Tiling is one job that most people would rather not learn how to do since it can be scary that you make some mistakes in the process. However, it is actually a lot easier than what many might think. In fact, it can save you a whole lot of money contrast to hiring a professional for the job. As long as you know the do’s and don’ts, then this task is a no-brainer for you.
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| Patio with stone tiled floor, Hawaii. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Choosing Your Tiles
To start off, you have to choose the tiles that you want to use. You may get surprised with the number of variety choices when doing this. Tiles may come in different sizes, colors, textures, materials and
finishes. There are times that you may encounter tiles with odd sizes. This is done on purpose by companies so that you would have to buy extra.
Choosing a tile highly depends on you. It can also depend on how you want the room to be and the over all design and feel of the room.
Measurements And Computations
You also need to measure out your floor area. You also have to deliberate on whether you want the tiles to go under any kind of fittings and units. Generally, it is better if you tile under the fittings. This is because if you would have to move appliances in the future, like a fridge, then you do not have to lift it up over the edge of your new tiles.
When you have chosen what kind of tile you want to use, you need to do some computations. You have to get your floor’s width and divide it by the width of one tile. This is to know the number of complete rows that you’ll have. Also, this can help you decide the optimal wall edge to place your cut tiles against.
Application
After doing the math, you can now start applying tiles on your floor. Be sure that you have an even coverage of adhesive placed on your sub-floor. The type of adhesive to use would depend on your sub-floor or the surface you are tiling. If it is a concrete floor, then you can use a rapid setting adhesive. However, be sure that you do not spread too much of the mixture at once, since it can set as fast as 30 minutes.
If it is a wooden sub-floor, then you need a flexible adhesive. You can know if an adhesive if flexible if it is written on the bag or the tub. If you have slate, then you need to use gray adhesive. If you’ll
be having marble, then you need a white adhesive. This is so that no color coming from the underside would bleed and ruin your design.
Grouting
When you are done fixing your tiles on the floor, and after you have allowed enough time for it to dry, then you would have to do some grouting. If you have natural tiles, like marble, slate, limestone, granite, travertine, and porcelain, you need to seal them first before you can grout them. You have to use a specialized impregnating sealer so that they will be waterproof and can be more resistant to dirt and staining.
Mix up the grout and apply it using a grout float to your tiles. Try to work over the gaps until they’re
all filled. If you have white marble tiles, then you need to use a white grout instead of gray since the
gray kind can stain the marble.
To finish off, wipe out the excess grouts that are bulging from your tiles using a sponge. Also, use a
grout finisher or your finger to smooth out the grout lines. After this, stand back, relax and chill while you wait for your work to dry up!
