfloor, but if it's in a bathroom or any other area where moisture will occur, you should use fiber cement board. It comes in wide, flat sheets, like drywall, but is much harder and waterproof. You can install it directly over a wood floor or subfloor.
Instructions
1. Lay a piece of fiber cement board on the floor, in one corner of the room. Trace the perimeter of the board onto the floor. Take up the board.
2. Use your notched trowel to spread thinset mortar over the whole area within the traced area.
3. Lay the fiber cement board back down. Press it firmly into place. Drive in galvanized screws every half-foot or so across the whole surface.
4. Lay the next board off the end of the first one in the same manner, tracing around it, laying down mortar, and pressing the board into the mortar.
5. Repeat and continue, laying the boards end-to-end. Cut the last board at the end of each course with a jigsaw, as needed to fit against the side walls. Start each course at the opposite end of the floor so the ends of the boards don't line up between courses.
6. Let the mortar set for a day. Lay mesh drywall tape over the seams between the cement boards. Lay mortar over the tape, using a drywall knife to flatten and smooth. Let the mortar set for another full day. The floor is now ready for tiling.
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