How to Lay Tiles
Just as in painting and wallpapering, the
preparation for tiling is of extreme importance. Any grease, oil or
wax must be removed, or adhesive tiles will not stick. All high
points must be sanded or planed down and the base should be smooth.
Loose floorboards should be nailed down, but if the floor is in bad
condition, it may be necessary to lay a new base. You may wish to do
this anyway for a more professional finish.
Cement panels that are 3 ft by 5ft by ¼ inch thick are what to use.
They should be screwed down every 6 inches. Before laying the panels
building codes in most areas call for a ¼ inch notched trowel mud
base of “thin set” mortar. The panels should be laid in staggered
fashion so there are not four corners together.
Measuring the floor to get the centerline is crucial. Use chalk
string so you can flip it down for a good mark. Ignore offset shapes
in the floor outline. To check you have the true center, where the
lines cross, measure 3 inches along one line and 4 inches along the
line that is at a 90-degree angle to it. Then measure from the end
of one line, across to the end of the other one and it should be 5
inches. If it is not, check your measurements again.
Once you are satisfied that you have the true center line, lay tiles
along it each way without cement. In this way you can see whether
the gap between the last tile and the wall is too narrow. It is very
difficult to cut tiles that narrow, so save yourself some
frustration and move the parallel line back by half a tile or about
4 ½ inches. Remember to re-mark it.
When it’s time to lay the tiles properly, use them from each box in
turn, then if there is a color variation, it won’t be so noticeable.
Always order about 10% more tiles than you need to allow for
breakages and cracks and to keep some for future repairs. Work out
the pattern your tiles must be laid in before applying the tile
cement to the floor. Only do one fourth of the floor at a time or
else the cement may be dry out too quickly. Leave it until it is a
little tacky, but not enough to stick to your finger. It should take
about 15 minutes.
The first tile you lay should be at the center of the room and be
exactly level with both lines. Otherwise, the whole floor design
will be uneven. When you come to the last row, place a loose tile
butted up to the wall and over the gap that is left, onto the last
tile laid. In this way you can mark where to cut it. Measure each
row separately to allow for any minute variations.
To fit tiles around pipes, use a paper pattern and lay it on the
tile, marking with a pencil. Then cut with scissors. Remember you
must not wash the floor for a week after laying tiles.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
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