DIY tiling #03
Tiling: The A - Z Guide
Tiling your own walls and floors is not only a rewarding and cost saving exercise, it also adds beauty and value to your home. Follow this step-by-step guide to achieve a professional finish with the superb selection of ceramic wall and floor tiles available from your local CTM outlet.
You'll need the right tools
CTM stocks all the right tools for your tiling project, or you can hire the tools from a tool hire shop to save money. You will need the following:
General trowel: Used for applying mortar, plaster or adhesive
Grout squeegee: Used to apply and smooth out grout
Tile cutter-breaker: A compact tile cutter for scouring and
breaking tiles
Wall trowel: A toothed trowel with 6mm notches that spreads the
adhesive evenly on the walls
Floor trowel: A toothed trowel with 10mm notches for spreading
adhesive on floors
Spacers: Ensure you get the right size for your tiles (see side
of tile box for the correct size)
Tile cutter: For straight cuts; various types and sizes are
available
Tile files: To smooth off the sharp edges on cut tiles
Spirit levels: One smaller and one larger spirit level for areas
of different sizes
Tile nippers: For nibbling away bits of tile to create various
shapes
Rubber mallet: To tap the tiles firmly into the adhesive
Knee pads: Tiling a floor can take its toll on your knees
Chalk line: Used for marking out straight and accurate tile
reference lines
Edge trim: Edge trims are essential for finishing of the edge of
tiles. They are available in various colours and finishes, to give a
refined look.
Scorer, sponge, pencil, tape measure: Essential tools for the job
Before you start
Ensure all surfaces you will be tiling are smooth and level check
this with your spirit level. Uneven concrete floors can be made smooth
and level with a layer of mortar (self-levelling screeds are also now
available);
uneven walls, with a layer of plaster. Make sure all mortar and
plaster has dried properly.
Tiles and tools may drop and cause damage, so cover surfaces like
counter tops with sturdy material like old carpets or thick cardboard.
Tape over cupboards with masking tape to stop dust from getting in.
Make sure all surfaces are clean and free of dust before you lay your
first tile.
Plan your layout with care so that the tiles align properly. Time
spent planning is never wasted.
Check your tiles
Before you start tiling, you need to check that all your tiles match
according to shade, code and production date. You will find this
information on the side of each box of tiles.
During the production process, slight variations may occur from batch
to batch, so ensure that all your tiles come from the same batch.
Now its time to mix and match. Select a reference tile that is the
exact colour and texture that you chose in the store.
Open your first couple of tile boxes and begin mixing the tiles
around. Wipe the powder residue from the back of the tiles with a damp
cloth.
Use your reference tile to ensure that all tiles are as close as
possible to the correct shade and texture. Some tiles are designed to
provide more variations than others, so consult our sales staff if you
are unsure.
Any tiles that vary too greatly from the reference tile shoul be put
aside.
Planning your layout
Walls
When measuring your walls for tiling, remember that very few walls are
actually true or square, so dont depend on the corners to provide a
perfectly vertical line against which to align your tiles.
First, measure the wall from side to side and mark the centre point.
Using your chalk line, draw a vertical line through this point.
Next, measure the wall from top to bottom and again mark the centre
point. Using your spirit level, draw a horizontal line through this
point. You now have two lines that will act as guides when you start
tiling.
If youre tiling around features such as a bath, worktop or
windowsill, select the feature where alignment is most visible and
adjust your horizontal reference line up or down to allow for a row of
uncut tiles above or below this feature. Remember that this line will
run around the whole room, so plan well in advance.
Plan your tile layout by measuring along the horizontal reference line
to the end of the wall, marking the position of each tile as you go.
Remember to leave spacer widths between tiles.
Follow the same procedure with the remaining walls.
Floors
To plan your floor layout, find the centre points of your walls and
strike two chalk lines across the floor by connecting the points on
opposite walls. The floor will now be divided into quarters.
Starting at the centre point on the floor, place two rows of tiles
along the lines as shown, making sure to leave spacer widths between the
tiles as you go.
You may now want to move one or both rows of tiles slightly to avoid
cutting narrow strips along the walls. This also provides even borders
on opposite sides and keeps the floor looking balanced.
If tiles must be cut, ensure that they need not be cut by more than
half the size of the tile. If the tiles do need to be cut by more than
half, rearrange the row of tiles to accommodate another full tile in the
row.
Cutting tiles
Cutting tiles for corners or spaces is an important part of your DIY tiling project. Remember, CTM is always there for advice if you are unsure about anything. Cutting tiles is really not difficult, you simply have to apply a few techniques.
To cut tiles to fit at the base of the wall or around the edges of the
floor, place a loose tile over the last full tile in the row.
Place another tile on top and slide this top tile towards the wall
until it touches. Remember to take the spacer width into consideration.
Also consider the flow of any type of pattern on the tiles.
Using the edge of the top tile as a guide, draw a line on the tile
below as shown. When you cut along this line, the smaller portion of cut
tile will fit exactly into the remaining space.
Use your tile cutter to cut a straight line. First score firmly along
your marked line and then break the tile. Practice makes perfect!
To cut a curved shape from a tile, draw the shape on the tile. Then,
using the tile nippers, remove small bits until the curve has been
achieved.
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Tips & hints Dove grey grout is usually recommended for floors, as it does not show dirt as easily as the other colours. Products are available to clean grout of any colour simply ask your CTM salesperson.
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Laying the tiles
If you are tiling both your walls and your floors, it is a good idea
to start with the walls to prevent damaging your newly tiled floors.
Mix only enough adhesive for approximately a square metre of tiling
(about a quarter bag) according to the instructions on the bag. Tile
adhesive starts drying quickly, especially on hot and humid days.
Ensure that the consistency of the tile adhesive is correct. If the
mixture is too runny or too hard, the tiles will not stick properly.
Starting from the centre line on the wall, use your wall trowel to
spread a layer of adhesive at least 3mm thick for a single row of tiles
along your horizontal reference line. For floors, the adhesive needs to
be a minimum of 5mm thick.
Apply only enough adhesive for about four tiles at a time, otherwise
the adhesive will dry before you can bed your tiles.
The first row of tiles is crucial. Press the tiles gently into the
adhesive. Ensure that each tile is correctly positioned and that it
lines up with the horizontal and vertical reference lines. Place spacers
between tiles to ensure that the distance between all the tiles is
uniform and equal.
Use the rubber mallet to tap each tile firmly into place, but be
careful, the mallet is solid enough to break the tiles.
Using a piece of wood as a baton along your reference line is a good
way to keep your tiling accurate and ensure that your tiles will not
drift or slip. (Remember, you will be removing the piece of wood, so
dont nail it in too firmly.)
Once the tiles are firmly in place and reasonably dry, remove the
spacers. Do not leave the adhesive to dry completely, or youll have
trouble removing the spacers. Scrape excess adhesive out of the joints
before the adhesive dries too hard.
Wipe the tiles thoroughly with a damp sponge to remove all excess
adhesive.
Tiling around tap points
First determine the centre point of each tap horizontally and vertically and mark horizontal and vertical lines on the wall with your pencil.
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Place the tile on the vertical reference line and mark off the depth,
which is half the width of the tap point.
Your tile layout will determine where the half-moon should be cut from
the tile. Draw a line across the tile where you marked off the depth of
the cut. Then mark the width of your tap points on the tile.
Using your tile nipper, carefully nip off bits of tile to produce the
half-moon shape that you have drawn on the tile.
Should the hole be in the centre of a tile, score the circular shape,
place the tile on a hollow surface and then gently tap out the circle
with the back of the tile scorer.
Toilets
Plan your tiling to allow grout lines that meet at the front of your toilet base as illustrated.
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Cut a sheet of newspaper into four tile-sized pieces and place the
pieces around the base of the toilet.
Pressing each piece of newspaper down on the floor, carefully mark the
curve of the toilet base on the four pieces of paper with a pencil.
Cut along the curved lines. You now have four pieces of newspaper that
will fit exactly around the base of your toilet.
Place each piece of newspaper on a tile and mark the tile along the
curved line. Cut out the shape with your tile nippers and test the fit.
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Tips & hints
Rather than tiling around |
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Grouting and cleaning
Laying the tiles is only part of the job, so dont forget to also get
the grout from your CTM store.
Let the tile adhesive set for at least 2 days. You can purchase a
faster setting adhesive, but it is more difficult to work with because
it dries more rapidly. Once the adhesive is completely dry, its time to
start the grouting process.
First, clean out the excess adhesive between the tiles (this is easier
to do while the adhesive is still a little wet).
Mix the grout according to the instructions on the pack, making sure
you achieve the right consistency.
Press the grout evenly into the joints with your grout squeegee and
smooth out the grout between the tiles.
Once the grout is dry, wipe off the excess using Grout & Adhesive
Remover (your CTM store will have some in stock) and a clean sponge or
cloth.
Use Pro Clean (also available from CTM) to neutralise the surface.
CTM AT YOUR SERVICE
Remember, when in doubt, ask the CTM sales staff.
Good luck, and enjoy your tiling!