Methods for laying floor and wall tiles

Laying floor tiles with your own hands is a daunting task. Especially when working on difficult surfaces of stairs or balconies. In complex interiors, laying ceramic wall tiles or flooring materials requires multiple cuts to obtain the corresponding elements..

Floor Tile Laying Instructions: Basic Information

This is one of the typical construction jobs. Professionals and amateurs should have the appropriate materials and tools:

  • Materials. Tile, putty, primer, mortar, sealant, silicone, masking tape, crosses, adhesive solution, surface dirt remover.
  • Devices, tools. Spatula, roller, drill with mixer, trowel, grater, rubber hammer, ruler, guillotine for cutting material and other similar tools.

Step-by-step instructions for laying floor tiles

Laying floor tiles is a process that requires proper preparation:

  1. First of all, it is necessary to clean the entire surface of the floor, removing dirt, grease, so that the base is dry and clean. Laying products measuring 60 x 60 cm involves leveling the surface of the base with a putty. When installing large-format materials, it is necessary to properly plan the work. After the mortar has dried, which can take several days, the base must be primed with a suitable product. There are different methods – parallel, diamond, herringbone. Next, you need to apply an adhesive solution, which should grab.
  2. Installation of building materials consists in pressing into the solution and tapping with a rubber hammer. To preserve the joint, spacer crosses are used. You also need to consider the gaps along the wall. The building material must be properly cut, for which the tile cutter is used. After cutting the product, as a result, elements of the required length are obtained..
  3. The next stage is grouting, which is carried out with an even distribution of the material along the entire length on the floor..
  4. The penultimate stage is cleaning the floor, which is carried out when the grout becomes dull. After finishing work, the floor is wiped with a damp sponge.

What is the best way to install floor tiles?

There is no single answer to this question. Currently, there are three main installation methods. Each of them has its own advantages..

One way is herringbone styling. It consists in the device of a trowel mesh, which is installed at an angle of 45 degrees to the wall. Herringbone is a beautiful and relatively simple way. It is suitable for rectangular products with any aspect ratio. There is also wood imitation floor tiles..

There are certain schemes for laying them. They are:

  • Simple. Traditional diamond pattern used in narrow corridors.
  • With a slight offset. Each row of tiles is shifted by a certain length in relation to the previous one.
  • Herringbone. The result is similar to the arrangement of branches on conifers..

Laying wall tiles with your own hands, as well as flooring materials, usually proceeds in the same way, regardless of where the work is taking place. However, in some cases there are limitations. For example, it can be difficult when working in small bathrooms. The material must be bright to create the effect of a visual expansion of the space, so the size 60 x 60 will be a good solution..

Please note that bathroom cladding is difficult due to the small floor space. The instructions for laying wall tiles in the kitchen will not differ from the work performed in other rooms. The only drawback is that due to cooking and frying, dirt will form on the walls. When finishing stairs, certain difficulties arise, since cutting of the material is required, which increases the operating time. Installation of wall and floor building materials on balconies requires careful preparation of the room, the balcony must first be insulated and a reliable protection against moisture must be created so that rainwater does not fall under the tiles.

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