Ceramic tile installation may be difficult. Good planning and a thorough approach are essential for successful tiling projects. Before you begin, take the time to complete the proper amount of preparation work. As the ceramic mosaic tile installation services provider, Tiling NSW knows the best practices. In this article, we discuss the procedure of installing ceramic tiles.
STEP 1: Evaluate
Begin by checking the area where the ceramic mosaic tile installation will be done. The substrate, or the surface on which the tile is put, is equally as essential as the tile itself. Broken tiles and failing grout might be caused by a bending floor or an uneven wall.
Under tile that is expected to become wet, use a water-resistant backer board rather than drywall (shower walls and bathroom floors, for example). The substrate, whether it’s backer board, plywood, or concrete, must be sound, clean, and dimensionally stable. Surfaces must be level, plumb, and true to the plane, as our professional tilers say—that is, there must be no bumps. Before tiling the walls or floors, remove all wallpaper, loose plaster, flaking paint, peeling tiles, and unsecured sheet flooring.
STEP 2: Take measurements
-Wall tiling
When tiling a wall, you’ll want to start with a level topline. Because few walls are perfectly plumb, mark the top line using a level. To make it flush with the floor, set it at a height that prevents you from having to cut extremely thin tiles (or very thin shards from nearly whole tiles). Make a top line and then a center line on your walls. Make sure you’ve laid out all of the walls you wish to tile before you start tiling.
-Floor tiling
Find the middle of the surface first to make your completed ceramic tile surface seem symmetrical (even if it isn’t). Then take measurements from both sides. If you’re tiling a tiny space, pay extra attention to this step since broad tiles on one edge and thin tiles on the other will make the work seem unbalanced.
STEP 3: Arrange the tiles.
Lay the tiles out to see how they will look once you’ve established the center point and leveled the area for floor installations (or set the top line level for wall installations). Within each quadrant of the grid, let it dry before mixing the glue or mortar.
The distance between tiles should be consistent. If your tiles aren’t on mesh sheets, use spacers. The greater the tile, the larger the gap between them should be. To eliminate grout lines, some do-it-yourselfers make the error of pressing tiles too close together.
STEP 4: Using a tile cutter
The first step in cutting tile is to measure the size of the tile you want to cut and then use a tile cutter to cut it a felt-tip marker to imprint the proportions to the glazed surface of the tile. Place the tile on the tile cutter, aligning the cutter’s centerline with the axis that the tile will be cut on. The top of the tile should be flush with the fence at the top of the cutter to maintain it square. Then, using the lever linked to the cutting wheel, drag the cutter across the tile’s surface, using strong, equal pressure. With the cutter, make only one pass. Last but not least, snap the tile.
STEP 5: Putting the tiles together
If you’re using tile, it’s probably in a location where moisture is a given—the kitchen, the bathroom, the foyer, and so on. Make certain you use a water-resistant adhesive. You may use a mortar or a premixed glue, but if you go with the latter, make sure it’s a thin-set variety.
STEP 6: Tile grouting
Grout is often bought as a powder that must be combined with water or an additive. Read the packaging instructions or seek help at the tile retailer. Wear gloves and uniformly distribute the grout, being careful to use a blunt stick or another instrument to push it into the joints.
STEP 7: Clean and seal the area
Make sure the residue on the tiles’ surface is sponged off before it has a chance to dry. This phase will take an hour or more to complete because it will require multiple passes. When working with tiles that have a porous or variegated surface, this is a crucial step. It can be nearly hard to remove dried grout from indentations.
You can apply grouter according to the manufacturer’s suggestions or you can as us. Professional tilers of Tiling NSW know what is best for our clients. For more information regarding the ceramic mosaic tile installation process, contact us now!