July 1, 2024
It’s important to remember the foundations of any room before working on the floors. Each room will be different and may require you to adapt your technique somewhat. It can be easy to get distracted by dazzling tiles and whatnot, but there are a few tips that any floor tiler should bear in mind before they begin.
When it comes to planning, you can’t take this stage lightly! The saying ‘if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail’ is certainly apt in this scenario. Planning the layout of your flooring will save you a lot of time, effort, and money! So make sure you do it properly! The last thing you need is to be halfway through a job and then run out of tiles, or on the flip side, you don’t want to spend loads of money on tiles that then go unused.
Having a clear layout sketched out will also help you account for any obstructions, door frames and you will have a better visualization for keeping it symmetrical.
Before getting stuck into a job like this, you need to make sure you are properly equipped to do so. Knee pads are an essential piece of equipment for this job. It may seem like a strange one to start with, but you will be kneeling down all day and that will very quickly take its toll without them. Additionally, make sure you have your mixers, drills, and trowels all at the ready. These tools will vary depending on the type of floor tiles you are using.
Do not underestimate the importance of getting the flooring level. It is a big mistake to start tiling down without having leveled out the floor first. Why? The answer is simple and quite obvious, you will have uneven floors, this will make it look bad, causing tripping hazards and feel uncomfortable under your feet. Pot a layer of self-leveler on the floor to help smoothen out any kinks.
Another classic mistake that people make is forgetting that when you add your flooring this will lead to a higher floor height. You should plan for this and take it into account so that you don’t have any nasty surprises when things don’t suddenly seem to match up in your plans. With adhesives, anti-fracture mats, and tiles, you could end up adding an inch to the floor height. So be smart and allow for extra height.
If you are renovating a bathroom floor, then you are going to need to take action to waterproof the flooring. Even though most tiles are non-porous, you want to take measures against any water getting into the floor below.
Another thing to note is that the foundations you are working on can move over time, and even the smallest of movements can cause problems down the line. The way to work around this is to use either anti-fracture mats or a bond break. A bond breaker is something that you slather on the floor before the tiling process. It is waterproof and if you have a crack in the foundations, its purpose is to isolate it and stop it from spreading. This way, even if things are moving around underneath, it does not affect the tiling.
One tip that always seems to go down very well is to put supplies and other general bits and bobs on a cart system. With wheels on the base, it makes it much easier to pull tools towards you or to push them away when they get in the way.
Alongside this, you should make yourself a bridge. This will help you move more freely across the room and not stuck/restricted to one area.
Are you having problems with how to install tiles on your home flooring? First and foremost, there are reliable top rated tile levelers to help you out. On the other hand, you can do this job yourself and save some money. There are a lot of resources out there that can help you with this task. But depending on who you are, this tip may only get you so far. If you are a complete newcomer to the tile flooring game, it is probably advisable to seek some help or even a second opinion, just to be safe. You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you end up doing irreversible damage.
At the end of the day, if you are going to do a job, then do it right! If you feel confident putting these tips to the test, then that’s awesome! If not, there are plenty of experienced tilers who will know every trick in the book.
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