Do you want to tile the flooring of your home and business premises today? Which is best between porcelain and ceramic? Ready to know how to tile a floor step by step? Before you get started, there are several important factors to consider.
First, you will realize that tile flooring is one of the long-lasting products in the market today. Most homeowners and business owners now prefer to install tiles in their homes because of their resilience and adaptability.
The good news is that you can install tiles in different areas of your home with little or no worry of constraints such as stains, water, and even allergic odors. This has made many people appreciate the importance of installing tiles in their homes out there.
However, if you want to install tiles on your floor, there are a series of steps that you should consider. These include:
Contents
Prepare the surface
It is wrong to install tiles on a flooring that is yet to be prepared. You ought to ensure that the surface is even and clean. Also, it should be dry for you to get great results. It is important that you take time to repair, patch, and even level any area that you find damaged or uneven.
You should double-check to ensure that the surface is good enough, and the area is free of grease, wax, or even soap scum. If you spot a form of moldings or appliances that might interfere with tile installation, you should remove them for you to have an easy time installing the tiles.
Also, you should check the doorjambs to ensure that the tile has clearance when installed beneath. By doing this, you can trust that you will have a smooth tile installation process.
Begin your layout
You need a plan on how to get the entire work completed. In each of the room’s walls, you have to start by marking the center points.
Next, snap the chalk lines between the center points of opposite walls to pinpoint the focal areas and thus the center of each room. To effectively create perfect squares from the intersections, it is recommended you make any necessary adjustments.
Now that you’ve got the room’s center point, you can lay a row of loose tiles along the centerline in both directions. To achieve evenness and uniformity, use the tile spacer.
Depending on the size of the tile, the moment you get near the walls, you need to cut the tiles and ensure they fit in the last space fittingly.
On the other hand, if you realize the cuts needed are smaller than half the tiles, you can decide to adjust the centerline. To achieve this, you can easily snap a new line equivalence of an half-tile size closer to the wall.
For a precise design, you can repeat this process along the intersecting centerline. In all this, your aim is to make the room more manageable during the entire tiling exercise. Therefore, it is sensible to subdivide each section into smaller 2’ x 3’ grid by snapping more lines analogous to the centerlines.
Apply the adhesive
When mining the adhesive, you should only mix a quantity that can be used within 30 minutes. Once the mining is complete, on the floor surface, spread the coating by using a trowel.
Read the adhesive package and find out the recommended trowel for use in this work. Without primarily covering the guidelines, you need to spread a 1/4’” coat on the surface of one grid area.
Next, hold the trowel at an angle of 45 degrees and comb the adhesive into standing ridges using the notched side. By removing the excess adhesive, this will lead to an uniform and ridged setting bed that will facilitate a smooth tiling process. Important to note is that as you do this, avoid spreading a larger area of adhesive that can be set in 15 minutes.
Cut the tile you need
You can achieve this if you start by marking with a pencil on tile surface measured cuts-to-be. To achieve pinpoint straight cuts, you can consider using a tile cutter.
However, with a nipper, you can make masterful curved cuts. This way, you will be able to chip away small pieces and achieve good results in the long run.
Set your tile
Once you have applied the adhesive and cut the tiles accordingly, the next step is to install the tile on the floor of your house. You already identified and marked the room’s floor center, start from this point. We recommend to start one grid, and once done, move to the next one; in brief, finish each grid before moving on to the next.
Use a slight twist motion to set the tiles one at a time and avoid sliding them into place. Insert spacers as each tile so that you can set equal joint between the tiles. By leaving a ¼ inch gap between the tile and wall, this enable you to save the perimeter tiles in each grid.
Once you have completely installed the grid, you can tap into all the tiles with a hammer or a rubber mallet. This is done to ensure solid bond and level place. Then, use a putty knife to remove the excess adhesive joint.
Also, you should use a damp sponge to remove this adhesive from the tiles for them to have an even appearance. Finally, let the tiles to set for about 24 hours before you can walk on them.
Grout the joints
This is the final step when it comes to tile installation. Read and follow all the instructions and precautions on the grout package. It is vital that you make only enough that can be used within just 30 minutes.
When spreading the grout on the tile surface, use a rubber grout float to force it down into the joints. Tilt the float at an angle of 45 degrees, and remove the excess grout from the surface immediately with the edge of the float. Finally, tile the float at a 90-degree angle and then scrape it diagonally across the tiles.
Let the grout to set for about 20 minutes and then use a damp sponge to clean any residence that might be left on the surface of the tiles. This is important for smoothening the grout joints.
When the grout has dried and haze has formed on the tile surface, you can finally polish with a soft cloth. Rinse again with a sponge and clean water.
Before you can begin walking on the floor, give the newly grouted floor about 72 hours to set. If you want to apply sealers or polishes, you should give it at least 3 weeks.
Conclusion
Tile installation process is not difficult. You just need to follow the above-mentioned steps. Here, you will have an easy time cleaning your flooring, and your home will look more attractive. This can also help add value to your home. Install tiles on your flooring today, and you will not be frustrated.