Tips for Tiling - Ideas That Last

Date: Dec 20 2018 10:29AM

Tips for Tiling - Ideas That Last

Tiling is an important procedure to get right if you want to create the perfect look for your home. There are several important aspects that need to be considered for a finish that will be both durable and long lasting. When tiling floors different problems can present themselves, but with a few tips you can easily create a desirable look.

There are specific steps for tiling floors that you need to consider, especially if you want your tiles to be both lasting and durable. First it is essential to evaluate the surface that you will be tiling onto, some key questions that you need to be asking are what the substrate is, for instance is it concrete, floorboards or something else? If it is concrete it needs to be sound with no loose or broken areas, also is it level, smooth and dry? Newly laid concrete needs at least 6 weeks to dry and a new screed 3weeks. If it is floorboards it will probably need a plywood overlay that should be at least 15mm thick according to British standard requirements and screwed down at 300mm intervals. The underside only should be primed and this is generally to stop moisture seeping up from underneath the ground floor. There are many types of substrates that can be tiled onto but it is important to seek professional advice when tiling onto something out of the ordinary as this may need special preparation and very specific adhesives and grouts. Any type of wood or plywood floor will need flexible adhesives and grouts to allow for movement, but with concrete floors you only need flexible adhesive and grouts if you are going to use underfloor heating and of course they should always be cement based. When applying a suitable adhesive it is best to make sure you have full coverage, dotting and dabbing is not recommended as this will cause voids that will very quickly cause your tiles to crack and this is definitely not what you want. People in general often think that cracking is down to using cheap floor tiles, but more often then not it is because of poor fixing. Once you have laid your floor tile you should wait at least 24 hours before grouting. Once grouting is complete any excess grout should be cleaned off after about 15 minutes, too soon and you will be wiping the new grout out and if you wait too long you may find it very difficult to clean especially if the tiles are textured.