Installing ceramic tile yourself will save you money and keep strangers out of your house! You learn a new skill by doing it yourself too. Ceramic tile installation projects are tackled successfully by many home owners every year. No doubt there is an art to laying tile, but a handy person who has plenty of time can certainly learn to lay tile. Just like many home improvement projects, pros make money by doing work fast. If you aren't in a big hurry, your quality of work can be just as good as a professional...maybe better. So what are the main steps for a tile job?
Layout and Estimating
What kind of installation is this? Will there be some plumbing or carpentry required? Plan for the completion of those tasks. Measure the area to be covered so you know how much tile you need. Allow for trim and breakage. After you know your area, you can better shop for tile. If you have a budget, knowing the area of tile to be covered lets you calculate your cost as you shop for tile. Do you need any trim pieces? Often edges, like ceramic tile counter tops, are trimmed with hardwood. Bathroom ceramic tile might include towel racks or soap dishes.
Ceramic Tile Installation Tools
Hand tools for installing ceramic tile include trowels, cutters and measuring instruments. Trowels needed vary with the jobs. A basic trowel is the rectangular notched trowel. This tool is used to spread the adhesive. The trowel notches let the installer gauge the thickness of the adhesive. A smaller margin trowel is for detail work. Tile cutting is a critical function. The basic cutter is a nipper, which is especially used for detail work. A cutter board is often used for straight cuts, The cutter board scores tile to make it easy to break. A circular wet saw is the real workhorse of a professional. Saws come in all different grades and sizes. You can find an inexpensive saw that will be right for your job.
Adhesive
Tile is stuck to the floor using an adhesive. The material is either ready mixed or a wettable powder. Your supplier can recommend a grade for your project. Many adhesives are latex based and some are even stain proof and water proof epoxy. Epoxy grout is especially good for shower pans or bathroom ceramic tile.
Laying the Tile
Tile is always laid over a stable base that will not shift much. Often cement board is put down as a base, since cement board is water resistant and stable. Once the base is installed you can put down lines to help align the tile. Of course, no room is perfectly square, so allow for misalignment as you start your job. Locate the pieces that must be cut in the least visible areas. Sometimes, starting at one wall or one side will look best. Sometimes starting in the middle of a surface will be better. That's where the art of laying tile enters.
The alignment of the tile edges determines how the finished job looks. Beware that discount tiles often vary in size more than premium material, making alignment tougher. Use a chalk line to give you as many guide lines as you need. Then you can space the tiles by eye or use regular plastic spacers between pieces to help you.
Grout
After the tile is in place including all the trim, you fill the spaces with a masonry grout. Grout for larger spacing includes sand. The sand makes the grout stronger and less likely to crack. Grout comes in colors too. Grout is installed and spread with a special rubber faced trowel. After the grout is installed, you remove it from the tile faces before it completely dries.
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