Laying tiles in the bathroom with your own hands is not an easy process, especially if you do it for the first time. It will also take a lot of time to decide on the exact design, and therefore you will have to visit the hardware store more than once.
How to choose the right material?
In order to lay tiles in the bathroom with your own hands, first of all, you should make the most accurate calculations regarding the amount of material. Not all stores practice the return of leftover tiles, but another problem may arise - the product may be out of stock. You can buy a tile of a similar color or type, but during the repair process the difference will become more pronounced and will be an eyesore for the owners of the apartment for a long time.
At home, you need to draw a tile laying plan, preferably as close as possible. This will not only help to take into account the number and size of the required tiles, but also help to detectplaces where tile cuts will be the least visible.
You can't save on the material, because in this case the price category really plays a big role. It is because of the high cost of tiles that you need to plan laying in advance.
How to choose a color?
Tile, like any other item used in interior design, can hide the flaws of the room, as well as emphasize its advantages. But how to make the right choice? We need to understand more.
With the help of non-standard tiles, even the most ordinary bathroom can be unusual, and therefore it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the full range of possible colors and textures of tiles.
As in any other interior, light colors of tiles will visually expand the room, and warm colors will help to achieve complete relaxation.
It is better to abandon the usual option with blue or green tiles. After all, it can destroy the uniqueness of any bathroom. If a similar color has already been chosen, it is better to add some interesting ornamentation to it or make sure that there are other bright details in the bathroom.
Bright colors are recommended to be used only to make any accents in the room. If you completely cover the room with such tiles, it will interfere with concentration and relaxation, and will also quickly tire your eyes and make you think about re-repair.
Glue selection
To lay tiles in the bathroom with your own hands, you need to take care of purchasing the appropriate adhesive. Mostthe CM11 mixture is popular, but it can only be used if there are no special conditions in your bathroom that can make the tiling process more difficult. The price of this glue is very democratic, and its quality is time-tested.
Preparation of the premises
The preparation of the room must be approached with extreme caution, especially if replacing any of the plumbing is not currently in your plans. The toilet bowl and washbasin should be carefully dismantled. However, this can only be done after shutting off the supply of hot and cold water.
Dismantling the old coating: is it possible to do without it?
Before tiling a bathroom, many homeowners wonder if the old material really needs to be removed. The answer is simple: it all depends on her condition.
If the old tile is in good enough condition and does not fall off anywhere, then you can mount the tile on it. To do this, you just need to thoroughly rinse the previous layer and pay special attention to the seams between the plates.
If the old tile is in disrepair, it certainly needs to be dismantled. For these purposes, a perforator is perfect, which must be put in shock mode.
You need to take care of your own safety before you lay the tiles in the bathroom yourself. In the process of dismantling, pieces will most likely fly off the material. Therefore, it is better to find gloves and goggles.
If the old tile falls offtogether with layers of glue and / or plaster - you don’t need to worry, because the glue will have to be removed anyway. It is also recommended to re-plaster the room.
Wall Alignment
Rarely the walls in multi-storey buildings, especially brick or concrete, are even. In this case, they simply need to be aligned, otherwise the repair does not make any sense.
If the walls are not strong enough, it is recommended to prime them before leveling. It is recommended to repeat this before laying tiles in the bathroom. But that's not all the nuances of the work.
How to lay tiles in the bathroom next? To determine how much work to do, you need to take a square and a plumb line. The latter must be used to determine the deviation of the wall from the vertical. A square will help measure the degree of deflection.
After the primer has dried, it is necessary to fix the beacons on the wall. To do this, apply glue in several places, and then alternately fix the beacons. The equipment must be in the same vertical plane.
Wall alignment process: what does it consist of?
After fixing the beacons, you need to fill the gap between the wall and the fixing with mortar. As a rule, ordinary cement mortar is used. However, it is better to change one part of cement for one part of glue. This will add more strength before laying the bathroom tiles on the wall.
Further, with sharp and short movements (a trowel or a plaster bucket can help with this), it is necessary to apply the mortar. You need to start from the very top of the wall. Howeverif this is too difficult for you, you can start from the bottom.
Each time the gap between the fasteners is filled, use the rule to get rid of the remnants of the solution. It is better to return the excess amount of solution back to the container. The process must be continued until all gaps are filled.
Floor leveling
Before you lay the tiles in the bathroom, you need to take care of leveling not only the walls, but also the floor. There are two ways here:
- With the help of beacons.
- Using a self-levelling compound. However, this method is not at all cheap.
The bathroom floor doesn't always need to be leveled, which is easiest to measure with a laser level. If the distance between the laser marks on the wall and the floor is the same or does not exceed five millimeters, then you can do without adjusting the level at all. A slight curvature is corrected directly in the process of laying the tiles.
If a deviation has been identified, before laying the tiles on the floor in the bathroom, you need to repeat the same procedure as with the walls. The only difference is that the beacons must be located clearly on the markup.
Finish
In the question of how to properly tile in the bathroom, you need to remember that you always need to start from the walls. First you need to calculate the number of whole tiles on one wall, taking into account the fact that the distance between them should be no more than five, but not less than three millimeters.
If the result is a non-integer number, the tile will have to be cut. An aesthetically trimmed tile will look underneath (where it draws the least attention).
However, it is not recommended to start laying from below, and therefore you need to approximately measure the height of the trimmings and install a wooden lath at this level. Now you can safely start laying from above.
Preparing the solution
To properly prepare the mixture, first you need to pour water into the container, and then gradually add the dry mixture. The solution must be constantly stirred with a construction mixer to allow it to thicken.
You don't need to do a large amount of solution at once. After all, it will dry out. It is better to limit yourself to small portions that can be constantly replenished.
The result should be a mixture that looks like gruel. However, it should not drain off the tiles or walls, but should be evenly stretched over the surface. If the solution looks like this, you can proceed to the next process.
Laying tiles on the wall
The solution obtained during the previous step must be applied to the tile and pressed against the wall. Each tile must be exactly above the level.
During laying, you need to use special plastic crosses. They will help control the gap between the plates. Despite the fact that you always want to neglect the gap, it is important enough for the long-term preservation of the repair. The fact is that the distance between the plates helps to prevent the appearance of cracks in the material due to thermal expansion. ToIn addition, crosses will help to make the seams relatively uniform. This has a positive effect on the appearance.
Before laying the tiles in the bathroom yourself, it is recommended to tighten the thread (horizontally) for the second row. This will significantly reduce repair time and help you not to double-check the level of each tile separately.
When you need to lay very small pieces, they are best placed in the corners (where they will not be visible). It is important to keep the level. After all, if the tile even a little goes downhill, it will be quite noticeable. This will significantly spoil the overall impression of even the most expensive material. Even the slightest shift in rows should not be allowed.
Laying tiles on the floor
While wondering how to tile in the bathroom, you are most likely interested in the process of laying tiles on the floor.
Despite the fact that, basically, the process of laying tiles on the floor is no different from finishing the wall, it has its own nuances. You should always start only from the far wall. And then move towards the door.
In the case of laying on the floor, it is also necessary to tighten the nylon thread to prevent displacement in a certain segment. The tile can be set to the desired level with a rubber mallet. But do not overdo it, if the material has gone too deep, then it will have to be removed and then laid again.
Final step: grouting
When the last tile has fallen into place, the entire structure must be cleaned of glue until itcompletely absorbed, and then let the mixture dry and get stronger.
How beautiful to lay tiles in the bathroom? After laying, you need a couple of days (ideally three or four) not to enter the room with the repair. It is better to open the windows in the apartment and let the smell of glue disappear.
After the material is completely dry, you can proceed to the grouting process. It is not worth saving on the grout itself. After all, not only the appearance, but also the durability of the new repair will depend on its quality. By the way, grout can be of several types. There are finished products and in the form of a solution. The first is sold in tubes for a gun. The second is a powder that must be diluted with water for further application on a wall or floor surface.
The finest grout is considered to be of the highest quality and will last for many years. Poor-quality grout will have to be changed after a few years.
After the material has been applied, it is best to immediately get rid of the excess. The fact is that the grout is sometimes difficult to remove. This is especially true for tiles with a bright or textured design.
Conclusions
Bathroom tiling is almost the same as wall and flooring, but the process has its own subtleties for each surface, and they are simply not to be forgotten.
The comfort of all family members for many years can depend on the choice of tiles in the bathroom, and therefore you should not be irresponsible about this process. It is bettercarefully consider the manufacturer, price and even the color of the tile. The bathroom is a place to relax, and some details in the interior can be very distracting.
Tile in the room is usually used because it is the most comfortable, stable and has many positive characteristics. For example, the material is not afraid of moisture, it can be safely treated with detergents. The tile does not peel off when interacting with steam or hot water, which cannot be said about the wallpaper. The material will last and retain its appearance much longer than any other type of coating.
As can be understood from all of the above, the tile is not only easy enough to lay, but it is easy to use and as picky as possible. Even a novice in construction will be able to cope with the quality of laying tiles. However, this may take a little longer than the professionals.
