Installing Tile Floors

Installing tile may seem like a laborious process that should be left only to the professionals. This is not necessarily true. With the right tools and do-it-yourself attitude, it most certainly can be done on your own. Nevertheless, whether it is you or a contractor, it is important to understand the steps that are involved with installing a tile floor so you can make sure it is the right choice for you.

Tile works well in areas with high foot traffic, and it's especially suited to entry areas where water and dirt enter the house.

6 Steps for Tile Installers

The first step is removing whatever current floor exists. Obviously, this procedure will vary depending on the kind of flooring you already have down. If it is just vinyl, most of it can just be peeled back by hand. If it is carpet, the moldings which surround the edges of the room have to be removed and perhaps some extra glue or staples, and then you can pull it up by hand. Hardwood takes much longer because it involves removing countless nails before it can be pulled up. If the floor is an old tile or stone, a professional will likely chisel out most of the pieces.

The second step is cleaning off the base floor which may have a variety of debris from past flooring. It may also contain bugs, mold, or other foreign matter that definitely need to be cleared before the new floor is put over it. This is important because an uneven unclean sub-floor can make it harder to install the new floor as well as cause serious future damage.

The third step is to figure out which tiling pattern to employ. There are two commonly utilized tiling schemas. The first is the "jack-on-jack" pattern. This pattern is like the one you see on a checkerboard. The other pattern is called the "running bond" pattern. This form is the more artistic of the two and is for those who are running mosaic-type designs. If you are doing a simple floor type, a jack-on-jack pattern is your best bet.

The fourth step is identifying the center of the room. To do this all you have to do is measure and find the middle of two opposing walls. Once these marks are found simply trace a chalk line across the room both vertically and horizontally. Then, double check these lines and measurements to ensure they are in fact centered and perpendicular to one another. This step is critical because the appearance a tile pattern portrays can be thrown greatly askew if the center mark is incorrect.

The fifth step is to begin laying down the tile from the center point of the room, working your way outwards towards the walls. During this step you have to lay down the adhesive first and then place the tile down. It is better at first to use too much adhesive rather than too little. This is because the extra will come out the sides which you can wipe away (though do this immediately), whereas once a tile is cemented, it is hard to add that extra adhesive needed. Also, it is important to leave grout space between each tile. Spacers are a good idea, so you know that each tile will be separated equidistantly. This leaves room for the grout.

The sixth step is to apply the grout. If you or your contractor has executed step five effectively, then this step should be easy. All you have to do is mix the grout with water until it is at a peanut butter-like consistency and then apply it between tiles. The grout should be flatly even with each tile. Excess grout can prove a challenge to remove from the surface of the tiles if it dries. So just keep a large towel on hand at all times this way any extra grout can be swiftly cleaned.

That is it. Follow these six steps and you'll have that striking tile floor you've always wanted!

For more on tile flooring installation visit FlooringInstall.com.