Flooring Home Improvement – How to Install Floor Tiles

Installing a tile floor is a remodeling project that most people will leave to professionals. However, with a little know-how, you can pull it off yourself.

As is the case with many other home remodeling projects, a good design software package is a great place to start. Although you'll still have to prepare the floor and glue the tiles yourself, these programs can be of great assistance with measurements, materials and even budgeting. They also will give you a good idea of what the final results will look like.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing between the different tile options available. Although they are quite attractive, stone and slate tiles are considerably higher in price than the ceramic version. They also need to be sealed after installation. Otherwise, they will stain and be very difficult to clean.

Some people confuse floor tiles and wall tiles. Wall tiles are thinner, making them less durable.

The next thing to consider is floor preparation.

You can install the new tile over vinyl or linoleum if it is not rough or damaged. This old linoleum may warp over time, though, causing your new tiles to crack.

If you're laying your tile over a concrete surface, you'll need to make sure there are no high or uneven spots. One way to do this is to lay a long level (at least three feet) across the floor and see if any light shows through under it.

You can also try this same technique using a 2 x 4, provided you can find one straight enough. You can check for straightness by laying two boards against each other. Then turn one of them around 180 degrees and repeat. It is possible to have two boards that have the same curvature, making them appear straight.

A belt or disk sander can eliminate any high spots that you might find. A chisel can be used to remove small bumps, if you're careful not to remove too much of the floor's surface.

It's unrealistic to think that you can get the floor completely flat, but try to keep the high spots at 1/16 of an inch or less. This will prevent your tiles from 'rocking'. This can also lead to cracking due to uneven pressure along the surface of individual tiles.

This 'rocking' can also be caused by flexing of unstable or weak spots on the floor itself. Uneven floors can be repaired using a composite spread that is smoothed out with a wide, flat tool. Cement fiber board can also be used to fix this problem.

Next, run strings from one corner of the room to the other. This will allow you to find the center of the floor. A chalk line and a marker will help you mark this area on the floor.

Starting in the center, lay a few rows of tile without using adhesive. This will allow you to experiment with the pattern and spacing. Try to arrange your tiles so that you have at least a half a tile around the perimeter of the room.

Some tiles are easy to align due to built in spacers. Rubber or plastic spacers are required with others. Try not to vary the spacing between tiles by more than 1/32 (0.8mm) of an inch.

A notched or saw toothed trowel should be used to apply the adhesive. Put the adhesive on the tile when working in tight spots. The adhesive should have long, low ridges. Then, press the tile down while rotating it back and forth to seal it.

After a few rows are laid, make sure they are level by using a long wide surface and tapping the high spots down with a rubber mallet. Of course, this should be done before the adhesive sets completely.

Use a nozzled tube to apply the grout. Run a bead a few feet at a time, wiping away the excess as you go.

Allow the floor to set up for about a week before using.

         

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