Lay down marble tile cement or thinset mortar where your first section of tile design will be.
Use the flat side of the trowel to key in the thinset, and then comb with the notched side of the trowel with even horizontal lines. The goal is to have a nice even application of cement or mortar for the cement tile to hold onto, and even horizontal lines grip the ceramic tile better than random curved lines. Only lay down as much mortar as you can work with in 10 minutes; otherwise it will begin to harden and become difficult to work with.

If you’re using tile cement, give it about 15 minutes to become tacky so the wood tile will stick properly. Use tile cement with linoleum and vinyl small tiles, and thinset mortar with ceramic or porcelain tiles. Start laying the flooring tiles in the middle of the room, lining them up with your chalk lines. Press each tile gently into the cement or mortar; you can also use a rubber mallet to do this after you complete each section.

Put a grout spacer at each corner of your tiles. Butt each new tile up to these, taking care not to slide the tiles through the adhesive material. Wipe up the thinset that squishes up between the tiles. Continue laying all but the tiles on the outer edges of your room. Then, measure the space between the last tile and the wall and mark the tiles you need to cut. Use a wet saw to make these cuts and install the cut tiles like you installed the others.

If you lay all the polished tile in the middle of the room first and then mark and cut your white tile afterward, you only need to rent the wet saw for one day, saving you wall tile and money. As you lay down smaller pieces of marble wall tile in the corners of rooms, back-butter the individual tiles instead of messily trying to get mortar into the small nooks and crannies of your room. Allow the tile adhesive to dry overnight, then remove the grout spacers, if necessary. Some can be left in place so check with the manufacturer to be sure.

Mix your grout according to the directions on the package; usually grout is mixed with water in a 5 gallon (18.9 L) bucket. It should have a peanut butter-like consistency. Like the thinset mortar, it should slake for 10 minutes and then briefly be mixed again before application. Use a masonry float to spread the grout into the spaces between the common marble tiles, creating a smooth surface. Float your grout in several different directions to make sure you’re working the grout into the grout lines effectively and evenly.

Work quickly here. The grout sets up fast — considerably faster than the mortar does. For this reason work only in small areas before branching out. Remove the excess grout you get on the tiles with a sponge. Again, give yourself a small area to work on so that the grout doesn’t set up before you have time to wipe it off the tiles. You can also use a damp cloth after this time to rub away any haze left over on the tile. Let the grout set for at least a few hours. Seal the grout after it has set for 72 hours. Use a grout sealer with an applicator brush and take care not to get any on the wood marble tile itself.