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- 1). Place the tile medallion faceup on a piece of cardboard. Trace the edges of the medallion onto the cardboard with a pen. Cut along the traced line with a utility knife to create a medallion template.
- 2). Place the template onto your tiling surface where you intend to install the medallion. Trace the shape of the medallion onto the tiling surface using a piece of chalk.
- 3). Install your tiles onto the tiling surface in a pattern of your choosing, working up to the point where the tiles will overlap the chalked lines of the medallion. Install the tiles onto a bed of thin-set mortar, spreading the mortar onto the tile surface with the flat of a notched trowel, and then turning the trowel to an angle to use the notched edge to raise ridges in the mortar. Press the tiles onto mortar to adhere them to the tiling surface. Place tile spacers between tiles to help create uniform rows during installation. Do not mortar the overlapping tiles to the tiling surface, but rather, place them as you would when installing them regularly.
- 4). Place the template onto the tiles that you need to cut for the medallion placement. Use the template to draw the circular cutting lines onto the tiles, and then remove the tiles from the tiling surface.
- 5). Prepare an existing tile surface for a tile medallion by placing the template onto the surface and drawing the template onto existing tiles. Use a circular saw with a tile blade or a hand-held wet saw to cut the tile in the circular pattern. Pry up the tile covering the tile medallion installation site using a pry bar, and then use a hand-held sander to sand away the existing mortar to the subfloor beneath. Clean up the debris and continue with the medallion installation.
- 6). Cut the necessary curves into the tiles so that you can install them to the medallion border. Using a tile cutter for ceramic and porcelain tiles, and a wet saw for clay and stone tiles, cut a series of ½-inch wide rows extending from the tile edge to the curve over the part of the tile that you're discarding. Grab each tile row at the end nearest the curve with tile nippers, and snap the row from the tile, leaving a rough curve outline. Sand the curve even using sandpaper or a metal file.
- 7). Check the fit of the border tiles and the medallion by placing them onto the tiling surface. Adjust the border tiles as needed to fit the tile medallion in place.
- 8). Install the border tiles, and then install the tile medallion. Set the medallion onto a piece of plywood, and then mortar the medallion site. Slide the medallion onto the mortar, one half at a time. Place the plywood on top of the medallion, and press it firmly into place until the medallion sits flush with the surrounding tile. Wipe away any excess thin-set that may ooze out between the medallion pieces as you press the tile medallion into place.
- 9). Finish placing the remaining tiles onto the tiling surface. Allow the thin-set to set for 24 hours.
- 10
Cover the surface of the medallion with a layer of tile and grout sealant, if the tile medallion is made of a porous tile, to prevent grout during the grouting process from discoloring the tiles. - 11
Remove the tile spacers, and then grout the joints between the tiles, including any spaces between individual tile medallion pieces, if present. Spread the grout over the surface of the tiles, and then push the grout into the joints between tiles using a grout float. - 12
Remove excess grout from the surface of the tiles with 15 minutes of grouting using a damp sponge. Wait an additional two hours and then go over the surface of the tiles with a clean, lint-free cloth to remove any remaining grout residue. - 13
Wait 10 days to two weeks for the mortar to cure completely, and then brush a layer of tile and grout sealant over the surface to protect from staining and water absorption. Wait 24 fours for the sealant to dry before using the surface of the medallion.
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