Concrete Tile

Safety First:

Concrete contains carcinogenic components, some of which are a known cause of lung cancer. It is important to use safety gear including a mask, gloves, and eye protection and to work in a well ventilated area. 

Making the Mold:

To make the mold for your tiles, you’ll need to first create a pattern or design. I used 6″ layer cake pans as molds for the circles. To create the hypocycloid (diamond) pattern I made 12 silicone circle molds, using liquid silicone in the cake pans, and then glued them to a silicone mat creating the negative space for the hypocycloids. 

Making the Tiles:

Mix your concrete according to the manufacturer’s instructions and pour it into the mold. You’ll want to work in small batches to ensure that the concrete doesn’t dry out before you can finish.

I recommend starting with a pitcher and working up to a bucket at a time if you’re comfortable doing so. I found that using the pitcher made pouring into the molds a lot easier, and if I needed more it was easy to quickly clean and make more.

If you plan to mix a larger volume start with the amount of water you will need, slowly add in the concrete and use a corded drill. Concrete gets hot as it is mixed and I overheated multiple batteries before switching. 

Once the concrete has set, remove the tiles from the mold and let them dry completely. The color will change significantly as the concrete dries, so don’t panic if they are darker than you want.

Sanding the Tiles:

Once the tiles are fully dry, you’ll need to sand them to smooth out any rough edges or imperfections. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s important for creating a polished finished product that you won’t cut yourself on.

We clipped off spill over from the hypocycloid molds with pliers first to get the bulk of the overage off. We then initially started with a belt sander to go over all the edges, but after blowing through 4 belts decided we needed a better solution.

Que my dads wet saw! We ran the tiles under the wet saw upright and parallel to the saw using a 6″ blade. This allowed us to quickly bevel the edges and even clean up the shape. This is 100% NOT how this tool is meant to be used, so if you opt for this method pleaseeeee wear safety goggles and keep your fingers clear of the blade. 

Laying the Tiles:

To lay your tiles, start by cleaning the surface you’ll be tiling and applying a tile adhesive with a notched trowel. The size of the notches will vary on the size and weight of the tile. We used a 3/16th trowel and premixed mud so that we could work in small batches. 

Then, lay your tiles in the desired pattern, making sure to leave space for grout. We started with spacers, but quickly abandoned them as the interlocking, but variable, pattern lent itself more to an ‘eye-balling’ method. 

Once the tiles are in place, seal the concrete using an impregnator specifically for concrete. This step will make grouting SO MUCH EASIER. Once the tiles are sealed, apply grout and let it dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure to clean up as much grout off the surface of the tiles as possible while the grout is still wet. If you miss some, you can use a grout haze remover. 

And there you have it! By following these steps, you’ll be able to create your own custom concrete tiles and install them in your home. Not only will you have saved money, but you’ll also have a one-of-a-kind feature that you can be proud of, we sure are!