Tiling Your Staircase: A Step By Step Guide

With Covid-19 still causing many of us to stay indoors, more and more households are now turning their hands to DIY – whether that be a result of spending more time than ever within your existing outdated interiors, or simply as a means of curing your lockdown boredom! 

Tiling can, at the best of times, be a daunting task – but is tiling your staircase even more difficult than wall or flooring installations? 

Here we’re exploring exactly that, offering up a no-nonsense, step by step guide (see what we did there?) on tiling your staircase. Offering tips on how to tile, apply adhesive and add grout to this typically difficult home feature, we’re ensuring your next home DIY project is a hassle-free experience. 

What you’ll need

• Tiles
• Water
• Thinset mortar
• Safety gloves and eye protection
• Drill, with mixing attachment
• Bucket
• Rubber hammer
• Notched trowel
• Grout float
• Tile cutter
• Spirit level

Measure

To avoid the dreaded scenario of running out of tiles before the job’s done, start by measuring your staircase dimensions. 

First, measure the width and length of your stairs, remembering to incorporate any vertical risers into your relevant measurements. Multiply these two together and you’ll get your square meter space, helping you accurately work out how many tiles you’ll need. Worried about crunching the numbers? Not to worry – our handy tile calculator found on each product page will do all the hard work for you!

If you have irregular shaped stairs, then it’s best to divide areas up in a logical manner to make this area easier to measure. As with any tiling job, we suggest adding an extra 10% to your final calculations to accommodate any inevitable breakages, cuts or unavoidable wastage.

Prep

The first bit of preparation needed when tiling a staircase is ensuring your surface is even. This is vitally important, as tiles installed on uneven surfaces are far more likely to crack – especially in areas of heavy footfall like stairs. 

Use a spirit level to determine this. Should you find any alterations are required, utilise mortar and a trowel to smooth out any irregularities and prime your surface for tiles. 

If your staircase is made of wood, we’d also recommend utilising some prep time to add backer boards to each stair, taping each joint and then tiling over the board. This is because wood can expand overtime, meaning grout is more likely to crack if tiles are placed directly atop natural wood.

Applying adhesive

Before applying the adhesive, first add a few droplets of water using a wet sponge to bond the tile adhesive to your staircase flooring. Be sure not to overload the surface with water though, as this may prevent the adhesive from sticking. 

With the right amount of water added, you can begin the application process. Using the flat edge of a notched trowel to apply a layer of adhesive to the floor first, create a semi-circle to help ensure an even and consistent layer. Make sure to cover a wider space than the tile itself, as this allows for any misjudgements to be corrected – we recommended approximately 2 inches.

Once you have applied an even layer, you can start to use the comb side of your trowel, helping ensure the adhesive is even while better bonding it to the tile.

Laying tiles

Before cutting and laying your tiles, it goes without saying that you need to ensure you’ve picked the right type for the job at hand. We recommend opting for porcelain floor tiles. Available in a whole variety of styles, colours and designs, porcelain tiles are non-slip, require minimal maintenance and are incredibly durable, making them the perfect fit for staircases of all shapes and sizes. 

For ease and speed, it’s advisable to do your tile cuts before you start fixing your tiles down as the adhesive can set quickly. The easiest way to get accurate cuts is to use a tile cutter that will give you nice, clean edges.

Working outwards from the centre of the rise, you can now begin to lay your tiles, making sure to not press down too hard that the adhesive seeps out of the sides. 

Use a spirit level to ensure the tiles are straight and even. In instances where they aren’t level, you can use a rubber hammer, tapping the tile gently to ensure an even surface throughout. Avoid hitting the tiles too hard however, as this can cause damage and even crack the tile.

Tiling your step edges is going to take extra focus and consideration. When looking to tile a step edge, you have 2 options. You can either use the top of the step to overlap your riser tile, or alternatively, use a rounded tile trim to add strength to the stairs and supply added support to the tile.

Don’t forget to remove the excess adhesive from around the tile edges, as well as using a damp cloth to remove any adhesive that may have found its way onto the tile surface.

Grouting

When the adhesive is dry and all tiles are securely in place, you can now apply grout between your stair tiles – this will help to seal them and prevent any movement. 

Using a grout float to smooth the grout over, ensure you’ve firmly pressed it into each joint. Once this grout has set, wipe the surface with a damp cloth, ensuring you’ve removed any unwanted excess. 

Allow 24 hours for the grout, adhesive and tile surface to fully set on your staircase and finish with a final wash to prevent any polymers being left within the grout. 

Although tiling your staircase may initially be a daunting task, with a little planning, the right know-how and a refined attention to detail, it can be a job you can pull off in your own home. 

By following the above tips, we’re confident you’ll know how to tile your stairs with minimum fuss, helping you achieve that unique staircase aesthetic you’ve always wanted. 

Ready to give it a go? Find your perfect staircase flooring solution by browsing our stunning collection of porcelain floor tiles today!