Tile is deservedly considered one of the best finishing materials. It is relevant on the floor in the kitchen and on the walls in the bathroom. The tile steadfastly withstands high levels of humidity and high temperatures, is highly durable, and looks aesthetically pleasing. Modern manufacturers supply the market with high-quality samples, and imported products are perfection. For laying tiles, craftsmen ask for a price comparable to the cost of materials. Therefore, many would like to know how to lay the tiles correctly in order to save money and do it all with their own hands.
Kitchen
All masters have secrets and ways of laying tiles. You can lay this material on a plastered wall or a plasterboard coating. If it is painted with ordinary paint in the kitchen, then the material may not hold well. Some experts recommend not cleaning the paint on such a wall, but making notches. There are masters who are against such a campaign -it is believed that all paint must be removed, the surface leveled, and then proceed to laying. However, practice shows that even on a painted wall with notches, the tile holds remarkably well. Whether the tile is laid evenly is another question. There is no guarantee that everything will look aesthetically pleasing without first leveling the walls.
Some people recommend that before starting the laying process, soak the tiles for several hours in a container of water - this is what masters did in Soviet times. It was believed that adhesion could be improved in this way. But there is no evidence that this approach is effective. Now the market offers a lot of modern mortars that have excellent adhesion without the need for soaking.
As you can see, how many people, so many opinions. But we will consider how to properly lay tiles in the kitchen. Three laying technologies are used - diagonally, at the seams, in dressing. The most difficult to lay diagonally. The method implies the need to cut the tile many times. This is not the best effect on material consumption.
When working in dressing, the rows that are above are shifted by half the tile horizontally.
Surface preparation
If the wall is completely dry and plastered, then before tiling, the surface is treated with deep penetration soils. On sale you can find a lot of different soils. They practically do not differ in their composition. You can buy anything. When working with soil, it should be remembered that cast, but not fully usedliquid must not be poured back into the product canister. After some time, the used primer will smell bad.
After the primer is completely dry, individual grains of sand will no longer separate from the surface, and the glue will hold the tile more securely.
Tile adhesive
There are a lot of them on the market. Most of those who know how to lay tiles correctly recommend using Ceresit materials. It is believed that the best glue simply does not exist. But practice shows that there is no particular difference between imported and domestic glue. But there is a difference in price, and it is quite tangible. Therefore, you should not overpay for the brand. It is better to buy affordable tile adhesive for interior work.
Required tools
To work, in addition to glue, you will need a tile cutter. But you can also apply the grinder. You also need to prepare a hammer, crosses, a building level, a ruler, a bucket of water, a metal profile, dowel-nail fasteners. Two types of spatulas are needed - a wide notched and rubber small sizes. You will need a pencil for marking.
Spatulas, or rather, their dimensions depend on the characteristics of the tile. For laying large tiles, a large-sized notched trowel is used. The width and height of the teeth should be ten millimeters. If smaller tiles are used, then the trowel teeth should be eight or six millimeters.
Required number of tiles
How to lay tiles correctly? The very first thing is to correctly calculate the amount of material. To determine the amountyou should measure the dimensions of the wall - you need the surface area. Also add ten percent of the amount in case of possible damage and trimming.
But if you need to save money and the size of the tile is known, you can calculate the required amount up to one element. Then cut out a template from cardboard and apply it to the wall. Then you can make sure exactly how many elements will be in each row, how many will have to be trimmed. These rules are the same not only for tiles in the kitchen, but for any tile work.
Cut tiles are placed in places where they will not attract attention. It is placed on those areas that, after repair, will be covered with furniture, curtains or pipes. If the design project requires that each outlet and switch be exactly in the center of the tile or in the middle of the seam, then a more detailed layout is made. They buy tiles of higher quality, and with a margin.
Laying tiles in the kitchen
It is usually not placed behind cabinets and tables, because this leads to a significant overrun. If you decide to lay out only the working wall, then you need to start with the markup. Experts will reveal the secrets of how to properly lay tiles in the kitchen - you should definitely use these tips.
So, a horizontal line is drawn on the wall to the point where the table ends. A profile for working with drywall is attached to the line. It is on this profile that the bottom row of tiles will be based. The necessary pieces of the profile are cut to size and attached to the wall with dowel-nails. Don't forget about accuracy. Forof this, the correct fastening of the profile is checked by the building level.
In the list of necessary tools there are crosses - they are needed to adjust the thickness of the joints between the tiles. Also with the help of them adjust the position of the tiles from each other. If the seam should be two millimeters, respectively, you should purchase a fixture of just that size. If the seam should be wider, then the crosses are bought according to the desired size.
Preparation of glue
Many are interested in how to lay tiles correctly. But the styling itself is only part of the process. To get a good result, you first need to mix the glue correctly. Its consistency significantly affects the final result.
For proper mixing, carefully read the instructions. Glue interfere manually or with a drill with a nozzle. Apply the composition with a spatula. The latter must be kept in water so that the material on it does not dry out. After kneading, the adhesive composition should stand for about ten minutes. Then it is mixed again. This is done so that the mass becomes plastic and soft.
How to apply adhesive to tiles?
The composition is applied to the tile with a flat spatula. It is more convenient to remove excess glue with a notched trowel. Here's how to lay tiles correctly - this is a technology that has been developed over the years. With a notched trowel, the adhesive will fall back into the bucket without any effort.
The spatula is wet because it is in the water. On the reverse side on the tile remainstraight lines of glue. The spatula must be held perpendicular. This affects the thickness of the layer.
Mounting tiles on the wall
Determine which part of the tile is the bottom and which is the top, a special mark will help. She is at the top. A tile smeared with glue is applied to the wall and pressed. Then check the horizontal and vertical. If the wall is well prepared, then the tile itself will rise as it should. It is very problematic to glue the tiles with a warp. The second tile is applied similarly next to the first. Crosses are installed at the bottom, as well as at the top. Flatness is checked by the rule. There should be no gaps.
Some experts know how to properly lay tiles with their own hands, and they are sure that it is better to apply the glue not on the tile, but on the wall. This method is quite usable. But it is believed that this way the tiles are laid unevenly, although much faster.
If something went wrong and the tile is crooked, then there are 15 minutes to correct the situation. If more has passed, then it is better to remove the tile, clean the wall to perfect condition, lay the tile again.
Cutting
Process tiles and ceramics with a special tool. This is a tile cutter. If there is none, then the operation is done with a glass cutter. Next, the tile breaks on the edge of a stool or table.
Do this operation carefully and carefully. Curly cuts are made with a grinder with a diamond disc.
Laying in corners
Many people know how to lay tiles, butare interested in how to properly lay the corner with tiles. Let's see how it's done:
- You can solve the problem simply by using direct docking. The elements are stacked perpendicularly - so that one cut is visible, and the second is masked under the top. In this case, with minimal effort, you can close the corner in any area. The disadvantage of this method is the seam at the junction. It, of course, is sealed, but it significantly spoils the appearance.
- For a more accurate result, you will have to attend to the purchase of equipment. The technology is to cut the edges of the tiles at 45 degrees. This can be done in the following way. First, the edge is grinded with a grinder. Then apply a tile cutter and emery. Tiles are cut and glued with a solution so that their edges match. They must form a solid material. Experts who know how to lay tiles correctly do not recommend this method for beginners.
- A special corner tile is also used. This is a corner tile. This is the best option for beginners.
- How to lay tiles correctly? Trims can also be applied. These are special inserts made of plastic profile. The latter is the angle of the required directionality. The profile is fixed with sealant, glue or liquid nails.
Tile on the floor
Tiles and ceramics are the best option not only for walls, but also for floors. Let's see how to properly lay floor tiles. The technology is similar to laying on the wall. There are no secrets here. The difference in the size of tiles or ceramics. Floor tiles are thicker andhas large dimensions in width and length.
As an adhesive, you can use factory products or make a cement-sand mortar. This is a great alternative to glue. Make it as follows. Sand, cement and glue are mixed in a ratio of 3:1:1. Then the whole mass is filled with water.
The difference between laying on the wall and on the floor is that the adhesive and mortar must be applied to the surface itself. Those who know how to properly lay ceramic tiles are advised to glue a surface of 1 square meter with glue. This is for experienced craftsmen. And for beginners - 0.5 square meters or less.
Laying tiles in the bathroom
All preparatory steps are also relevant for the bathroom. Here the tiles will be laid on the floor, on the walls and in the corners. The installation techniques described above should be used. In the bathroom, it is better to use tile adhesive. It is better to moisten the tile with water. This will prevent moisture from being drawn out of the adhesive mixture. Here's how to properly tile in a bathroom. The main thing is to work slowly and carefully. And then the result will exceed all expectations.
Grouting
When the tiles are laid, the joints are filled with special compounds - the so-called grouts. To perform this operation, all the crosses are pulled out and the seams are overwritten with a white or any other color grout mixture. The operation is performed with a rubber spatula. The color of the grout is chosen according to the shade of the tile.
For floor tiles groutit is not always used, especially if it is laid in the corridor, vestibule and other rooms where people often go. In these places, the grout will lose its color. Instead, it is better to use a solution of sand and cement.
Conclusion
Here's how to start laying tiles in the bathroom, kitchen, floor. Here is the complete process from start to finish. This instruction will help many beginners.
