Ceramic tile installation questions for the experts!

As part of my garage job, I had a mudroom built. Of course, I'm doing the floor tile installation (porcelain 13" x 13").

I'm putting down 1/4" thick hardieboard backer board over the subfloor. It gets thinsetted and screwed to the subfloor

Do I thinset one piece and screw it down and then move to the next piece, or do I thinset a number of pieces and then screw them all down? Also, should I let the thinset dru before taping and thinsetting the seams?

The room is 8 x 20. There is an interior framed pantry room inside this mudroom, making the cuts just a bit more complex.
Thanks!
Tom

I don't have an answer to the question you are asking... but for a mudroom, I suggest looking at epoxy grout rather than regular grout.

I am no professional but have installed lots of tile.

I generally thins set one piece at a time as I am laying it because of cuts to the next board. I also generally screw each piece as I go.

I have never waited to thinset the seams either. Well no longer than it takes to get the entire room done with backer board.

One piece at a time. You don't have to wait to do the seams. Make sure you use a latex/polymer modified thinset over the plywoood/ under the hardi-backer board.

Good luck

Backer board is a great excuse to buy one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009HMFL6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We generally cut all the board first and then lay in the thinset and lay the board back in and then screw it off, thats for smaller jobs of course. In your case, I would mud an area, set the board, mud some more and keep going, you can screw as you go. While latex polymer modified mortar is what we always use, you really don't need it for the mortar under your backer board, all you want is a mortar bed that will ensure there are not any voids under the backer board. The polymer modified mortar IS important for ADHESION to plywood but you've got that covered with the screws you're using. Are you going over a nice smooth solid subfloor? Skip the mortar and shoot the backer board down with a roofing gun, tape your joints as you set your tile. DO use the polymer modified mortar for the tile setting, the adhesion and flexibility are superior to the plain thinset.