Step By Step: Laying Floor Tiles
People generally opt for floor tiles because they look
great and provide a hardwearing, waterproof surface for
bathrooms, hallways or kitchens. Tiling needn't always be
done by a professional and in most cases a competent DIYer
should be able to tackle plain ceramic or quarry tiles.
Set aside a weekend for a small kitchen or bathroom, and
aim to budget for spending around two hundred pounds.
Check list:
Pencil & tape measure
Tile cutter
Notched trowel or spreader
Tile saw
Floor tiles
Adhesive or grout
Chalk line
Floor sealer
Spacers
Profile shaper
Spirit level
Piece of hose pipe
Goggles
Squeegee & Cloth Bucket & sponge
Choosing/buying Tiles You should look to buy around 10%
more that you expect to use. UKTV provide a Tiling
Calculator which is great for helping to work this out.
Also, to avoid any manufacturing discrepancies between
colour or grain you should ideally buy all your tiles in
one batch.
Preparation Ensure the surface which you are going to tile
is dry, smooth and above all level.
1: Plan tile positions It is very important that you
firstly set out the position of the tiles before commencing
with laying the tiles. After marking the middle points of
your longest wall you should chalk a line at right angles
to this mark. This should also be done for the adjacent
shorter wall resulting in two lines dissecting each other
in the middle of the room.
2: Positioning the tiles Begin laying the floor tiles along
the two lines in order to work out the best positions which
will allow you to calculate how to use as many tiles as
possible without the need for cutting them. It's also
preferable to avoid having too many cut tiles along the
wall that is seen when you first walk into the room. A good
tip is to try to make sure tiles are laid symmetrically
around any main features such as fireplaces.
3: Applying adhesive and laying the tiles Start by
spreading one square metre of the adhesive into one of the
corners formed by the chalk lines mentioned above. Gently
press down on the first tile, using the lines as a guide
and carry on tiling along one of the lines. Add more tiles
until you have covered the adhesive. Now work outwards from
the centre of the room, always using the chalk lines as a
guide. Apply more adhesive to the floor and continue
laying tiles until you have covered half the room with as
many whole tiles as possible. Next, start laying tiles on
the other half of the room, again working out from the
other side of the centre line. Then leave the adhesive to
dry according to instructions given.
Some good tips: - Use a notched trowel or spreader which
facilitates the even spread adhesive across the floor. -
Check your tile instructions to see if yours need spacing
joints. Even if they don't require them you can choose to
use plastic spacers to make the gaps between the tiles
even. - You should check to see if the tiles are level by
laying a spirit level diagonally across the tiles. If any
are uneven you can put more adhesive under the necessary
tile(s) to bring it level.
4: Filling in gaps You should fill in any remaining gaps
with cut tiles. Using a tile cutter, trim the tiles to the
required size but before you cut, make sure you allow for
the gap required for grout between the tiles.
5: Sealing (where necessary) Depending on whether your
tiles have already been protected with a sealer coat,
determined in the manufacturer's instructions, you may need
to seal the tiles yourself, particularly in the case of
porous tiles.
6: Grouting Using the squeegee, force the grout in between
the tiles, pushing the squeegee across the gaps in both
directions to make sure the grout is worked into all the
gaps. After that, use the straight edge of the spreader to
ensure a neat grout line. Before the grout dries, wipe off
all excess with a damp sponge and lastly polish the tiles
with a clean cloth.
----------------------------------------------------
UKTV provides a wide selection of DIY tips at
http://uktv.co.uk/style/homepage/sid/3 , including DIY
troubleshooting and hot to guides for major buildings work,
painting, decorating, wallpapering, plumbing, electrical
work, tiling and flooring.
great and provide a hardwearing, waterproof surface for
bathrooms, hallways or kitchens. Tiling needn't always be
done by a professional and in most cases a competent DIYer
should be able to tackle plain ceramic or quarry tiles.
Set aside a weekend for a small kitchen or bathroom, and
aim to budget for spending around two hundred pounds.
Check list:
Pencil & tape measure
Tile cutter
Notched trowel or spreader
Tile saw
Floor tiles
Adhesive or grout
Chalk line
Floor sealer
Spacers
Profile shaper
Spirit level
Piece of hose pipe
Goggles
Squeegee & Cloth Bucket & sponge
Choosing/buying Tiles You should look to buy around 10%
more that you expect to use. UKTV provide a Tiling
Calculator which is great for helping to work this out.
Also, to avoid any manufacturing discrepancies between
colour or grain you should ideally buy all your tiles in
one batch.
Preparation Ensure the surface which you are going to tile
is dry, smooth and above all level.
1: Plan tile positions It is very important that you
firstly set out the position of the tiles before commencing
with laying the tiles. After marking the middle points of
your longest wall you should chalk a line at right angles
to this mark. This should also be done for the adjacent
shorter wall resulting in two lines dissecting each other
in the middle of the room.
2: Positioning the tiles Begin laying the floor tiles along
the two lines in order to work out the best positions which
will allow you to calculate how to use as many tiles as
possible without the need for cutting them. It's also
preferable to avoid having too many cut tiles along the
wall that is seen when you first walk into the room. A good
tip is to try to make sure tiles are laid symmetrically
around any main features such as fireplaces.
3: Applying adhesive and laying the tiles Start by
spreading one square metre of the adhesive into one of the
corners formed by the chalk lines mentioned above. Gently
press down on the first tile, using the lines as a guide
and carry on tiling along one of the lines. Add more tiles
until you have covered the adhesive. Now work outwards from
the centre of the room, always using the chalk lines as a
guide. Apply more adhesive to the floor and continue
laying tiles until you have covered half the room with as
many whole tiles as possible. Next, start laying tiles on
the other half of the room, again working out from the
other side of the centre line. Then leave the adhesive to
dry according to instructions given.
Some good tips: - Use a notched trowel or spreader which
facilitates the even spread adhesive across the floor. -
Check your tile instructions to see if yours need spacing
joints. Even if they don't require them you can choose to
use plastic spacers to make the gaps between the tiles
even. - You should check to see if the tiles are level by
laying a spirit level diagonally across the tiles. If any
are uneven you can put more adhesive under the necessary
tile(s) to bring it level.
4: Filling in gaps You should fill in any remaining gaps
with cut tiles. Using a tile cutter, trim the tiles to the
required size but before you cut, make sure you allow for
the gap required for grout between the tiles.
5: Sealing (where necessary) Depending on whether your
tiles have already been protected with a sealer coat,
determined in the manufacturer's instructions, you may need
to seal the tiles yourself, particularly in the case of
porous tiles.
6: Grouting Using the squeegee, force the grout in between
the tiles, pushing the squeegee across the gaps in both
directions to make sure the grout is worked into all the
gaps. After that, use the straight edge of the spreader to
ensure a neat grout line. Before the grout dries, wipe off
all excess with a damp sponge and lastly polish the tiles
with a clean cloth.
----------------------------------------------------
UKTV provides a wide selection of DIY tips at
http://uktv.co.uk/style/homepage/sid/3 , including DIY
troubleshooting and hot to guides for major buildings work,
painting, decorating, wallpapering, plumbing, electrical
work, tiling and flooring.
posted by Hugh Harris-Evans at 12:53 AM
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