Tag Archives: Installing

Installing A Tile Floor That Won’t Crack

Many buildings in Europe have tile floors that are 1000s of years old that are pristine condition. In the United States, however, tile floor often crack after less than 10 years. What did the ancient Europeans know about tile that we don’t?

The answer is the uncoupling system the Europeans used. The uncoupling system starts with a bottom layer of mortar followed by a thin layer of sand. The tiles are then set into another layer of mortar on top of the sand. The uncoupling system allowed for the tiles to float above the floor so that when the buildings began to move, shift and settle the tiles would be unaffected. Without the uncoupling system, today’s tile floors move when the buildings move. This causes multiple problems including: loosened grout, loosened tiles and in extreme cases the tiles can move, shift and crack, especially in larger floors.

In the past, some people have had pretty good luck by first making sure that the sub-floor was thick enough. They would applying felt paper, wire lath, and a layer of mortar before installing the tile. But that was a lot of extra work, extra materials, and extra thickness of being added to the tile floor. Recently, people have started using a product called Ditra, which applies ancient European concepts using some 21st-century materials.

Before beginning any tiling project, it is important that you start with a sound floor. Adding a membrane under the tile floor will only lengthen the life of your tile floor if the floor is structurally sound. If you notice that there is too much give when you jump up and down on the floor that probably means the floor needs to be strengthened before you begin tiling. Check the frame work below the floor, whenever possible, to make sure the size and spacing of the joists are correct for floor span.

Second, before installing the tile, you will need to roll out and cut pieces of membrane for the whole floor. It’s okay to use small pieces in areas such as thresholds to make the installation easier. If you’re putting down a heat mat for a radiant floor, install it before the membrane. Snap chalklines for each course of tile before it’s installed to help guide you so that you don’t spread more thinset mortar than necessary. For an installation over a wood sub-floor, use a latex-modified thinset that bonds well to the fabric side of the membrane.

When using your trowel, you’ll need to keep the lines going in one direction so that pockets or voids don’t form which can prevent the membrane from bonding properly. Roll out the membrane into the mortar and press it flat. Once in position, use either a 75-lb linoleum roller or a wood float to press the membrane into the mortar, establishing the bond. Make sure to push out any excess thinset otherwise this may make the floor uneven.

Most importantly, you will want to plan your tile layout for best look and least waste. This is best done by selecting the room’s focal point.Remember, once the first tile goes down, there’s no turning back. So, take as much time as you need to get the layout right and always remember, when laying tile, that the first tile determines the position of every tile in the floor.

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Start Installing Ceramic Floor Tile : Get the Right Tools

Ceramic tiles have more advantages over other types of flooring materials. One reason why most homeowners prefer this over other types is that ceramic tiles are easy to clean, hygienic and are difficult to scratch. They come in a wide variety of colors and hues to suit your choice of color for your floor, and add life to your desired look. In installing ceramic floor tile on your kitchen or bathroom floor, you will need the RIGHT tools for the job.

Be it for installing ceramic floor tile on the whole kitchen area, or bathroom, or simply to repair broken tiles, having the right tools for the job would make the job easier and cleaner. If youre a newbie at this, you might want to consider asking more information about the tools to use from home center specialists, or your local tool rental yard, so youll know more about the kind of tools youll need.

Like in any home improvement project that requires tools and equipment, your safety must come first. Safety gear like a pair of safety glasses, heavy duty leather gloves, work shoes and long-sleeved work clothes are essential for your tiling work. An early step in tiling is to prepare the floor. If you are installing ceramic floor tile on an existing ceramic tile floor, you may need to tear it out to get to the concrete subfloor, where you can lay in your new ceramic tiles. For that, you will need a flat-head chisel and a hammer, or a mallet. Wearing protective clothing will help you avoid getting hurt from broken shards and other debris which cause nasty cuts, if you are not careful. After chipping away the existing ceramic floor, you’ll need the concrete subfloor clean from dust and debris, so have a broom, some sponges and clean dry rags, and buckets of clean water. Use a handheld sander to roughen up or scarify the subfloor so that the thinset mortar or tiling adhesive may be able to take hold once you start installing ceramic floor tile on it.

Take out the existing tiles on the floor and clean the subfloor before laying out the new tiles. Find the center of your concrete floor by measuring the length and width of your floor. You can do this using a tape measure, a carpenter’s level, and some chalk and string. The intersecting point is your reference for laying in your tiles. Run chalk lines over your reference point so you’ll have a guide for installing ceramic floor tile.

Start tiling only once you have laid out the flooring. You will need a notched trowel, tile spacers, and tile thinset mortar or tiling adhesive. As you install the tiles, don’t forget to put in tile spacers between individual tiles so that you get an even and consistent spacing for your tiling grout.

After finishing an entire row, there may be a little space left that can’t fit an entire tile. So, you’ll need to cut your tile to fit in the remaining space. You can do this with a tile cutter. You may purchase a tile cutter from your local home center, or rent it out from the tool rental yard. Measure out the required size (don’t forget to include extra space for your tiling grout and cut away the excess tile material. But tile cutters only work for straight cutting. When installing ceramic floor tile, you will encounter irregular shapes. For that, you will need to use a pair of tile nippers. Draw an outline of the irregular space on the underside of the tile, and then etch a line along it using a diamond cutter. Then, use your tile nipper to break off the unusable edges, until you have required shape. Do this a little at a time, so you can control your tile nipping. Beware: The cut edges of the tiles are deceptively sharp. Smooth the cut edge with sandpaper so you can safely handle it.

Allow some time for the tiles to settle. Then you are ready to fill in the tile spaces with tiling grout. For this, you’ll need a rubber grout float. Use your grout float at angle to maximize filling in the spaces with grout, and press firmly as you go along. While you’re letting the grout dry for a while, get a few buckets of water, sponges and some clean rags. Remove the excess grout on your ceramic tile floor with a damp sponge. Rinse your sponge regularly so you can get a clean wipe and finish every time. Once done, dry your ceramic tile floor with the clean rags.

If you want to have a ceramic tile floor that is clean and pleasing to the eye, get the right tools and materials to do the job right. You can get most, if not all of your tiling tools from your local hardware store or home center. For equipment that is just too expensive to buy, visit a local tool rental yard and ask if they have the tools you need. Get the right tools for a ceramic floor that will last a lifetime.

Turn your dream floor into reality. Discover how to install ceramic tiles and start installing ceramic floor tile the proper way.

Installing Floor Tile Over Old Linoleum

Ceramic floor tile is a great choice for many rooms throughout the home, and installing tile flooring is a commonly tackled project for the do-it-yourself homeowner. Many people have no trouble installing a full room of ceramic tile without calling in a professional, which can be a big money saver. If your existing floor is covered with linoleum, you can lay your new tile floor directly over the linoleum flooring to save money and time – and to add an extra layer of insulation beneath your tile. However, if you have a wooden subfloor beneath the linoleum, it is best practice to completely get rid of the old linoleum and underlayment beneath the linoleum before tile installation to prevent cracking and buckling of your tile due to the flexibility of the subflooring. If, on the other hand, the linoleum is only installed on top of a concrete slab, you can go ahead and lay your tile over top of it.

Preparing Your Floor

Before you begin installing your floor tile, you will want to remove any existing trim from around the edges of the flooring, including edge stripping and baseboards. Move any bathroom fixtures from the room, like the toilet. Clean the floor thoroughly, but do not rough up or sand the existing linoleum as many of the older types of linoleum may contains particles of asbestos that can lead to lung damage if inhaled. Use high quality sealant to block moisture from any spot where moisture tends to occur in the room. Lay out your tiles on bathroom floor to be certain that you have purchased enough tile flooring to complete the job.

Safety First

Before you begin to install your tile flooring over linoleum, be sure to open a window or provide other ventilation for the room in which you will be working. The adhesive that you will be using will let off fumes that can be toxic. You should also be aware that these fumes are also flammable, so don’t smoke or allow anyone else to smoke in the room while you are installing your tile.

Tile Installation

You will find it most convenient and a big time saver to go ahead and cut any of the pieces of edging tile that you will need to place around areas of obstruction in the bathroom, like water inlets for toilets, or pipe fixtures. A wet saw can be used to make cuts for these tiles. You will also need a tile nipper, which is useful in clipping small notches from tiles to make them fit into corners or around pipes. Wet saws are quite expensive, but luckily you can rent one at many home improvement stores in lieu of buying one outright. Starting in the center of the area where your tiles are laid out, apply adhesive to the back of the tiles using a trowel that is “notched”. This type of trowel provides a grooved surface for the tile’s back that will help it to adhere better to the floor. Use tile spacers to leave the appropriate amount of space between each tile to allow for grouting. As you work, immediately clean up any excessive adhesive that may seep from beneath the tile as it is installed. Next, you will need to use good quality grout to fill in between the tiles, and you will need to work the grout between the tiles using a grout float. And last of all, the application of a bead of silicone caulking to any spaces around pipes and fixtures within the room will help to finish up the look of your bathroom tile. You’re now finished with the tile and can begin to reseat the fixtures that you have removed, and then reinstall the edging, baseboards and other trim that were removed initially.

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Flooring – Installing Ceramic Tile

Tile floors can be installed in any room, however they are most frequently seen in Bathrooms and Kitchens. I particularly like them in entryways, where they serve as a transition point from the outside to large carpeted or hardwood floored rooms. They make for easy clean up and are impervious to water damage.

Tile Types

Ceramic tiles come in two basic types. Glazed and Porcelain. Glazed holds up the best for heavy traffic areas and porcelain works well in bathrooms. Porcelain is typically more expensive, so consider your budget and the size of the area you want to tile. Tiles also come in many shapes and sizes. For flooring, however, I would suggest using larger tiles up to 12″ x 12″.

Underlayment

For proper installation the base foundation or the underlayment is critical. Typically it consists of ¾” to 1 ¼” of plywood. Tiling over Linoleum or existing tile is also feasible, as long as it is solid. I also recommend when Tiling over Linoleum that you first apply ring nails or screws 6″ on center over the entire area. Tiles can also be installed directly over Concrete. Make sure in all cases that the floor is level and free of dust and debris prior to installation. There are leveling compounds that you can apply before applying tile if necessary.

Preparing the Site

Before actually installing the tile, it is best to lay it out in the room to see how it will look. Pay close attention to how it runs out toward the walls, in the corners and next to cabinets, tubs and toilets.

The trick is to lay the tile out such that stubby tiles do not show up in highly visible spots. Once you have completed this, make two marks with a pencil outlining the most centered tile. These lines should be perpendicular to each other. Also take note of the wall that is most visible from all the others.

 

Flooring – Installing Ceramic Tile