Installing Floor Tiles
Floor tiles, made from materials ranging from ceramic to porcelain, are a fantastic investment for any domicile. Installing floor tiles can be costly if a professional contractor is hired. However, a lot of money can be saved if the project is done the DIY way. Specific tools can always be rented; all that is required is patience and time.
To begin installing floor tiles, these materials are needed: -
• Backer board (preferably cement)
• Tiles (any material of your choice)
• Tile saw or cutter
• Sponges
• Knee pads
• Tile nippers
• Tape measure
• Water
• Bucket
• Grout
• Nails
• Eye protection wear
• Hammer
• Chalk line
• Rubber float
• Square
• Notched towel
• Thin set
To start, discard moldings, baseboards and other floor coverings on wooden floors. It is important to ensure that the floor is steady and does not bend. Floor tiles are sturdy but still breakable, and bended floors will ultimately splinter over time. Walk over the floor to assess if it’s stable. If it isn’t, even it out before laying tiles. To do this, simply set and add nails in the vacant sub floor, paying particular attention to the trusses beneath.
Once the floor is steady, place cement backboard directly on the floor and proceed to secure with manufacture-suggested adhesive. Nail the backboard straight into the floor trusses using two inch galvanized nails.
Remember to ensure that doors are capable to open over the fresh floor. To verify this, place a tile on the apex of a backboard and inspect if the door can move smoothly over the new floor elevation. If results are not satisfactory, spruce the door’s bottom and test again.
Gauge accurately the length and width of the room in square feet, and split the space of the room by the coverage a box of tiles offers. It is normal to purchase more tiles than required to safeguard against breakage during the installation process, and also to have spares just in case the design becomes obsolete in the future.
Using the chalk line, draw a couple of lines which crisscrosses in the middle of the room, with one line parallel to the length of the space and the other going across the width. Make sure that the lines are rectangle at 90 degrees.
Lay a row of tiles along both lines to dry fit the floor. Utilize spacers between the tiles to guarantee sufficient space for the tile grout.
Now you can start to appraise the layout; the idea is to warrant enough tiles in the center and still have the balance for corresponding tiles on all sides of the room. Make the necessary changes until it all evens out. Tiles are secured with thin set, a product resembling cement in powder form.
When laying the tiles, use a notched towel for spreading purposes. A good point to remember is to set only what is accessible while down on your knees. Do not forget to wear knee pads to protect skin against chaffing.
Tiles are installed into the thin set using steady and strong downward pressure. Strike the tile firmly using a rubber hammer at all corners and center. Work should begin from the center of the area and out till the walls are reached. To cut tiles to the desired size, use a tile saw. Tile nippers are handy when fashioning tiles around toilet flanges. Always cut one portion at a time (use eye protection), as too much can cause breakage.
Aerate the set tiles for twenty four hours.
Helpful products ...
BAL Supercover Rapidset tile adhesive
more info on BAL Supercover Rapidset tile adhesive...
BAL Blue Star tile adhesive
more info on BAL Blue Star tile adhesive...