The ceramic bathroom border is a piece that can be purchased with tiles. It is used to decorate the gaps between the wall and the bathroom. Many novice home crafters wonder why they can't just fill the space with sealant.
The thing is that this method can only be used for cast-iron bathtubs, as they are highly durable. However, in this case there are exceptions expressed in jagged edges. It is better to entrust the installation of the curb to a specialist if you have not done tiling before. But doing everything on your own, you must first familiarize yourself with the technology of the work.
Problem Solving
If you have a steel or thin-walled acrylic bath, then under the weight of a person and water, it is deformed. This leads to a constant change in the width of the seam. The side of the acrylic bathtub is fixed to the wall. In other cases, the gap can be closed with something. It should be remembered that the ceramic border is used only incombined with tiles. If the wall is lined with plastic panels or painted, then a plastic or rubber border would be a better option.
Preparation for installation
If you decide to install the ceramic border yourself, then you should prepare some materials and tools:
- sandpaper;
- building level;
- tile adhesive;
- angle grinder;
- flat and notched trowel;
- sealant with an antiseptic additive.
The grinder should be equipped with a disk, and this equipment will be used for cutting stone. Sandpaper can be replaced with a sanding block. If you intend to stick the elements until the wall is tiled, then the bathtub should be leveled so that its edges are horizontal. If there is already a tile on the wall, then the bathtub should be installed in such a way that its edge is parallel to the horizontal seams between the tiles.
Ceramic border can be glued only on the surface that is previously degreased, cleaned of dirt and dust, and also dried. Before starting work, the gap is filled with sealant or tile adhesive. If this space turned out to be too wide and occupies more than 5 mm, then mounting foam can be used as a filler. And in order for this composition not to warp the bath during hardening, the latter must be filled with water. This requirement is due to the fact that building foamswells a lot.
Calculate the number of corners
Before making a purchase, you need to determine how many corners you need to carry out the work. To do this, the total length of the seam is measured using a tape measure. The value should be divided by the length of one corner. This will allow you to get the minimum number of fillets. To this value, experts recommend adding about 4 elements that may be needed during the battle. Spare parts should be more if you do not have special experience in carrying out such work.
Installing the border before tiling
As mentioned above, a ceramic border can be installed using one of two technologies. The first involves installation before gluing tiles. This method is the most correct, because the lining in this case will have an ideal appearance. The seam should be the same as all the others. Therefore, in the end, it will be possible to ensure that the coating looks like a single whole.
Be aware that this method is the most complex. Therefore, you should approach the work with special care. Installation must start from the corner. To do this, you need to apply corner fillets, which have the shape of the letter "g". If they could not be found on sale, then two parts will need to be cut at an angle of 45 °, as is done when installing baguettes or a floor plinth.
Before you stick the ceramic border on the bath, you will need to cut it. Howeverthere is a high chance of cracking. Therefore, it is recommended to start cutting from the back side. After the operation is completed, the end face is processed with sandpaper or a grinder with a grinding wheel. If you do not have an abrasive tool, then you can clean it with a file.
Tile adhesive is important to prepare correctly. It should have the consistency of a thick paste, should not slide over the surface and drip off the spatula. Excess protruding between the fillets should be removed with a sponge or damp cloth before the mixture has time to harden.
Work methodology
The border for ceramic tiles on the reverse side must be completely smeared with glue. If there are irregularities on the walls, they can be leveled with the help of the composition. You can estimate the verticality of the wall using a long level or rule.
The outer layers of the adhesive will dry faster, so the mixture may start to spread. In order to exclude such a possibility, 8 hours after the installation is completed, it is necessary to moisten the curb with water, leaving it in this state until it dries completely. Once the adhesive has hardened, you can begin laying the tiles. You can do this the very next day. A certain seam width must be maintained between the first row and the fillet. This can be achieved using mounting crosses.
Installation of the fillet after laying the tiles
Ceramic borders can be glued even after finishing the walls with tiles. This method is considered the most suitablefor a novice master, but to achieve the perfect picture in this way will not work. As a result, the seam between the tile and the border will be wider than all the others, the fillet will look like a separate part.
The tile should be laid using conventional technology, and its bottom row should be 1 cm away from the bathtub. This gap will be used to mount the curb. If it so happens that the lower edge of the first row of wall decoration is lower than the edge of the bathtub, then the fillet should be glued to the tile. In this case, silicone should be used instead of tile adhesive. Installation of a ceramic curb in this case is carried out according to the technology described above. However, joining the elements will be more difficult if you plan to use silicone.
Final works
As soon as the glue has completely hardened, it is recommended to proceed to the final work. When the border is laid according to the first method, the seam is filled with a moisture-resistant grout, which is used to decorate all other scars on the wall. Due to the fact that the curb is located at the bottom, moisture will linger on it longer.
In order to prevent the growth of mold on the seam, an antiseptic should be added to the grout. If the wall-mounted ceramic border was laid after the installation of the main cladding, then the connection should be filled with acrylic or silicone sealant. This must be done as carefully as possible, only in this way it will be possible to exclude contamination of the tile.
How to glue a ceramic border:silicone sealant MAKROFLEX SX101
White ceramic borders can be bonded with the above mentioned plumbing high performance silicone sealant. It provides high adhesion, moisture resistance, contains antiseptic components and is resistant to aging. Additional benefits include UV resistance.
The composition contains fungicides that prevent the occurrence of mold. This makes the composition especially effective in those rooms where the environment is characterized by high humidity. The mixture can be applied over a wide range of temperatures. However, the thermometer should not fall below +20 °C. The composition can be operated at temperatures that vary from +5 to +40 ° С. If there is a need to glue the skirting board at temperatures below +5 °C, then the treated surfaces must be free of ice, frost and condensation.
An alternative solution for mounting ceramic plinth: Ceresit glue
The corner ceramic border, like all other elements, can be installed using Ceresit tile adhesive. On a cement basis, a variety of CM 9 is made. This mixture is moisture resistant. It has reduced frost resistance qualities, freezes 2 times longer than other offers from the manufacturer.
After opening the container, it is recommended to use the mixture within 2 hours. The temperature of the external air during application should vary between +5 and +30 °C, while the air humidity should not rise above 80%. You can correct the element after installation within 15 minutes. The open time is 10 minutes. The element after installation can slide by 0.5 mm. It is necessary to overwrite the seams after two days.
One of the most popular adhesives is CM 11 Plus, which is suitable for laying tiles indoors and outdoors. This mixture is not afraid of moisture and frost, so it can be used in country houses. Before applying the mass, it is necessary to make sure that the fillets have a water absorption of more than 3%. If you add an elasticizer to the composition, then the glue can be used to install curbs with any water absorption.
Conclusion
Ceramic border will be the most aesthetic solution for the bathroom. It looks noble, and can also be perfectly matched to the tile. Installation of this element should be carried out in several stages. The first involves the preparation of the base, the second is the sealing of cracks, while the third is the distribution of glue and the formation of corners. The final step will be the installation of curbs, which should be set at the building level.
