Step-by-step instructions for laying floor tiles with your own hands. Laying ceramic tiles on the wall - step-by-step instructions What you need for laying tiles
Most often, the laying of tiles on the floor is trusted by professional tilers and they do it for good reason. Indeed, the durability and beauty of the coating strongly depends on the quality of the installation, and the process of work itself is very complicated. However, even a beginner will be able to lay flat tiles with his own hands on a fairly flat base and according to the standard seam-to-seam pattern. The main thing is to choose the right mounting solutions and strictly follow the technology. Our step-by-step instructions with photos and a selection of useful videos will help you with this. This theory of tile laying will be useful for those who need to supervise and accept the work of tilers.
Materials, tools and equipment
Here is a list of the materials and tools you will need to install, cut and grout your floor tiles.
Tools and equipment:
- Roulette, metal ruler and corner;
- Construction pencil for marking;
- Building level and rule;
- Construction mixer or drill with a stirrer attachment;
- Tile cutter or electric tile cutter;
- Core or glass cutter (needed for curved tile trimming);
- Tile nippers (for curved trimming);
- File (for grinding cut edges);
- Putty knife;
- Notched trowel (6-8 mm);
- Master OK;
- Rubber trowel for grouting;
- Rubber mallet;
- Bucket with a sponge and a rag;
- Knee pads and household gloves.
Materials (edit)
In addition to the tile itself with a 10% margin, you will need:
- Tile adhesive corresponding to the base material (concrete, wood, old tiles, etc.), as well as the characteristics of the tile itself;
- Crosses of the desired size;
- Grout in the desired color;
- Primer.
Step 1. Preparing the base
First you need to prepare the base to keep it flat, clean and dry. It is preferable to lay the tiles on a concrete screed, but if you wish, you can also put them on old tiles or wood, chipboard (or other similar material). However, keep in mind that when installing the tiles on the old cladding, the height of the final floor will increase.
To put tiles on a concrete screed you need: remove any roughness with a scraper, vacuum the floor, wash with an alkaline cleaning agent, then cover with a layer of primer (preferably) and wait 2-4 hours until the floor is completely dry. Further, if the concrete base is uneven (deviations of more than 5 mm per 2 running meters), then it must be poured with some leveling compound and wait until it dries.
To put a tile on an old tile you need:
- To improve the adhesion of the old tile with glue, they are passed over it with sandpaper or a sander;
- Then the coating is vacuum cleaned and washed, if necessary, treated with a primer (drying is required in 2-4 hours) and covered with a self-leveling mixture.
Attention! When laying tiles on underfloor heating systems, turn off the heating 1-2 days before starting work. Heating or underfloor heating can only be switched on 2-3 days after grouting. For laying ceramic tiles on a "warm floor", you need to use glue with a high content of elastic polymers, which will prevent thermal deformation of the base.
Step 2. Drawing the markup
Once the floor is dry, you can start drawing the markings. There are many ways to draw markup, but the goal is the same:
- The floor should be marked so that, firstly, the trimmed tiles are out of sight; and secondly, trimming was required as little as possible. Ideally, tiles should be cut by one third or at most half.
So, for example, markings can be built in such a way that whole tiles are placed at the entrance, along the axes of a window opening, or, say, at the sill of a balcony door. In this article, we will look at one of the most popular ways of laying tiles on the floor - along two perpendicular axes from the center of the doorway.
So, draw a line from the center of the threshold to the center of the opposite wall using a cord or laser level. Next, along this line, start laying a row of tiles with crosses “dry”. After placing the last complete tile, draw a line along its outer edge so that you get two strictly perpendicular vertical lines as in the diagram below. It is advisable to use a square to make sure that the corners are right at 90 degrees.
In the corner of the perpendicular we will glue the first tile, and from it we will lay the first row (along the horizontal line).
Step 3. Laying the first tile and the first row
Dissolve the glue in a bucket according to the manufacturer's instructions, apply it with a spatula to one of the corners of the intersection and at the same time to the area of several tiles of the future first row, slightly going beyond it. Then smooth out the adhesive with a notched trowel, holding it at a 60 degree angle. Always try to keep the comb at the same angle so that the glue is the same thickness.
Attention! If the tile has a size of more than 30 × 30 cm or 20 × 30 cm, then the glue must be applied to the tile itself in a thin layer (apply the glue to the tile and immediately remove it almost completely with the same spatula). For very large formats, the adhesive layer on the tile can be thicker and thinned out with a notched trowel as shown in the photo below.
Then, in the same way, glue the second tile and level it with the first using a mallet and a rule. Make sure the tiles are laid flat by placing the building level directly on two tiles at once as shown in the photo below.
Check the height of each tile installed from the previous one. If necessary, remove excess or, conversely, add glue
Only when both tiles are aligned, insert crosses at the corners of the tiles and into the seam.
Now continue to glue the tiles in the same way until the entire first row is ready. Walk on it again with the rule and check the evenness with the level.
A few rules and tips for styling
- The subfloor and tiles must always be dry.
- Try to apply the adhesive no more than 1 linear meter of the facing area at a time.
- Glue that has stood for more than 30-40 minutes becomes unsuitable for work (with the exception of glues from some manufacturers). Therefore, try to knead the glue a little at a time.
- To prevent the glue from drying on to the comb, soak it constantly in water.
- The crosses must be removed before the glue dries.
- It is not advisable to rest your knees on the laid tile, as this can violate its flatness.
- Tiles should be taken from different boxes, so a small variation in color will be invisible. Before starting work, be sure to check that the tone indicated on all boxes is the same.
- On the back of a tile, there is always a manufacturer's logo, by which you can understand where the tile is on top and where is on the bottom. Sometimes the tiles have a special designator for the orientation of the masonry, which, for convenience, can be additionally marked on the end of the tile with a pencil.
- Have time to remove excess glue before it dries. It is best to remove it from the tile surface with a cloth soaked in solvent.
Alternative way to mark and lay the first row
Don't want to bother with the markup? Then proceed in the old fashioned way - start laying tiles from the most visible corner. If you are laying tiles on the kitchen floor, then you can start laying from the corner of the wall opposite to the headset, then a row of cut tiles falls under it.
More useful information on marking and laying tiles on the floor with your own hands can be found in this video.
Step 4. Laying the rest of the rows, cutting the tiles
Hurray, the first row is ready and now, guided by it, we can lay the second row of cut tiles (see the picture below), and then all the rest.
- Attention! The first row consists only of whole tiles, the cut tiles are placed later (in the diagram, the cut row is designated as row 2).
How to cut the last floor tile adjacent to the wall? First of all, you need to determine the line of its cutting: put it on the penultimate tile already glued, put another tile on it and move it to the wall, but not reaching the wall at the distance of one seam. Along the outer edge of this tile, draw a line on the underlay tile. This line is the cutting line.
You can cut the tiles in different ways and with devices. Ideally, you should use a manual tile cutter or an electric tile cutter (see photo above), if there is no such tool, then use a grinder. However, if the floor tiles are ceramic and not very thick (up to 9 mm), then you can use an old construction trick and cut them ... with an ordinary glass cutter as shown in this video.
How to cut curved tiles? Apply masking tape to the tiles to be cut to prevent scratching of the decorative layer. Then, with a pencil, mark a rounded cutting line, say, under the pipe. Next, drill several holes along the marked rounded line using a carbide drill (also suitable for porcelain tiles). Finally, use a pair of wire cutters, pliers, and tile tongs to gently break off the unwanted part. File the cut area with a file.
When you have covered the entire floor, make sure all the crosses are removed and let the floor dry for 24 hours.
How to cut the floor tiles with an L-shaped grinder, for example, under the ledge of a ventilation duct, you can learn from this video.
Step 5. Grouting
After 24 hours, you can start grouting. To do this, first lightly wet the joints with a spray gun or just a wet rag to improve the adhesion of the grout, and then dilute the grout mixture.
Holding the rubber trowel at an angle, apply the joint compound about 1 sq. meter of floor and distribute it so that all seams are completely filled. But be careful not to push the grout hard into the joints.
After 15-30 minutes, remove excess grout with a damp sponge. Continue rubbing joints on other areas of the floor in the same way, except for joints along the walls. One hour after grouting the entire surface of the floor, it can be washed clean with water or mild cleaning agents.
After a week, the seams can be additionally covered with a sealant.
Attention! Walking on a freshly laid tiled floor is not recommended for the first 2-3 days, ideally 7 days.
Repair in the bathroom is rarely complete without replacing the tile, especially if it has already served for 10-20 years. But, as usual, the question arises: to hire a master or to do everything yourself. If you have a proven, tried-and-true tiler in mind and a certain amount (usually they ask for the same amount of work as the cost of the materials), you can hire. Otherwise, try laying the tiles yourself. If the walls are at least relatively even, everything should be done without any particular difficulties. But just before laying the tiles on the wall, carefully study the technology.
To lay tiles on the walls is easy, but it is tedious to choose the right one.
It starts as usual with the choice of tiles. Just pay attention not only to her external data. You will definitely need to check its geometry, otherwise it will be difficult to work with it. If you are laying tiles for the first time, any curvature will greatly complicate the task. So, we check:
From experience it is worth saying that it is extremely difficult to find the ideal parameters. If you like it externally, there are no cobwebs of cracks, glaze defects on the surface, the edges are even, the dimensions are the same, you can take it despite some nonlinearity (first point). Otherwise, you get tired of running around the shops. What you shouldn't do - take the tiles "to order". How can you control its quality if you already pay for it? Take only what you hold in your hands.
What are the tiles laid on
Previously, the tiles were laid on a cement-sand mixture, to which PVA or Bustilat glue was added. You can, of course, do this, but it will be more difficult to work. For more comfortable work, use ready-made compositions, they are also called "tile glue" for the fact that there are adhesive components in the composition, therefore it is sometimes said that the tiles are "glued" to the walls. Compositions are of two types:
- in buckets - ready-to-use mastics;
- in bags - dry mixtures that require dilution with water.
Professionals mainly use dry mixes. If necessary, they can correct the imperfect wall by making the layer a little thicker or thinner. Another plus: they retain their plasticity longer, which allows you to make adjustments some time later. They work with mastic on an ideal wall and there can be no deviations here: the layer is too thin.
Any building materials store will offer several types of tile adhesive
When choosing a tile adhesive, you can choose it for specific tasks. So there are formulations in which there are additives that increase the water-repellent properties of the wall or floor. This is important in the kitchen and bathroom. There are frost-resistant ones, it will come in handy if you put them in an unheated room or on the street. You can find glue that has bactericidal properties: it will prevent fungi and mold from developing, which is in demand in wet rooms.
Preparatory work
Before laying tiles on the wall, a number of preparatory measures are carried out. This is a long and unpleasant process, but it is extremely undesirable to skip it: not every master, not to mention beginners, can normally lay tiles on uneven, unprepared walls.
Leveling the surface
The first step is to remove the old coating from the walls and what may fall off. If there are greasy spots, they are removed, or they are simply cut off part of the plaster along with the absorbed oil. The walls are tapped with a wooden hammer, by sound they determine if there are voids. They occur if the plaster has peeled off, but has not yet been blown out. If you stick tiles on such a site, everything will collapse under its weight. Therefore, you knock off all such places yourself.
Align them before laying the tiles on the wall.
A flat bar is applied to the cleaned base and it is estimated how even or curved the walls are. If the wall surface is strongly convex or curved, it is better to correct everything with plaster in a level. Then laying tiles on the wall will be very easy. If the walls are relatively even, only too large indents are leveled: irregularities (protrusions or pits) that are more than 5 mm. The protrusions need to be cut, the pits should be filled with a plaster mixture, the cracks should be widened, moistened and also covered with plaster.
Priming
It is advisable to treat the prepared wall with a primer. Best suited for these purposes is "Betonokontakt" or another compound with similar characteristics. It penetrates a sufficiently large thickness deep into the wall, binding all particles. After drying, the surface becomes rough, tile glue "sticks" to it very well.
The primer is applied with a wide swing brush.
How to start
There are several possible starting points. To put it quite simply, you can lay out the first row immediately from the corner, guided by the floor line. But the first row will become even and without problems only if the floor is perfectly flat, without any deviations. Otherwise, you will be trimming the tiles to somehow get vertical seams. As a result of these pruning, the second and all subsequent rows can also "walk". It will be very hard and unpleasant to work. Therefore, it is better to spend time and mark the wall, finding the "starting points".
Wall markings
Options for laying tiles on the wall
If you are not very concerned about the small pieces of tiles that have to be placed in the corners and above the ceiling, you can skip this step. But if you want all the tiles to lie symmetrically, before laying the tiles on the wall, you will have to deal with the layout:
If it turns out that only narrow strips remain at both ends, it is advisable to redo the layout. If the middle of the wall was in the middle, try spreading out from the seam, and vice versa. It should come out better.
With the placement of tiles in height, the situation is slightly different. In some cases, the seam is made at a certain level. In a bathroom, this is often the edge of an installed bathtub. If there are no such requirements, you can do the same: find the center, position (draw on the wall) the position of the tiles relative to it. Thus, you will find how you will need to trim the tiles of the upper and lower rows.
Always check the flatness when laying
You can position it vertically in another way: mark the first tile from the ceiling, and so on to the bottom. In this case, only the bottom row will have to be trimmed. This is not entirely correct, but the consumption of tiles is slightly less.
And in any case, when calculating how to put the tiles on the wall, mark the level where the first row ends. It usually serves as a starting point. It is from here that the laying of tiles begins.
Start line
Based on the results of the layout, you have a line where the first row ends. At this height, a flat bar is nailed. Leaning on the tiles, they set the starting row, and all the following ones are placed on it. The first row is installed last, into which the tile will have to be cut.
If you have a laser plane, it is much easier to work.
Profiles for working with drywall are usually used as a support bar, but a flat dry bar is also possible. At a given height, it is attached to the wall with self-tapping screws or dowels (depending on the wall material). To lay the tiles on the wall with your own hands without problems, you need to fix it often enough: so that there are no sagging. Be sure to check the horizontal position of its installation. Even the slightest deviation should not be.
How to lay tiles on the wall
The technology for laying tiles on the wall is simple. It consists of a few simple steps:
How to put crosses
Several nuances for the complete process. First, in the marked places on the installed strip, the extreme whole tiles (those that do not need to be cut) are glued. When laying out, you marked their position. It is very important to set them correctly. To do this, each is checked with a level in the vertical and horizontal planes. If the geometry of the tiles is perfect, you can also check the vertical / horizontal at the edges. Then they take a long level or an even bar with a shorter level and check how exactly one lighthouse is set relative to the other. They must be in the same plane. Then, with the help of this strip, they control whether each next tile is correctly set.
Description is one thing, but seeing everything with your own eyes is another. The video demonstrates the technology, after watching, you will definitely understand how to lay tiles on the wall.
Thickness of glue on the wall
For those who have been laying tiles on the wall - the first experience of this kind of work, there may be questions about how thick a layer of glue is needed. This value depends on how flat the walls are. If they are ideal, you can apply the minimum layer allowed in the instructions for the composition. If the walls are only relatively flat, the "starting" layer can be 3-4 mm. Further, as necessary, it can slightly decrease or increase, correcting the unevenness of the wall.
There are several techniques for laying ceramic tiles. Glue is not always applied to both tiles and walls. Some masters apply the composition only to the wall, others only to the tiles, someone recommends to dip it in water before applying the glue, others do not. Choose the option that seems more correct to you. But for novice tilers it is more convenient when the mortar is both on the wall and on the tile: it is easier to move and level it.
Manufacturers of tile adhesive advise to apply it to the wall, removing the excess with a notched trowel, but they mean a perfectly flat base. Based on these recommendations, the consumption for laying one square is calculated.
Adhesive consumption depending on the tile size
With another technique, the consumption increases by 50% or even 100%, since the wall has to be corrected. But it is definitely worth listening to the prescribed sizes of the spatula teeth.
How to cut tiles
There are several ways. For small volumes and not very thick tiles, a manual tile cutter is suitable. It is a device consisting of a platform on which the tiles are laid. Facing materials are attached to the platform, along which the cutter moves. The cutter is moved with a handle, ripping through the hard surface. A stop is usually installed on the same handle, with which the tile is broken along the line drawn by the cutter.
Another way is with a grinder, but it is very noisy and dusty. In addition, it will not work to make a perfectly straight cut, but it will go in an emergency.
If necessary, round holes are cut out using a crown of a suitable diameter, which is put on the drill. During drilling, so that there is as little dust as possible, the place of work is constantly watered. The result is a perfect hole, everything looks decent.
Finished round holes in ceramic tiles
If you need to cut a strip that is too thin, it will not work on the tile cutter: it simply will not break off. Then, drawing a line with a cutting disc or a rod (some companies have a cutting element made in the form of a rod), the thin edge is broken off. In general, there are special tongs for this, but pliers are also good at it.
Tile tongs
If at the same time the edge turns out to be very uneven, it can be smoothed out a little with a file or sandpaper fixed to the bar.
Corner decoration
If the tiles are laid flat, the inner corners are not questionable. Difficulties may arise only with the installation of crosses. Just turn them so they don't get in the way or break off any protruding parts. In general, they fit neatly in the corners, and finally the seam is formed with the help of grout.
There are also profiles for inner corners. They are matched to the tone of the grout, installed in the corner, leveled to a level, and then attached to screws or dowels. When laying tiles in the corner, the tiles are supported on them. The result is a finished fillet seam.
Profile decoration of the inner corner
Outside corners are more difficult. If you just dock the tiles, overlapping the edges, it turns out ugly. To properly shape the outer corner, you have to saw the edge at 45 °.
How to make an outside corner when laying tiles
This can be done on a professional tile cutter. But not everyone has such equipment. Then you will have to work with a grinder. The first cut, at approximately the desired angle, is made with a smooth diamond disc. There should be no slots or holes in it, the spraying should also be even.
These are discs for a grinder: for cutting and grinding
It turns out not very smoothly, and the outer edge has a rather large thickness. But this is just a preprocessing. We bring the saw cut to the required parameters with a grinding attachment with the same disc. See the video for more details.
If you don't want to bother with such a trim, there is another opportunity - to arrange the corner with a special plastic corner.
Another way to decorate the outer corner
Another video on how you can arrange abutments and seams when laying tiles.
To make the laying of wall tiles with your own hands completely clear, watch another video lesson.
When decorating a kitchen apron with ceramic tiles, the technology is practically no different from that described above. There is simply no need to calculate the number of vertical rows. The "start" location is determined by the height of the countertop: it should start 5-10 cm above the edge of the tile. Fasten the bar at the required level, align it exactly with the horizon, and you can start.
An example of a tiled apron on a working wall in a kitchen
An apron in the kitchen is usually made on a work wall. If this is not one wall, but two or three, you can start from one of the corners.
How to tile an apron in the kitchen
If the apron is laid out from small-sized tiles, the undercuts may not be very conspicuous. If you want to do everything symmetrically, repeat the layout and start from the center, as described above.
Quickly, easily and without additional costs, you can lay the tiles yourself, if you carefully study all the nuances of this process in advance. Tile is one of the high-quality and very popular materials for wall cladding. It is known for its durability, practicality, and variety of shapes and colors. Most invite professionals to perform cladding, however, few people know that there is nothing difficult in the process of laying tiles with their own hands, the main thing is to follow some rules and remember the nuances.
Tile laying: which one to choose
Wall tiles are of different types. Porcelain tiles are very durable, resistant to damage such as scratches and wear. Has a smooth, glass-like finish. Mirror tiles - usually used as a decorative element in combination with other types of finishing materials.
A distinctive advantage of any tile is its durability and high strength.
Today, ceramic tiles are popular and in demand, which are characterized by durability and good quality.
Porcelain stoneware tiles are resistant to damage of any origin. The surface of these tiles imitates natural materials such as granite and marble. Terraglia - glazed tiles, produced by double firing. It is considered the highest quality and most environmentally friendly.
Ceramic tiles are the most popular, most in demand due to their:
- Unpretentiousness;
- Strength;
- Inexpensive cost;
- The variety of species.
- The great popularity is also due to the variety of choices;
Clinker tiles are incredibly durable and are guaranteed to last for decades. Has increased moisture resistance. Cotto - matte, made from a clay base with special properties. Excellent resistance to moisture, therefore ideal for the bathroom.
Laying tiles on the wall: selection according to the purpose of the premises
Tile is a type of material, the laying of which occurs once and for a long period of time. It is very important not to be wrong, so it is worth considering the purpose of the target space. Wall tiles for decorating a kitchen apron must be resistant to both mechanical and chemical influences. In the slab area, tiles with high thermal and moisture resistance are placed on the wall.
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If you want high-quality tiles, don't save. For public spaces, majolica is suitable - it is made from red clay. There are different price categories for tiles, which generally correspond to their quality.
When choosing a tile, you additionally need to take into account the type of room in which it will be located
Tile surface:
- Covered with glaze;
- Embossed;
- Basically, it has a patterned pattern.
In the cladding of damp rooms (bathroom, restroom), the walls should be laid with tiles with the highest moisture resistance. It must be able to withstand fluctuations in humidity and temperature. Mosaics are especially popular for laying in these rooms. You can add luxury to the design of the bedroom, thanks to the decoration of some elements with tiles that imitate natural material.
When choosing tiles individually for each room, you must be guided by different criteria, depending on the type of room.
To prevent dirt from entering the room (hallways, balconies, loggias), an excellent solution would be to decorate these spaces with ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware. Decorating the space of offices, living rooms with wall tiles can be an excellent design solution. A fireplace decorated with tiles imitating natural stone or clay surface will look good.
How to properly lay tiles on the wall: the necessary tools and materials
Correct tile laying is not complete without components. You will definitely need tile adhesive, sealant and grout, primer and putty, plastic crosses, a device for mixing glue (you can use a spatula).
Before you start laying tiles, you should prepare in advance all the necessary tools and materials so as not to be distracted during the work.
Responsibly, it is necessary to approach the choice of such elements as:
- Hacksaw for tiles;
- Ruler and pencil;
- Master OK;
- Level;
- Wooden slats;
- Mortar bucket;
- Tile spatula.
And one more integral component is the tile itself. In order not to be mistaken with the quantity, you just need to add an additional 10% to the resulting number.
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Methods for laying ceramic tiles on the wall
There are many different ways of laying tiles on the wall. Diagonal laying - most often, this method is used for floors. Deck laying - in this way, brickwork is most often imitated.
For the arrangement of the kitchen and bathroom, staggered tiles are often used.
Parallel tiling - standard tiling:
- Staggered;
- Lines;
- Ornament;
- Moldings are often used.
Herringbone laying is a combination of diagonal and deck, difficult to perform. Carpet laying - cladding imitating a wall carpet. In the center is a piece of a mosaic of a certain size.
Thanks to the variety of options for laying ceramic tiles, you can create an effective design that will not leave anyone indifferent.
A modular grid is a composition of tiles of different textures and sizes, followed by its repetition diagonally or parallel to the laying.
The correct technology for laying tiles on the wall
The technology of laying tiles on the wall takes place in 4 stages. Preliminary stage - first, you need to decide on the type of tile, its size, color. Then you need to measure the parameters of the room and determine how much of the selected tile is required.
It is necessary to stock up on additional pro-reserve tiles, in case of unforeseen damage to the tiles.
Before cladding, you need to lay the wall tiles on paper near the wall and count the number of tiles in each row horizontally and vertically. So you can understand whether you need to cut the tiles into pieces, and where it is better to lay them. You can also make notes on the wall with a ruler - in this case, the tiles lie flat.
After laying the tiles, it is imperative to grout the joints.
It is necessary to prepare the surface - this is a very important step. Without this, it is not possible to properly tile the tiles. The surface is smoothed using a special leveling mortar (plaster is also used instead) and a special trowel. Experts also recommend priming the walls.
