Materials Needed for Tiling: A Complete Tile Installation Checklist

Meta description: Learn which materials are needed for tiling floors, walls, showers, and backsplashes, including tile, mortar, grout, underlayment, and tools.

A successful tile installation starts with choosing the right materials for the surface, location, and tile type. A bathroom floor, a kitchen backsplash, and a shower each have different moisture and performance requirements, so one shopping list will not fit every project. This guide explains the core materials needed for tiling, how to select them, and what to check before buying. It covers tile, setting materials, substrate preparation, waterproofing, grout, finishing pieces, and basic tools for common U.S. residential projects.

Start With the Project and Surface

Before buying tile, identify the installation area and the surface beneath it. Materials vary depending on whether tile will go on a floor, wall, countertop, backsplash, or wet-area surface. The substrate may be concrete, plywood, drywall, cement board, or an existing tile surface, and each has different preparation requirements.

Check the tile manufacturer’s installation instructions and applicable local building codes. For industry guidance, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) publishes the TCNA Handbook, while ANSI A108 standards cover tile installation methods and materials. Requirements can differ by installation method, building type, and location, particularly in showers and other wet areas.

Measure the area and calculate its square footage. For a rectangular area, multiply length by width; for an irregular space, divide it into smaller shapes and total their areas. Buy extra tile for cuts, breakage, and future repairs. A common planning allowance is about 10% extra for a straightforward layout; complex patterns, diagonal layouts, and many small cuts may call for more. Confirm the needed allowance with the tile supplier.

Essential Materials Needed for Tiling

Tile

Tile is the visible finish and the first major purchase. Common options include ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, and quarry tile. Ceramic is widely used on walls and floors, while porcelain is denser and generally absorbs less water. Natural stone, such as marble or slate, can require sealing and specialized setting products. Glass tile often needs a compatible mortar and careful installation to prevent visible discoloration.

Choose tile based on the application, not appearance alone. For floors, check the product’s suitability for floor use, expected traffic, and slip resistance. For showers, verify that the tile is approved for the intended location; small mosaic tiles are often used on sloped shower floors because their many grout joints can help provide traction, but the product still must be suitable for wet floors. Large, heavy tiles may need a mortar labeled for large and heavy tile.

Inspect tile cartons for consistent color, size, and lot or shade numbers. Keep the labels and a few spare tiles after installation. Natural materials and production batches can vary in shade, so mixing tiles from several cartons during installation can help distribute variation more evenly.

Tile Underlayment or Backer Board

Tile needs a stable, properly prepared base. On many wood-framed floors, installers use an approved tile underlayment, such as cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane, over a structurally suitable subfloor. Backer board is not a substitute for a sound floor structure, and it does not automatically waterproof an installation. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for fastening, seams, and approved substrates.

Concrete may be suitable for direct tile installation if it is clean, sound, and prepared according to the mortar and tile system requirements. Cracks, movement joints, contaminants, or moisture issues may require specific treatment. Existing vinyl, painted surfaces, or old tile should not be covered without confirming that the proposed system allows it and that the existing surface is firmly bonded and structurally appropriate.

Walls in dry areas may use an approved substrate for the tile and setting material. Shower walls require a complete water-management assembly designed for wet areas. Depending on the system, this may involve a waterproof membrane over an approved backer or a waterproof backer product with sealed seams and penetrations.

Thinset Mortar or Other Setting Material

Thinset mortar bonds tile to the substrate. Choose a product compatible with the tile, substrate, location, and installation system. Standard cement-based mortar may suit many ceramic tile projects, while porcelain, glass, large-format tile, natural stone, or certain membranes may call for a specific modified or unmodified mortar. The membrane or tile manufacturer may restrict which mortar can be used.

Premixed products are not automatically interchangeable with cement-based thinset. Some are organic adhesives, often called mastic, and may be appropriate only for certain interior wall applications. They are generally not suitable for many floors, shower floors, or wet-area installations. Read the product label and technical data sheet rather than relying on the word “tile adhesive” alone.

Mortar is mixed with water or a specified liquid additive, then allowed to slake when the instructions require it. Mix only what can be used within the product’s working time. Do not add water to mortar that has begun to harden, and do not spread more mortar than can be covered before it skins over.

Grout

Grout fills the joints between tiles. Cementitious grout is common and may be sanded or unsanded, while high-performance cement grouts and epoxy grouts offer different application and maintenance characteristics. The correct choice depends on joint width, tile surface, exposure, and manufacturer instructions. Sanded grout can scratch some polished or delicate tiles, so verify compatibility before use.

Grout is not a substitute for waterproofing. Nor should it fill every change of plane or movement joint. Corners, wall-to-floor transitions, and changes in material often require a compatible flexible sealant, such as silicone, rather than rigid grout. Follow the tile system instructions for joint placement and sealant type.

Waterproofing and Crack-Isolation Products

Wet areas need an appropriate water-management system. Options include sheet membranes, liquid-applied membranes, and waterproof backer products. These systems are not necessarily interchangeable, and they must be installed with compatible primers, seam treatments, corners, drains, and sealants as specified by their manufacturers. A membrane is only as reliable as its seams and transitions.

Crack-isolation or uncoupling products may be appropriate where a substrate has certain cracks or where the installation design calls for separation between tile and the surface below. They do not correct structural movement or replace movement joints. Use them only for conditions covered by the product’s instructions and applicable standards.

Spacers, Leveling Clips, and Edge Profiles

Tile spacers help create consistent grout joints. Their size should reflect the tile’s dimensions, edge type, and layout. Rectified tile may allow narrower joints than some pressed-edge products, but the required joint width depends on the tile manufacturer and installation conditions. Very narrow joints can make variations in tile size or alignment more visible.

Leveling clips and wedges can help align the edges of large-format tile, but they do not replace proper substrate preparation or careful setting. Edge profiles or bullnose pieces finish exposed tile edges at niches, countertops, outside corners, and doorways. Select a profile that matches the tile thickness and intended finish.

Materials by Installation Area

Preparation and Finishing Supplies

Surface preparation products may include patching compound, primer, seam tape, fasteners, or a leveling product, depending on the substrate and system. Do not apply a generic primer or patch over a surface unless it is approved for the materials being used. Dust, grease, curing compounds, and loose material can interfere with bonding and may need to be removed using a method allowed by the product manufacturer.

After grout cures as directed, some cementitious grout and natural stone may benefit from a compatible sealer. Sealer requirements vary: epoxy grout and some other products may not need sealing, while certain porous stones may require sealing before grouting to help prevent staining. A sealer does not make an unsuitable tile installation waterproof. Always test a sealer on a spare piece when possible.

Other useful supplies include clean water, mixing buckets, sponges, microfiber cloths, and protective coverings. Use products intended for tile and stone; harsh cleaners or acidic products can damage some grout, stone, metal trim, and other finishes.

Basic Tiling Tools to Have on Hand

Although tools are not building materials, they are essential to using those materials correctly. A basic installation may require:

• Measuring and layout: tape measure, pencil, chalk line, square, level, and a straightedge.
• Mixing: clean buckets and a drill with a mixing paddle rated for the product.
• Applying mortar: notched trowel with a notch suited to the tile and substrate.
• Cutting: manual tile cutter, wet saw, or tile nippers, selected for the tile material and cut type.
• Setting and grouting: rubber grout float, spacers, margin trowel, and sponges.
• Safety: eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, and a suitable respirator when cutting or handling materials that create hazardous dust.

Dry-cutting tile can generate respirable crystalline silica, a serious health hazard. OSHA requires employers to protect workers from silica exposure in covered workplaces. For home projects, wet cutting or a suitable dust-control method can reduce exposure; follow tool instructions and avoid breathing cutting dust. Keep electrical tools and cords protected when using water.

How to Estimate Quantities and Avoid Waste

Start with measured square footage, then account for cuts and pattern. Tile cartons list their coverage, so divide the total project area by the coverage per carton and round up to whole cartons. Add an allowance for waste and retain extra tile for repairs. If a pattern includes diagonal placement, borders, niches, or many corners, make a layout plan before ordering.

Mortar and grout coverage depends on tile size, trowel notch, joint width, substrate flatness, and application technique. Use the coverage chart on the product packaging as an estimate, not a guarantee. Large or uneven tiles may use more mortar, and deep or wide joints may require more grout. Buying materials from the same product line can help ensure compatibility, but compatibility must still be verified in technical documentation.

For a small project, one extra bag of mortar or grout may be more than necessary; for a large installation, a shortfall can create delays or color differences between batches. Calculate quantities from the actual layout and product coverage, and ask the supplier to confirm the estimate when the project has unusual tile or substrate conditions.

Common Material-Buying Mistakes

• Using the wrong mortar: A product suitable for a small ceramic backsplash may not work for porcelain floors, glass tile, or a shower system.
• Assuming cement board is waterproof: Many backer boards need a separately specified waterproofing method in wet areas.
• Skipping substrate checks: Tile and grout can crack if the surface is weak, unstable, or inadequately flat.
• Choosing grout by color alone: Joint width, tile finish, cleaning needs, and exposure matter too.
• Ignoring movement joints: Rigid grout at every corner or perimeter can contribute to cracking or separation.
• Ordering too little tile: Replacement tile may not match the original batch or finish.

Questions to Ask Before Purchasing

Before checking out, confirm that each product is suitable for the project and compatible with the other materials. Useful questions include:

• Is this tile rated for the intended floor, wall, shower, or exterior location?
• Which mortar does the tile and membrane manufacturer specify?
• Does the substrate need an underlayment, primer, crack-isolation layer, or waterproofing?
• What grout type and joint width are recommended?
• Which corners and transitions need flexible sealant or movement joints?
• How much extra tile should be ordered for this layout, and can unopened cartons be returned?

For a typical tile installation, the core materials are tile, a suitable substrate or underlayment, compatible mortar, grout, and any required edge or movement-joint products. Wet areas also need a correctly specified waterproofing system. Matching every material to the tile, location, and substrate—and following the manufacturers’ installation instructions—helps create a durable finish and reduces the risk of costly repairs.