DIY

ORC Spring 2021 :: Week 3

Welcome! I am so glad that you are here for our patio project. We are fixing our concrete porch by tiling over it. Please subscribe to the blog for all of the latest news!

Click here for Week 1 for the backstory and the design plan!

The tiling has officially started! We have 60 of the 112 tiles laid. We are working after work and in the rain to get this going! If you are not following us yet on Instagram, head over to see all the behind-the-scenes. I have a highlight saved called O R C.

This week I’d like to show you what has laying large format tile over concrete really been like! We have already learned lessons and how to do it “better than the day before.” We are definitely not professionals, LOL, so please let this be a place you come for ideas and inspiration and then head to YouTube for a how-to.

First, we mixed up the large format mortar and started at this end of the porch. The concrete slants slightly for water runoff, so it is not a level floor. This made it hard to start in the center like most tile jobs.

This tile is very easy to cut with a tile cutter. We got ours on Amazon. We cut a few of the front tiles in no time. Now putting them ON and getting them level; took longer. We added the tape to help hold the tile until the mortar had time to dry.

It rained on us a lot.

From there, we spent a day figuring out all the “what to do and what NOT to do.” By the second day, we had our groove down. I got set up with a back butter station while Ben set the mortar on the concrete and did everything else ha.

Here is a shot of the levelers and spacers. These spacers are ones that break off and stay in there.

That’s it for this week! In the coming up week I hope to finally get the daybed swing out of the entryway and get the tile mostly finished being laid. Then we will move to grout. Ohhhh and I am ordering string lights this week too 💛

Be sure to check out the other One Room Challenge participants here https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/orcspring2021wk3

This post does contain affiliate links, which only means that if you decide to purchase through a link on my blog post, I may make a small commission at no extra charge to you. This continues to support Terra Nelson Home, and I thank you so very much!

Join the Conversation

Let's chat!

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.