Laying ceramic tiles on the floor

Ceramic tiles are a very popular finishing material. Most often it is used in rooms where humidity is quite high. It is undemanding in care, and with the right choice of design and color it will decorate any room. It is not necessary to hire a specialist for installation. If all requirements are met, you can do this yourself.

Necessary materials

Before you begin laying the product, you need to prepare all the required tools. For this you will need:

• Roulette.
• Level.
• A cutting tool, such as a grinder.
• Spatula with teeth.
• Roller or brush of sufficient width.
• A hammer drill or drill with a mixer attachment.
• Rubber hammer.
• Tile.
• Glue.
• Composition for grouting joints.
• Primer.
• Separators.
• Water.

REFERENCE. When purchasing ceramic tiles, you need to make sure there are no cracks, chips or other defects!

How to properly lay ceramic tiles on the floor

In order for the result of the work to be of high quality, the first step is to carefully prepare the foundation.

Preparing the base

It must be absolutely even. If the base has small defects, they can be eliminated in the following way:

• Cracks and crevices need to be covered with tile adhesive. Particular attention should be paid to the corners of the room.This will ensure the required waterproofing.
• Remove all dust and dirt.

If the base has quite significant defects, then more drastic measures are required:

• For a concrete floor you need to make a screed.
• It is necessary to lay sheets of plywood or OSB on the wooden one.

After leveling the surface, it needs to be waterproofed. A primer must be applied to the floor. It is applied to the base itself and to the bottom of adjacent walls.

Once the surface is leveled and waterproofed, you can begin choosing a layout. This must be done before marking is applied.

Layout options

The layout will depend on the selected layout option. There are several types:

• Traditional. It is the simplest and most common installation option. An interesting design solution would be to use a product in several colors. The shape of the tile can be rectangular or square.
• Diagonal. Quite an original method, but quite labor-intensive. For this option, only the square version of the product is used. The diagonal layout allows you to mask existing defects. However, it has one significant drawback - there are many pieces of different sizes and shapes left.
• Take a running start. Visually it looks like brickwork. A very original method, but not suitable for small spaces.
• Deck. For this type, rectangular-shaped products are used.
• Christmas tree. The design looks like a parquet board. Rectangular tiles are used and must be laid at an angle of 45 degrees.
• There are more decorative types: modular, with contrasting inserts and combined. Tiles of different colors and sizes are used here.

Marking

The tile will be an excellent decoration for the room, but for this it needs to be laid correctly. Therefore, careful marking is required. There are many ways to apply markings. However, the application rules are the same for everyone:

• The solid element should be in plain sight and at the thresholds.
• It is necessary to start marking from the geometric center of the room.
• When the application process is completed, it is advisable to lay the tiles on the surface to visually assess the result.

Laying tiles

Once the markings have been applied, you can begin the installation procedure.

• First you need to dilute the glue according to the instructions on the package.
• The finished solution is applied to the tile, after which it is laid in the marked place.
• To make it fit tightly, you need to use a rubber hammer.
• Each laid product must be checked with a level to ensure the surface is level.
• To ensure that there is an equal distance between the elements, it is necessary to use crosses.
• If the product needs to be given the desired size, then you should use a tile cutter or grinder.
• After all the elements have been laid and the glue has completely dried, it is necessary to rub down all the seams, having first removed all the crosses.
• The grout is diluted as indicated on the package and applied to all seams using a spatula. Excess must be removed.

ADVICE. To make the grout dry faster, the seams should be moistened with water every 3-4 hours.

After the entire procedure is completed, you can begin cleaning the room.

IMPORTANT. It is not advisable to walk on the surface during the first seven days!

If you comply with all the requirements and choose high-quality materials, you can quickly lay the tiles yourself.