So, let's look at the basics of wall tile installation that will make everything go a lot smoother, less frustrating, and less costly. But in reality, floors often aren't level, which means that approach would make your whole tile grid off-level. If you're tiling on a wall, remove any wallpaper. DEAR RHONDA: To set your mind at ease right away, you can easily and successfully adhere the tiles to the floor and wall surfaces if they are above 45 F. Concrete and wall surfaces can often feel very cold but believe it or not, the actual surface temperature is well above 45 F. There are bigger issues, however. There are many ways to invite problems when you lay ceramic tile. Tiles are a great way to bring colour and style to a bathroom renovation. However, while installing ceramic tile flooring is a skill that is developed through years of experience, your understanding of the basics of installation will increase your knowledge of the process and enhance your confidence in the professionals working in your home. But that “shortcut” will look second rate and cost you hours of fussy measuring and cutting. You can tile over tiles, with the right preparation, but I would never do this, the proper way is to strip right back to original wall finish. Discuss Can you grout with tile adhesive? There is no appreciable difference in the appearance of ceramic and porcelain wall tile vs floor tile, but stylistically, it is general practice for wall tiles to be relatively small in comparison to floor tiles. Which is easier, faster and less messy compared to hacking off those old tiles to make way for the new ones. While tile is beautiful it's also unforgiving: You can't sand it, caulk it, or re-nail it. If you’re planning a wall niche, lay out the tile and take some measurements to determine the size of the niche. And neither do tile manufacturers. Although you can usually install and grout tile down to temperatures as low as 35 F , the colder the temperature, the longer the various elements take to sure. Use a light sander on the surface. While you can lay tiles without spacers, it is highly inadvisable to lay tiles without gaps in between them for the following reasons. Maybe you can do without using a particular room for two days. When you install ceramic tile on the floor, you must take care to create an expansion joint between the walls and the tiled floor. AND: I guarantee you’ll use the angle grinder for some other project or you can sell it. Re: Keeping wall tile in place while setting David, When we install sheet-mounted tile on walls we usually start at the top and "hang" the sheets, working toward the floor. Tiles bigger than this need a 3/4 inch notch. After all, the penalty for poorly installed wall tile is a lifetime of having to look at the stuff. In order to provide a consistent surface layer for the tile, fill the seams of the backer board with the tile mortar and let it dry. Make sure the thin set you buy has phrasing like “large tile” or “large format” on it. And that can lead to missing tiles and leaks. Go. Slide it onto the caulk, and push it along. Otherwise, you increase the difficulty of laying them evenly. 1; 2; 3 … Go to page. But it can … 1 of 11 Go to page. With a diagonal tile layout like the one shown here, you’ll get full tiles and half tiles. Next Last. If trim will frame the niche, be sure to factor it into the layout. Always check the V Rating on your tiles and dry lay them prior to lay them if your tiles are rated V3 or V4. That way you can be assured of a beautiful, efficient and correct installation. You can always add more mortar to the mix as you go or make a second batch. Set each tile atop the adhesive you’ve scored and firmly press it into place. The Top 10 Reasons for Tile Fixing Failures Incorrect or no expansion joints: failure to use the correct expansion joints and tiling over construction joints will make your tiles too rigid, and they will crack during movement or expansion and contraction of the building. That happens because this process allows you to cut each tile to the same size, with an accuracy of 0.2 mm. This thin set is thicker and holds the larger tiles. You'll still be grouting the area all at once. Sure, concrete tiles are strong. 12-30-2000, 07:50 PM. Dont worry if you do pull a bit of plaster when stripping the tiles, as its easy enough to replace. Although laying tile takes practice and time to master, I found that the challenge was a lot easier to approach than I first imagined. Raymond. I tried my hand at installing it for the first time about a month ago. If you can do the tiling yourself, the whole project will be a lot more affordable. So it's best to get the job done right the first time. Guest #2. What if you just want to lay over the old tiles instead. This tends to happen when homeowners need to cut a large hole in tile. Large, heavy wall tiles are a challenge to hang, because the weight of tiles makes them prone to slip off the wall. Steps. Position the tile as you go. Scuff the old tile surface with sandpaper to provide a better grip for the new adhesive or mortar. You can buy a 3″ or 4″ carbide hole saw…but they are super expensive. Drying times vary based on the type of mortar you will use for the tile. Use a patching compound to fill in broken or missing tiles and any spaces in the old grout. Just laying some of the sheets out on the floor, I can see that precise placement of them is needed to make them look like they are NOT sheet mounted. when the tiles are wet, the installation of adjacent tiles lets you feel height differentials (lippage), and then adjust using hydraulic pressure of the cement as you lay the next run of tiles (tap the high tile down, or lift a low tile by tapping adjacent tiles). However, wall tile installation has its own set of rules that you dare break at your own risk. S. Snowfrog. Regular Contributor Join Date: Jun 2004; Location: Baton Rouge, La; Posts: 37 #2. Read this article to find out everything you need to know about laying a tile floor from measuring and layout to cutting and laying tile. Tiling over tiles can make it awkward, ie … The one tricky part of laying mosaic tiles is to make sure that the mortar isn’t too wet or dry, is the right height and doesn’t squeeze out between the tiles. Normally, dry times range from 12 to 24 hours. We are laying the cement board and wondering if it is ok to walk on. Tiles that reflect light are a great way to make a bathroom feel lighter, more spacious and more luxe, while laying floor tiles diagonally can make it look wider and longer too. 11; Next. Continue to step-by-step instructions You can then clean up the residue with either a sharp scraper or blade or more of the caulk removing solution. First off, we don’t recommend that you walk on your concrete tile roof, if you can avoid it. While those are the most common asbestos containing floor tiles, many other tiles and floor coverings can be positive as well. Laying a tile floor is not as hard as you might think and can save the expense of having it professionally installed. In theory, the easiest solution is to build from the bottom, supporting the lowest tile course right on the floor and letting the upper courses rest on those. Part 1 of 2: Getting on Your Roof Safely. If you lay new tile over old tile, the original tile and grout must be securely attached. Another trick to make a small bathroom feel bigger is to use the same wall and floor tiles, the running pattern helps to create drama that is perfect to mimic a bigger space. As such, you can install them without worrying that the final result will look unaligned and unprofessional. If you’re unsure about how much you need, start with a little bit first. Go. in the Tile Adhesive area at TilersForums.com Checkout our sister-sites Tiling Tools | Tiling Courses | UK Tiling News. Every time you walk on the tiles, you put stress on them that can crack them or loosen them. It may be week before we can lay the tile down. Because of its visible nature and the difficulty of installing wall tile on a vertical surface, wall tile tends to be smaller and more lightweight. Try using about 12.5 lb (5.7 kg) at first, for example, since you don’t need a thick layer of thinset mortar for tiles. Rectification works for both floor and wall tiles. Tags: None. If you custom-size the niche to fit between full tiles, you’ll get a better-looking installation and avoid some cutting. The Tile Council of North America recommends at least a quarter-inch gap between the tile floor and the walls. You can leave base trim in place, lay tile along it and caulk the gap. Tile has been used for a good while, close to 4000 years. Or should we wait and lay the cement board down later when we have time to lay the tile down? While it’s usually best to stay off your roof if possible, you can still walk on the tiles if you need to make repairs. As you walk on the tiles, be slow and careful when you take steps so you don’t damage them. Avoid such problems and a tile floor can last for decades—crack-free. You must thoroughly clean and smooth the surface on which you are laying the tiles, whether it's a floor or shower wall. Depending on the thickness of the new tile. As a general rule, a half inch trowel works for tiles up to 16 inches. That’s a pretty good run for a building/decorative material. We’ll teach you how to lay your tiles in neatly spaced rows. 03-19-2005, 10:36 AM. Cut open the cement bags you plan on using for the project. Tags: None. 1. In cases where there are only a few pieces of damaged tiles, you can pick them up and bag them. Never fill this gap with grout, because tile grout is not flexible. To walk on wet tiles you have to walk pushing straight down or the tiles will slide sidewards. Most are shaped to fit in a corner junction like you would find between a bathtub and tiled wall for example. The deeper notches allow for adjusting while laying tile. We don't dance around on the tiles or carry heavy loads. With baseboards gone, your cuts don’t have to be precise or perfect; the baseboard will hide chipped edges and small mistakes. You will also learn how to trim around window gaps and keep your rows horizontal. But they’re not really made to be walked on. Laying mosaic tiles on the floor is even easier, because mosaic tiles come in sheets with a mesh backing. An exception to this is if you are laying new tiles on top of existing tiles or different flooring. Just before bedtime, put these tile in and in the morning walk on the other tiles. Wait until you have nice weather before safely climbing onto your roof. When humans walk they drive their heel into the floor, pushing forward, then rock to the toes pushing backwards. In this weather, you'll have no need for the fridge - you can keep the beer outside and … The tls or lash helps to distribute the load. This means they are perfectly spaced and don’t need those tiny plastic spacers stuck between the individual tiles. If that's the case you need to know that the floor level is now being raised by up to half an inch or much more. The Hardie board is set into this mortar while it is still wet and nailed into the sub flooring. 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