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HOME IMPROVEMENT: HOW TO INSTALL CERAMIC TILE IN YOUR HOME...A NOVICE GUIDE TO SUCCESS
When it comes to beautiful flooring nothing can be more breathtaking than ceramic tile that's elegant and heart warming. Yes, when it comes to interior decorating, beautiful flooring that has been tastefully chosen and masterfully installed always take center stage; at least that is how I see it. I am a home improvement contractor that has been in the business for almost a quarter of a century and I am still awe struck by flooring that is exquisite in its appearance and superbly installed by quality craftsmen that go the extra mile to ensure that the job is well done.
I truly believe that it is within most homeowners' ability to install ceramic tile and achieve excellent results also. Even without a whole lot of experience you can still do a great job if you apply yourself and follow instructions that I'm going to share with you. There is a wealth of information out there on how to install ceramic tile and I personally insist that you read it and subscribe to it; after all, the more quality information you attain the more it should enhance your performance--right? Right. And I feel that I have some worthy information that will help you do a better job, so let's begin the journey.
PREPARATION: THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
If it's one thing that I have found to be paramount in the home improvement business it's this: preparation! preparation! preparation! It doesn't matter what particular task you are attempting to do, in order to do it right you must lay a good solid foundation...metaphorically speaking. In other words, you must prepare to begin. For example, before you begin to lay ceramic tile you must make sure that the flooring or substrate that you are going to install the tile over is solid, clean, level and in good shape. And this is where we will begin.
Getting The Subfloor Ready
If your home is built on a slab (concrete) and it's not level and there are cracks that are wider than an inch, running diagonally, then it is imperative that you have a license foundation contractor take a look at it. Hopefully, it will not be as bad as it look, but if it is as bad as it looks, then here is an opportunity for you to rectify this problem immediately. Once the problem has been solved you're ready to continue. Assuming that the floor is now level you are ready to begin your ceramic tiling job. Whatever type flooring you had down prior to having your slab repaired is of no consequence at this point as long as it has been properly removed and disposed of according to state and local requirements. But before you start laying tiles there are a few things that should take place first of all.
Note: If you are attempting to lay ceramic tile on a subfloor that is wood be sure to check and see if the wood subflooring is sound enough to install ceramic tile on. If not, have the wood subflooring repaired/replaced at once before proceeding to move forward. Once you're ready to move forward make sure that the wood subflooring is screwed down to the flooring joists with quality deck screws that are from 2 inches to 3 inches long. Take the time to make sure the subflooring is screwed tightly to the floor's joists before moving on. Before installing ceramic tile on a wood subfloor you should put down a quality cement board that is manufactured by a reputable company and be sure and use the best fasteners you can afford to buy. Make sure the cement board is down tight and fasten securely to the subfloor. Then and only then are you ready to install ceramic tile.
It's very important that you first measure the length and width of the room(s) and get the correct measurements needed to determine how many square feet of tile you will be laying and more importantly how much tile you will need, and in addition to that you will be able to figure out how much thin set (mortar mix) and grout you will need to finish the job and incidently; most contractors charge by the square foot to install ceramic tile, so you will also get an idea on how much money you will have saved by doing the job yourself...and that can only bring a warm smile to your face.
To measure a room that is going to be tiled, first stand in the doorway and measure all the way across the room (horizontally) and once you have done that then proceed to get a measurement perpendicular (vertically) to the one you have just taken. In other words, now measure down the room...so to speak. You need to get a measurement of the length and width of the room, this will give you the total amount of square footage of the floor space in the room. And in every room, hallway and corridor that you are going to install ceramic tile follow this procedure to make sure you have an accurate measurement of the floor space that will receive ceramic tile. And never hesitate to do it over and over if you need to---it is very, very important. Now pop a chalk line--both vertically and horizontally. When you do this make sure the chalk line is straight and tight, you will need someone to assist you with this task, so get a friend to help you out. These two lines are very important so make sure you get it right.
Now that you have the exact dimensions for laying tile you can now start to assemble a material list that you will need to begin purchasing the items you will need to complete the job. Depending on the size of the tile you will be installing and the size of the space between the tiles, you will now be able to come up with a pretty accurate number of the tiles you will need. For instance, for the sake of simplicity the room you measured to receive tile is 10 feet by 10 feet or 100 square feet. And the tile you have selected to use is 12 inches wide and 12 inches long, given this information you will need 100 tiles to do the job and always allow an additional 10% for waste. On average a large bag of thin set (mortar mix) will seat about 50 tiles give or take a few...and depending on how thick you mix it; a small bag of grout will generally help you grout about 50 tiles or so, just depending on how thick you mix it and how heavy you spread it. You will be in a better position to determine how much you will need as you go, but be sure to purchase more than you need as oppose to not having enough to complete the job. Who wants to have to deal with mix matched grout anyway? So if possible, please purchase a little extra to avoid potential problems that could arise.
LAYING TILES
Laying ceramic tile is not such a difficult thing to do if you take your time and patiently lay your tile straight and level. There are a number of patterns that you can lay your tiles: straight, brick, and diagonally to name a few. But again, for the sake of simplicity I will be instructing you how to lay ceramic tile in a straight pattern, but with a little more effort and thought you can lay brick style or even diagonally. However, in this article my focus is a straight pattern, in subsequent articles I will address other patterns of laying tiles. Earlier, when explaining to you how to take measurements of a room to get the accurate square footage, I spoke of measuring the length and the width of the room; where the two lines intersect measure three inches one way and four inches the other way, in other words measure three inches vertically and four inches horizontally and then draw a straight line across one point to the other diagonally--five inches. This should yield a right triangle--Pythagorean theorem. If so, you are now ready to begin laying tiles starting at a square point.
Before applying the thin set make sure you have thoroughly mixed it up---preferably with an electric drill and paddle, however, it can be done manually, but it will be a lot more taxing to the body. Once mixed, allow the thin set to slake (allow to sit) for about fifteen minutes or so; then carefully spread the thin set next to the lines you have made with the chalk line box. Do not spread the thin set over the lines because the lines are your guide to keeping a straight pattern. Be sure to put enough thin set down to make a sufficient bed for the tile. As a rule of thumb try to build a bed about a quarter of an inch thick, that should be adequate for laying your tiles. I try to use the thickness of my tile as a reference point, in other words, if my tile is about a quarter of an inch thick, then I usually will make my thin set bed about the same--you might want to employ a different method yourself, but the point is this: make sure you have put down enough thin set so that the tile will have a good enough bed to be placed in and will not have any hollow spots underneath it that will result in breakage prematurely. And avoid having high spots and low spots because of inconsistent amounts of thin set being spread over the subflooring. The name of the game is to keep it consistent when it comes to spreading thin set. You don't want it to be a half inch thick at one spot and only a quarter of an inch at another spot...that is unacceptable. So the word is to be cautious and very observant when applying the thin set before laying down the tiles.
UNIFORMITY: The Key To Laying Tiles
Remember, the key to a good looking tile job is uniformity. That's right. Keep your rows straight and even. Again, patience is the key here to achieving a fine high quality job. Most ceramic tile contractors work in grids when it comes to installing tile, however, that might prove to be more confusing to some than others. If so, feel free to work in a straight pattern, in other words, finish your row out as far as you can go and then start on the next row. If you can work in grids so much the better, but if you can't you still can accomplish a very good job laying in rows --across the floor. But remember, always allow room for you to walk around the tile without stepping on the tile you have just layed.It's imperative that you avoid stepping on the tile before it has completely dried, so don't work yourself into a corner that you can't get out of. Okay? With a little planning on your part you can do it.
GROUTING THE TILE
After the tile has been layed and has completely dried now comes the time to grout it. If laying tile wasn't to difficult then grouting tile will be even easier. No kidding. You can do this and do it well too. It's really not that complicated at all just follow manufacturers' direction and begin to apply the grout in the seams that separate each tile. Make sure you use a good quality grout float to spread the grout over the tiles and into the seams. Spread the grout liberally and don't be shy. Make sure each seam gets more than an adequate amount of grout into it. The grout will play an important role in bonding the tiles together and needlessly to say, a good grout job is attractive and appealing in itself. It all works together...tile and grout.
Wait about fifteen to twenty minutes and then proceed to wipe off the tiles with a clean bucket of water and a sponge. Be careful not to wipe the grout out of the seams, but you must remove the excess grout from off the tile. Again, wait another fifteen or twenty minutes and repeat the previous step with a bucket of clean water and a clean sponge. Proceed to remove residue that was left over from the first cleaning. If your tile isn't clean at this stage repeat the step and do it again. At this stage you should have a clean looking ceramic tile floor.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
| a) wet tile saw | d) framing square |
| b) chalk line | e)spacers |
| c) drill/mixing paddle (optional) | f) notched trowel (thin set) |
CONCLUSION
In closing, just allow me to say that ceramic tile installation can be successfully achieved by most homeowners who are serious about bringing beauty and lasting quality to their flooring. With the right approach and the right information along with the necessary tools and equipment; you can bring about a job that is pleasing and long lasting. I'm living proof. So good tidings and I wish you only the best.
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Disclaimer: The author of this article and any other article he has written accept no claims for damages. This article is for the sole purpose of informing and entertaining. Please contact a license professional for assistance.
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