How to Install Moroccan Tile

Clean the area to remove any debris and dust.

Choose the pattern for your tiles before applying adhesive. Moroccan tiles may be smooth or have chiseled details. Moroccan tile, because they are handcrafted and do not match, are great for mosaic tiling. Careful planning is needed to prevent a design mistake.

Apply tile adhesive to the area upon which the tiles will sit using the notched side of a 3/16-inch V-notch trowel. The notches remove excess adhesive and leave grooves to help keep the tile in place.

Set the Moroccan tiles in the adhesive beginning in a corner against the countertop or molding for wall mounting and in the center of the room for floor installation. To find the center of the room, draw diagonal lines from opposing corners. The place where the lines intersect is the approximate center of the room.

Place spacers on the tiles to keep the tiles even with 1/4-inch spaces. Depending upon the spacers you buy, you can place spacers with an X at each corner of each tile, or the spacers with the one line at the center on each edge of each tile. After three hours, remove the spacers.

Spread grout over the tiles with a trowel and press it between each tile until the grout is level with the surface of the tiles. If the Moroccan tiles are designed with engravings, called ferma in Arabic, only spread the grout between the tiles. This process takes a long while to finish.

Clean the tiles with a wet sponge to remove grout from the tile surfaces.

Allow the tiles to set for 24 hours before walking on or touching them.