Often, people who are independently engaged in the repair of an apartment do not risk getting involved with ceramic tiles, preferring other building materials as an alternative. Among homegrown craftsmen, it is believed that laying tiles correctly is a difficult and difficult task for the layman. However, for bathrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, tile is the optimal flooring. This raises a very relevant question: how to lay tiles on the floor? In fact, it is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to comply with all necessary requirements when performing work.
Choosing a tile
To properly lay the tiles on the floor with your own hands, you must first select it. To do this, we go to the nearest hardware store and get acquainted with the assortment. If you have never bought tiles, then you know - there are two varieties of this material: for walls and floors. The tile, which is intended for the floor, has a corresponding icon on the packaging - a white mark on a black background.
Given that the floor in the kitchen and bathroom is often slippery from water, it is recommended to purchase rough tiles. On the packaging of such products, a white boot is depicted on an inclined plane and there is a digital marking indicating the coefficient of friction. For these premises, it is recommended to purchase tiles with a coefficient of at least 0.75.
Insofar asflooring will be installed in rooms with a humid environment, it is necessary to pay attention to the water resistance of the material. For your purposes, this figure should not be lower than 3%.
It is recommended to give preference to a tile, which is marked with a flask and the letter AA. This indicates the resistance of the material to active chemicals. The fact is that most detergents contain chemically active substances. Therefore, when cleaning, it is possible to damage the surface over time. If you choose and lay the tile correctly, it can last for decades.
It is worth noting that all tiles must be from the same batch. This will help you to accurately match the color shades and avoid large deviations during the installation process. In addition, floor tiles are always thicker than wall tiles. The recommended thickness starts from 8 millimeters. Experts recommend purchasing a large tile, this will greatly simplify the process of installing the floor covering.
But the choice of tile color depends entirely on your taste and the overall design of the room. Having purchased the required amount of material, you can proceed with the installation of the floor covering.
Laying tiles correctly
In order to lay the tiles, you will need tools. An example set might look like this:
- Pencil and tape measure;
- Building level (preferably laser);
- Device for cutting tiles;
- Hammer with rubber tip;
- Putty knife.
In addition, you need to take care of the container for mixing glue, plastic crosses, grout and primer. Having prepared everything you need, you can begin to work.
Laying tiles can be divided into three stages:
floor markings
To correctly lay the tile, you must first make a markup. To do this, it is recommended to lay out several rows of tiles on a dry one. This experiment will help you find the styling option that suits you. If the room is small, such as a bathroom or toilet, you can lay out the entire floor. Remember that, most likely, the tile will have to be cut. Therefore, try to keep the whole tiles in the center, and the trimmings at the edges.The markup itself is performed as follows: the starting point is marked, the remaining corners of the square or rectangle are determined from it. This will be an area covered with a whole tile. The remaining space will be covered with clippings. By the way, they can be cut in advance and fit in place.
If you chose a diagonal layout, you should take into account the fact that there will be much more scraps, take this into account when calculating the tile stock. Also, this method is more labor-intensive due to the large number of small parts, they must be cut out, taken into account during installation and applied when marking the floor.
When marking, consider not only the size of the tile, but also the width of the tile joints. Usually they are 2.5 millimeters.
Laying tiles
Before starting laying, it is necessary to prepare the base. To do this, the old floor covering is dismantled. The concrete base of the floor is cleared of debris, if necessary, you can pour cement screedto bring the base under the zero level. At the same time, it is not always advisable to fill the screed. It will dry for about three days, and not everyone will dare to stay without a bathroom or bath for this time. In any case, in order to properly lay the tile, the subfloor must be prime. This will ensure reliable adhesion of the base to the finish. For such purposes, experts recommend using an acrylic primer.
After the primer has dried, you can proceed with the installation of the floor covering. How to lay tiles on the floor, consider below.
Some masters advise pre-soaking the tiles before laying. This is argued by the fact that wet tiles will better adhere to the base and last much longer. You should not follow such advice. In fact, it is impossible to soak the tiles before laying! Most adhesive compositions are focused on working with dry tiles. Pre-soaking the building material can disrupt its structure, so the floor covering will have to be changed in the near future.
The selected adhesive is diluted in accordance with the instructions indicated on the package. Then, using a spatula, the adhesive is applied to the floor and the first row of tiles is laid. Glue with a thin layer can be additionally applied to the tile itself, rubbing it from a rough surface, thus achieving maximum adhesion of the adhesive to the material. Plastic crosses are installed between the tiles. They are needed for a smooth and uniform tile seam.
The tile is adjusted in place with a rubber mallet. After laying, adhesive residues are immediately removed from the tile. This procedure is repeated until the entire floor is laid out. It is not worth rushing during the installation process; each lined row must be checked with a building level.
Grouting
This procedure is performed after the adhesive has hardened. For grout a special composition is used - a fugue, which is bred in a separate container. You will need a rubber spatula to apply the grout. The fugue is collected with a spatula and applied to the tile joint, the residues from the surface are immediately removed.
Conclusion
Laying tiles correctly is not difficult at all. It should be noted right away that this is a rather time-consuming process that requires patience and strict control at all stages of the work. If you follow the laying technology correctly, absolutely anyone can cope with this task. On average, you can lay tiles in the bathroom in 4-5 hours. Given the inexperience of the master, the process can take from 8 to 12 hours. Another day will have to be spent on installing skirting boards, installing plumbing and cleaning the room.But in a maximum of 1.5-2 days you will have a completely ready-made tiled floor, made by yourself.
