Features Of Laying Tiles On The Floor Yourself: Video, Step-by-step Instructions, Photo

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Which tile to choose for the floor
• Self-laying tiles on the floor
• Surface preparation
• Step by step instructions for laying tiles
• Tips and tricks for laying tiles
• Conclusion

Undoubtedly, ceramic tiles have been and remain one of the most popular types of finishes. This is due to a number of its advantages. Such material is strong, beautiful and durable. But there are a number of features that you need to find out before laying the tiles on the floor with your own hands. Among them, and the features of the choice of tiles, and directly all the nuances of its laying.

Which tile to choose for the floor

To begin with, consider a few recommendations for choosing.

1. In the case of a bathroom, where the permeability is low enough, you can select tiles with a small abrasion class. The main requirements for tiles in this room are high levels of resistance to moisture and exposure to household chemicals. In addition, the coating should not be slippery.
2. Speaking of the kitchen, there is a lot of traffic and it is recommended to take tiles with an abrasion class of at least the third. In addition, due to the high risk of objects falling to the floor, the material must be shock-resistant. It is also necessary to exclude falls, because the tile should not be slippery.
3. For the hallway, you should choose a coating with the maximum level of wear resistance and strength. Since there is a high permeability, and besides, there is a large mechanical effect from shoes (heels, etc.)

More details on how to choose the right tiles for the hallway, kitchen and bathroom can be found in the individual materials of the resource.

Self-laying tiles on the floor

Now let's go directly to the work process. First of all, you need to consider what we need to carry out the work.

First, let's prepare the tools and materials. First you need:

• tile;
• tile glue;
• a bucket for glue;
• tile grout;
• notched and rubber soft spatula;
• building level;
• Bulgarian;
• tile cutter;
• ruler with pencil;
• roulette;
• plastic crosses;
• drill with a nozzle for mixing glue;
• knee pads.

Then you can start preparing the floor for installation.

Surface preparation

Preparation of the base becomes the very first, and at the same time, the most important stage of work. This is due to the fact that for a perfect coverage, you need an ideal base.

Before you start laying the tiles, you need to level the floor. If the difference in level between the upper and lower points of the floor is more than 2 cm, then a screed must be made. If less, then the height can be adjusted by the thickness of the adhesive layer under the tiles.

In the case when it is necessary to level it, a liquid floor or screed is used. Preparation is carried out as follows:

1. The surface is completely cleaned of debris and dust.
2. All openings are closed so that there is no draft.
3. The room temperature during operation should not be less than 5 degrees.
4. Using the level, we determine the floor differences, and mark the level of the screed.
5. Next, fill in the composition according to the level and level it.

6. Leave the poured surface for at least 12 hours to dry.

   

More details about screed in a separate article.

Step by step instructions for laying tiles

When the preparation of the floor is completed, you can proceed directly to the installation, but before that it is worth deciding on the direction of the tile pattern, the presence of borders, the way of laying - straight or diagonally. It is also worth choosing the color of the grout in advance. We are looking at a detailed article, where the technology for laying ceramic tiles on the floor is painted with photo examples.

All about these processes in separate materials, but now we will fully consider how to lay tiles on the floor with our own hands.

1. We dilute the glue in a bucket according to the manufacturer's instructions. It is important not to mix a lot of glue mixture at once, since it sets rather quickly. One batch should be consumed within an hour maximum (depending on the glue itself).

   

2. When laying tiles on the floor, it is best to start parallel to the window line, starting at the corner most likely to be visible.

3. Apply the adhesive to the tile or floor with a notched trowel.

   

4. If the tile is placed on a wooden floor, the adhesive is applied to both the floor and the tile. In this case, glue should be applied to the floor covering on the area that will be processed in the next 20-30 minutes.

5. We apply the tile to the floor, pressing it tightly with our hands.

   

6. Then we repeat the procedure with the next tile. First, press it tightly against the first tile, wipe off the protruding solution and insert two plastic crosses between them.
7. To check the horizontal laying, we apply a level.
8. If necessary, level the tiles by tapping on them with a rubber mallet.

9. We lay the row up to the wall. If the extreme tile does not fit, then we cut it off with a tile cutter or grinder (see how to cut a tile with a tile cutter).

   

   First of all, we carry out the laying of whole tiles, and at the last moment cut off.
10. All non-standard corners will be cut with a grinder in the future. Since the cut tiles do not look aesthetically pleasing, it is on this side that we will install furniture.
11. We begin to lay the subsequent rows from the first laid tile.
12. It is also necessary to insert crosses between the tiles of adjacent rows.
13. After the last row has been laid, we leave the tile for a day - two. During this time, the glue should dry completely.

On this, the laying can be considered complete, but the last stage of work remains - grouting. Tile grout

The grout can now be applied to the joints. Often this is what will determine the final look of the entire job. The work on grouting is carried out as follows:

1. The grout is sold already diluted or dry. If it is dry, we dilute it according to the instructions until a homogeneous mass is formed.
2. To reduce the amount of cleaning work in the future, we glue strips of adhesive tape around the edges of the tile, they will not allow the grout to contaminate the tile.
3. We put the grout into the tile joints with a rubber spatula and press it in.
4. We take a plastic tube, slightly larger in diameter than the width of the joints, and press the grout into the floor with it.
5. It is necessary to distribute the grout evenly along the seams.
6. After the grout dries, remove the adhesive tape from its surface and remove the excess from the tile with a damp cloth.

7. After that I thoroughly wash the floor.

   

This completes the whole process of laying tiles with your own hands. But in the end, we recommend that you read a number of tips and tricks that will help you not to make mistakes. Details about grouting tiles.

Tips and tricks for laying tiles

A number of tips to help prevent installation mistakes:

1. Immediately before starting work, carry out a preliminary layout of the tiles in order to find the best arrangement of the elements.

   

2. It is recommended to lay cut pieces of tiles in places where furniture will be installed, or to hide them in corners.
3. For a smoother installation, floor leveling systems can be used.
4. Choose a trowel depending on the size of the tile and the required layer of adhesive mixture, the larger the layer, the larger the teeth of the trowel.
5. If you plan to lay tiles on a warm floor, select special heat-resistant adhesives
6. Always check the level of the tiles after each new installation. In case of unevenness, correct them immediately.
7. Start styling 10-15 minutes after mixing the glue.

8. Remember that the coating fully dries out and gains strength in at least a day, and some adhesives require 3 days, therefore it is not recommended to walk on the coating at this time, which may lead to curvature of the masonry.

   

Conclusion

If you decide to lay the tiles yourself, then be sure to take into account all the recommendations provided, and also strictly follow the instructions. In addition, be sure to familiarize yourself with the materials for choosing an adhesive mixture, grouting, selecting a layer of glue and choosing a tool.

In conclusion, we suggest watching a few videos on how to lay the tiles yourself.

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=cD02Q1Ei2sM

On the topic, we are watching a video on how to cut tiles correctly, everything is in a set.

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We watch the video on how to properly grind the seams between the tiles.

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When reprinting materials from the article "Laying tiles on the floor of the video", a link to the website for repairing an apartment with your own hands is required.