The How To Of Floor Tiling

Laying your own floor tiles is a big job, but it is possible to do it yourself. However, there are a lot of considerations before you get started.

You will obviously need to choose your tiles and in particular which type of tile you would like to use. Ceramic tiles are especially good for wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. Vinyl tiles are comfortable to walk on and easy to lay. They can be a cheaper option and are available in many different colours and patterns, including patterns which mimic other types of flooring. There are many other options available also which you can check out at your local supplier.

It is a good idea to plan out your tiling job on paper before ordering your tiles. That way you can be certain how many tiles you will need. At the very least you will need to work out the square meterage of the floor area that you plan to tile.

The floor area that you are tiling will need to be flat, stable, clear and clean. Before you even think about laying any tiles, make sure that you are working on a good surface. If you are laying tiles on a concrete floor, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. But if there have already been tiles laid before, you will need to take special care to ensure that you clear away all remnants of the past tiles and cement to ensure that your new floor will be level.

The best place to begin your work is from the centre of the room. This way you will be sure to have an even spread of narrow tiles around the edge of the room. To find the centre of the room, mark the centre of two opposing walls near the floor and place a string line connecting these two points. Do the same on the other two walls. The point where the two string lines join will be your starting point.

When laying your tiles, begin from the centre with whole tiles. Spread a bed of adhesive with an applicator no more than one square meter at a time to ensure that your adhesive does not dry out.

With ceramic tiles place the tile in the adhesive and twist it slightly to firmly bed it in place. When installing vinyl tiles, place them as closely as possible to their correct position, slide them into place and then firm them down evenly with your hand to ensure good adhesion.

When all the whole tiles are in position, you will need to start cutting tiles for around the walls. To do this, place the tile to be cut exactly on top of the last whole tile in that row. Next place another whole tile on top of this one and up against the wall. Use this second tile as a guide to mark the tile for cutting.

For ceramic tiles, score the tile with a scribing tile cutter and then snap the tile with a heavy duty tile cutter. Vinyl tiles can be cut much more easily using a utility knife.

For vinyl tiling, once you have laid the edge pieces around the wall you are pretty much finished. But ceramic tiles will need to be grouted. Make sure you choose a grout that is going to complement your final job. Only mix up a small amount at a time as it can dry quickly. Use a sponge or rubber squeegee to push the grout into the joins and use a piece of dowel to smooth the joins up at the end. This is preferable to using your finger, as grout can be an irritant to skin, but if you must do so, wear gloves.

Leave your tiling to dry for the recommended amount of time and then give the floor a good polish. You are now ready to invite the family back into the room to admire your new flooring.