dry fit it first to find what type of pattern you want.

I had tile installed on the second floor of my house and they used quarter inch harder board. The problem with that, was the floor still gives a little and caused some of the tile and the mortar to crack. I would make sure the sub-floor is in great condition and use half inch hardie backer board with screws. Oh, before you put the hardie board down. Go around and check the sub-floor. More than likely they used nails to put it down. Use screws to secure the subfloor better....JMHO

You can either lay it straight,on diagonal, or broken joint pattern.

Depending on what size and style of tile you pick also will help you figure out how you want to lay it.If your laying a 12 or 13 inch tile I would use a quarter inch notch trowel,anything bigger than that I use a 3/8 inch trowel.

I usually try to figure my layout where it hits with a whole tile in the doorway,when you walk in it gives a good look to see a whole tile.

Don't mix your thinset to stiff or you will not get a good bond to your tile,about the consistency of thick cake batter is perfect,wait 24 hrs after you have laid the tile and you will be able to grout.I would recommend sealing the grout also in a bathroom.

This is the big problem with trying to lay tile over a wooden sub straight no matter what you do there's always that possibilty of flex in the floor. I usually try to talk my customers out of laying tile on top of wooden sub floors. Now on alot of the newer housed I work on the builders have gotten to where they use 1 5/8 inch plywood upstairs and we just lay slipsheet on top of that and have had no problems with tile and grout cracking out.

I had both of my upstairs bathrooms tiled last March and haven't had any problems with cracking so far...

Annie, Home Depot has a pretty good hard cover book about tile. They also sell a cheapo tile saw for about $100. I have one and so far , so good. It was worth it.

Bathroom on 1st floor or second? Slab foundation or pier and beam?

Definitely seal the grout after it sets up. Seal it twice.
Nothing worse than seeing nasty discolored grout...especially if it's a very light color.

Be careful in selecting the tile for a bathroom, too. Slick tile is not cool on a floor that will get wet. Read that Home depot tile book...it will tell you a lot.

1st floor/pier and beam

Thanks OF

Well how did it turn out?