This Is My First Tile Installation, A Little Help?
Hi, I just weent to Lowes and bought these supplies:
12×12 Tiles
50LB Bags of Ultraflex 1 Mortar
25LB Bags Of Keroflex Grout (Can’t remember name, but same company as Ultraflex)
1×4 x 1×4 Trowel
Grout Rubber Float
Grout Sealer
3×16 Tile Spacers
Now I am doing this installation on a concrete floor. Can s1 give me a step by step guide on how to install the tiles? I see guides but I don’t have sme of the things that they require and am getting mixed up. Am I missing anything?
Thanks for all of your help
December 21st, 2009 at 3:31 pm
you will find much helpful advice on these sties
Good Luck
December 21st, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Draw a chalk line so you can keep the tiles straight. Mix up the mortar and trowel it onto the concrete and the back of the tiles. Place the tiles. Let this dry and cure for at least 24 hours. Clean tiles. Mix up the grout. Apply and let cure. Clean tiles. Usually you have to let the grout cure 30 days before putting on sealer. Read the package for instructions.
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:35 am
Here’s some simple instructions:http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/pre…
I also found some step-by-step videos at diy network’s website, but I wasn’t looking very thoroughly so I was only finding specific ones (installing tile floor with radiant heat, installing diagonally laid tile floors, etc.)
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:44 am
I don’t know about your supplies but the way my Uncle does in installing floor tiles — he just mix cement (white – the one that washes out colors) then apply it on the floor, and top it with the tiles; after cement dries, some polishing.
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
super glue!!
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
You need to find the center of the room and start there. Make a chalk line grid like a tic-tac-toe board. So, to start you need chalk line, measuring tape. What type of tile are you using? I ( first timer as well ) went with travertine… traverteen… hmmm, Natural rock tiles. A few things I learned… A high/low spot in the concrete will cause the same in your tile. A tile saw is not that expensive and well worth the cost.
Work your pattern out from the center tile, that way when you get to the wall your “edge” tiles will all be about the same width. Smooth the edges of your cut tiles with a palm sander or equivalent or they will LOOK cut. Watch for “shifting, even with the spacers. If the tile needs sealing, do it before you grout. Hope this gives you a good start. As they say,” measure twice cut once” Have fun!
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 am
I wish there were a simple answer for this, but since I have laid thousands of feet of tile a year, I can tell you one thing, no two tile jobs are the same!
I can tell you that cinderella gave you the best advice.
Unfortunately, the link from HG TV leaves out too many of the variables you can run into.
I will tell you that once you find the center of the room, you need to lay out the tile, with spacers, to see how close you come to the walls. You need to make sure you don’t have small slivers of tile at the walls.
You can adjust this by making the edge of the center tile either align at the center of the room, or the middle of the tile align with the center.
A tile saw is a must have, but make sure you have a good quality blade! Cheaper blades will leave a badly chipped edge when you cut, they are made for brick, not tile. Expensive blades are well worth the cost.