Any interior sooner or later becomes boring and boring. This can be applied to absolutely any room - bathroom, living room and even kitchen. Therefore, the issue of apartment renovation remains relevant always. Everyone wants to give the room a zest and make the room more comfortable and attractive. Often, during the repair, tiles are used as finishing materials. It has good performance characteristics, making it ideal for the kitchen or bathroom. In addition, today a wide range of these products is presented. Tiles can be bought in different sizes, in any color scheme. But buying is only half the battle. After acquiring the right amount of building materials, a new question arises: how to lay tiles on the wall and floor? At first glance, there is nothing complicated here. But the process takes a lot of time and effort. So that the result does not disappoint, you need to know how to properly lay tiles on the walland gender. In today's article, we will consider this issue in detail and describe how this procedure is carried out with our own hands.
Why is she so popular?
This material is widely used not only in the bathroom, but also in the kitchen, as well as in the living room. Many have already appreciated the benefits of tiles, which are:
- In high wear resistance. The material does not lose its appearance for several decades. Unlike wallpaper and other finishing materials, tiles do not lose color, do not become cloudy, and are difficult to damage. By the way, according to the wear resistance class, this material is divided into five categories. If you plan to buy bathroom tiles, the third grade is sufficient. Products in this category are a one-stop solution for all home spaces.
- Fire resistance. The material is not afraid of fire and does not emit toxic compounds, therefore it is often used for finishing fireplaces and for arranging underfloor heating.
- Practicality. The material does not attract dust and does not require frequent maintenance.
- Hygiene. Tiles prevent the growth of fungus and other harmful bacteria, which is especially important in rooms with high humidity.
How to lay tiles on a wall or floor? This operation consists of several steps. We will describe each of them in detail below.
Step 1: preparation
In order for the resulting surface to be smooth and durable, you need to properly prepare the wall or floor for tiling. First of all, from the renovated premises you needremove all furniture, appliances and equipment. So we will facilitate the process of installation of building material. If repairs are made in the bathroom or bathroom, it is worth dismantling the toilet bowl, sink, and also shut off the water supply.
How do you lay tiles with your own hands? To do this, you must first dismantle the old one. To do this, you can use a tool such as a puncher. With them we hook the edges of the old tile and thus destroy it. Do not be afraid to destroy the tile along with the cement mortar. The less old material on the surface, the better.
Please note: do not rely on the fact that irregularities can be corrected in the future by applying a large amount of solution. So you will not get a quality result. Therefore, after the destruction of the old tile, we must form a screed, and if it is a bathroom, then also a waterproofing layer.
Screed is made by two methods. This is the dry and wet way. If you need to lay tiles in the bathroom, experts recommend doing this on a concrete base. This is the wet screed. Before laying the tiles, level the surface with cement mortar with your hands. If these are walls, they additionally need to be plastered. This is done using a special reinforcing mesh. Putty to achieve the desired result will not work, as this material impairs adhesion. It is also worth removing all the skirting boards and trims on the doorways.
Step 2: marking and installing supports
Before laying tiles in the kitchen, you need to prepare the markup for the first row:
- If thiswalls, in the lowest part a wooden lath or a plastic corner is attached. It is on him that the first row of the material is based. Next, draw a line with a plumb line. So we will control the vertical level of laying. If you use multi-colored tiles, the laying points must be marked with marks, the shade of which differs from the building material.
- In case we put the tiles on the floor with our own hands, draw a line of the spaced part of the first row. What about multi-colored material? The location of the tiles must be marked in those places where it will differ in the pattern. This will greatly simplify the solution of the question of how to lay the tiles on the floor.
Step 3: laying solid elements
How to lay tiles on the wall with your own hands next? After preparing the markup and all the guidelines (if it is a material with a pattern), we proceed to installation. To do this, prepare a solution of tile adhesive. It can be cooked or dry. In the latter case, it must be diluted in the required proportion (it is different and is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer). Ideally, the consistency of the glue should be similar to a thin slurry.
Apply it with a notched trowel on the wall. The layer should be thin. Then we lean the tile on the surface. We place it first on a support or crosses, and then carefully place the tile on the mortar. It is not necessary to press hard on the material. In order for the glue to completely envelop the back of the tile, we slightly rotate the latter along the axis. This is how we achieve maximum adhesion.
PleaseAttention: it will be very difficult to dismantle such a tile after applying it to the floor or wall. I need to be aware that if I lay tiles on the floor, they should lie as evenly as possible. It is sometimes impossible to move it somehow without damage. Another popular question is: "If I'm laying tiles on the floor, can I use auxiliary tools?" Experts give a positive answer. When laying tiles, you can use a rubber mallet. They inflict light blows on building materials. Thus, it is more closely in contact with the surface.
How to lay tiles in the bathroom? You need to know the measure. Do not press the tile strongly (so that glue comes out along the edges). Gaps between tiles must be clean. They will continue to use grout, which will protect the surface from moisture and dirt getting inside, and also give an aesthetic appearance.
Is it possible to lay tiles on a bathtub in pairs? If your hand is full and you are confident in your abilities, you can install several tiles at once. In this case, each must be seated in a circular motion so that the solution spreads as evenly as possible over the surface. Then the crosses are distributed into the gaps.
With each new row you need to use a level. We check with them how far the row has gone to the side. Ideally, these deviations should not be. If you check each new row on the markup, you can eliminate such defects. But you should not immediately start laying a new row. Experts recommend to withstand a little time until the tile grabs normally. This will make it easier to apply subsequent tiles onsurface.
In the process of laying a new row, it is better not to pause. If you still need to take a break, you need to remove the adhesive solution around the edges (not under the tiles - this is important). If this is not done, the layer will dry out, and this will negatively affect the strength of the material connection.
Step 4: lay the missing tile
After laying solid materials, you can start cutting and mounting the missing pieces. How can this be done? It is recommended to cut tiles with a tile cutter. It can be either manual or electric type. In the absence of such equipment, we use a glass cutter or grinder with the appropriate type of circle. Please note that a large amount of dust is generated when cutting material.
Therefore, it would be useful to have a respirator. In this case, it is better to open the windows so that the dust leaves the room faster. If you have to create an uneven cut, use hand tile cutters or a machine with a diamond wheel.
Step 5: Grout
This process is also called jointing. But you need to start it only after the solution has completely dried. After laying the tile, it is worth leaving it for at least a day at room temperature. If it is outdoor, in no case should you walk on it at this time. Thus, involuntary deformations of the material are possible. The next day, you can safely take out the crosses and make jointing. There are different types of grouts:
- Silicone.
- Epoxy.
- Cement based.
It is worth choosing the right one based on the color scheme of the tile. Also remember that cement grout is sold only in dry form. To use it must be diluted with water. Epoxy and silicone are sold ready-made, usually in tubes with a thin nozzle for a gun.
Regardless of what type of grout was chosen, before the operation it is necessary to clean the surface and the seams between the tiles from dust. Each corner should be carefully processed. Dust likes to form in the most unpredictable places. To do this, use a vacuum cleaner with the appropriate nozzle.
If silicone or epoxy grout is used, be sure to cover the tile parts with masking tape. Otherwise, it will be impossible to clean the mixture from the surface of the tile without scratching.
At the next step, using a rubber spatula, apply a small amount of grout and press it into the seam. Install the spatula across the seam. After that, immediately remove the excess with a damp cloth. Do not allow grout to dry on glazed surfaces. It is important to process all seams and hidden areas. After that, you need to wait until the grout becomes solid. After a day, we finally wash the tile. This completes the tile installation procedure.
About cutting tiles
Before laying the tiles with their own hands, calculate the number of whole and cut pieces. It is advisable to stock up on tiles with a margin. Indeed, when cutting, the tile is often deformed. As we said before,You can perform this operation with a glass cutter or even a grinder. In the first case, the process is similar to cutting glass. It is necessary to install the cutting wheel of the tool on a part of the material and draw it along the line marked in advance. Next, you should perform scrapping. But remember that not every tile can be cut this way. For example, the floor has a high strength class, and it cannot be cut with a glass cutter. Therefore, here you can not do without a special tool. Before laying floor tiles, you need to stock up on a circle for a grinder in advance or buy a tile cutter. The latter, by the way, can be rented. The tile cutter has a large wheel diameter (more than one and a half centimeters). It can be used for both wall and floor applications.
Steps of working with a tile cutter
Cutting on such a tool is carried out in several stages:
- The material is installed on special stops, where a marking line is applied. Ideally, the cutting line should be in the middle of the tool.
- At the top of the device there is a carriage with a wheel and an emphasis, which moves along two guides. This carriage must be moved away from you. Next, a wheel is attached to the edge of the tile and a cut is made with pressure.
The most questions are not straight cutting, but the execution of curved lines with several bends or a semicircle. This is usually done if the tile covers an outlet or water pipes. How to be in such a situation? Here you need to outline the shape of the cutout onglossy side of the material and run along the line with the wheel of the tile cutter. Then the unnecessary part of the tile is bitten off until only the part necessary for installation remains. In most cases, such an edge will be uneven. Therefore, the final step will be processing the line with a file (or better with an electric jigsaw). Can tiles be laid on top of old tiles?
This question torments many who want to make repairs in a house or apartment. Often, owners want to save time and decide to install the material on the old tiles. What do experts say about this? Laying tiles in this way is possible, but not always. So, it is necessary to check the quality of adhesion of the old tile to the surface of the floor and wall. This can be done with a hammer. If the material trembles and vibrates upon impact, then it is impossible to lay tiles on it. It will just fall off after a while. It is also impossible to install tiles on an old one if the latter has swelling or cracks. Installation can only be started when the material is firmly attached to the surface.
How do you lay a new tile on top of an old one? There are many ways. Many advise making notches and cutting off the glaze with a grinder. But all these operations can be excluded if a special primer is used (such as "Betonokontakt"). This material is applied to the surface with a brush or roller. Please note: the surface must first be cleaned of dust and dirt, and also well degreased. This is the only way to ensure a tight fit of the new tile to the old one. Average consumption"Concrete contact" is 300 grams per square meter.
This material is produced on an acrylic basis. It contains cement, sand and special fillers designed to increase the adhesion of the mixture. After applying the material, the surface will be rough. You need to wait until the material dries slightly. After application, the mixture dries within three hours. Only then can tiles be laid on this adhesive solution. How do you lay a new tile on top of an old one? The procedure is carried out in the same way as when installing tiles on a conventional prepared surface. The laying technology is similar to that described above.
Helpful tips
To make the tile installation process as easy and simple as possible, you should follow a few tips:
- You need to try to fit the tiles in a row to the maximum without trimming. In extreme cases, we shift the row so that the last tile remains intact. And wide pieces of tiles simply fit into the resulting gap.
- When laying the material in the kitchen, it is worth marking the rows in such a way that the lower one is formed from pieces, and the upper one from solid tiles. The upper part of the walls especially often catches the eye, and the presence of trimmings significantly spoils the appearance.
- When laying the material in the corridor, it is recommended to install along long walls. At the same time, a small gap of one tile should be left in the middle part. In order not to go astray in the future, you need to apply marking lines. Important,so that the remaining opening is no narrower than a single piece of tile.
- When using multi-colored or curly styling, it is necessary to mark in advance the locations of materials that differ in design, shape and direction. Experts recommend dividing such tiles diagonally to form the desired pattern.
- Read the instructions for the tile adhesive you are using. Some manufacturers produce formulations that are applied only to a moistened surface. These nuances are always worth considering.
- Purchase tiles and adhesive with a margin. This will significantly save time on the purchase and search for the right type of material. And if glue can still be found in the first hardware store that comes across, then tiles (especially designer ones) are very difficult.
Conclusion
So, we figured out how to lay tiles with your own hands on the walls and on the floor. As you can see, the procedure is quite laborious. In order not to shift the rows, it is imperative to make markings. Also, do not install a new tile on an old one if it does not adhere well to the surface. Due to the increased load, the old material may fall off altogether. If tiles with a pattern are used, transitions should be marked correctly. To match the gaps, use construction beacons. They are installed along the edges of the tiles from different sides.
