Tiling: Plan, Prepare and Install

Tiling the surfaces enhance the looks and the utility. Tiling a surface is not an easy job. You should be very careful right from measuring your surface area through selection of tiles to laying it. Tiling can be done on walls and floors as well. For the areas, which tend to stay damp and wet like kitchen and bathroom or the areas of high traffic, tiling is a perfect choice. Before laying tiles, you should follow some important guidelines and tips which we are discussing here.

Before anything else, you must measure the area of the surface to be tiled. Measure exactly all the edges and corners of the room. Calculate the surface and divide it with the area of one tile. It will give you an idea about number of tiles to be purchased. You can find tiles of many shapes, sizes and colours. Select these which suites and matches the decor requirements of your room. Don’t forget to purchase some extra tiles as they come handy in case of breakage or replacement later.

Before laying the tiles, you must prepare the base floor. Clean the floor by removing all grime, dust and oil. Adhesive will not stick to the dirty and greasy places. Floor should be plain and level one. High or low areas on the floor will show in tiles and also tiles will not adhere there perfectly.

Start from the centre of the surface. Do not make the mistake of starting it from the edge or the corner. Ignore the irregularities in the room as they will set off later. Mark a line from the centre to the edge of the wall. Now check first by laying loose tiles along the marked lines. It will give you opportunity to make adjustments later, in case centre is not exactly marked.

After you have purchased the tiles, open all the cartons and mix all the tiles. There may be slight variation in colour of the tiles in different cartons. This procedure will prevent noticeable variation in the colour. Also check the pattern and lay tile according to the pattern. In case, the tiles are of single colour without any pattern, arrange them according to the grain. It is a must to plan the pattern of laying tiles in advance.

Apply cement to adhere tiles to the floor. First apply adhesive to one fourth of the floor. If you are using self-adhering tiles, skip this procedure of spreading adhesive on the floor. Depending on the temperature and humidity of the area, cement sets accordingly. Mostly, it takes about 15 minutes to get set.

Start applying tiles from the centre of the room. First tile should be laid neatly as all other tiles depend upon this. After the tiles are laid, seal the grout carefully as the appearance of your tiles depend upon the grouting.