In our homes there are such rooms that need to be decorated not so beautifully during the repair, but to be made as functional as possible. For example, the bathroom and kitchen are constantly exposed to high humidity and temperature changes. Therefore, the floors in them are best laid out with ceramic tiles, since it is this material that is characterized by high strength and water resistance.
In this article, we will analyze in detail how to properly lay the tiles on the floor, how to prepare the base and how to choose the material.
Types of Floor Tiles
Ceramic tiles have so many advantages over other floor coverings that it is difficult to list all of them. But we will try:
- Antistatic. Ceramics do not accumulate or conduct electric charge.
- Fire resistance. The material does not catch fire even near a fire and is completely fireproof.
- Biological inertness. Despite the high humidity, the structure of the tile does not allow bacteria and fungi to settle inside it.
- Water resistance. The material does not get wet, does not pass moisture to the base and does not lose its appearance from exposure to water.
- High thermal conductivity. Heats up quickly and is suitable for installation of "warm floor".
- Wear resistance. The tile does not wear out from friction, it is resistant to aggressive chemicals and most household abrasives.
- Ease of cleaning. It is easy to clean with plain warm water, but if necessary, it can be regularly treated with potent chemicals.
- Environmental friendliness. Does not emit harmful substances even when heated.
The disadvantages of this material are conditional: a higher price, which is offset by a longer service life and some difficulty in laying, leveling by the same factor.
Before you learn how to lay tiles on the floor, you need to understand what types of it can be found in the store. And this:
- Porcelain ceramic. It has a glossy surface that resembles glass in density. High strength indicators, but a meager selection of colors.
- Glazed under pressure. This is a traditional tile - a layer of liquid glass is applied to the tile, thereby achieving an aesthetic appearance and increasing its strength and wear resistance. The tiles in the stores are presented with a rich assortment of colors and sizes, from large plates to tiny elements for assembling mosaics.
- Double fired tile. After glazing, the material is fired once more to give it a mirror gloss and perfect structure without air bubbles.
- Brick tile. With a heterogeneous structure and an uneven edge due to manufacturing features. It is glazed and simple, widely used in interiors in the loft style, minimalism, neo-Gothic.
- Porcelain tile. Matt or polished mirror. The most durable material from this list. Often used in places with high traffic - halls, reception areas, etc.
Selection recommendations
How to lay tiles on the floor in the kitchen or in the bathroom? First you need to figure out what to look for when buying material:
- Wear resistance. Of the five classes available, three are suitable for living quarters: from PEI1 to PEI3. The latter can be used for places with the highest cross in the apartment - an entrance hall or a corridor.
- Moisture absorption. For kitchen and bathroom, choose a material marked A1 and B1 - moisture absorption is low, up to 3%. In residential areas, you can use material with any indicator.
- Mode of production. Best pressed, B-class.
- Hardness. For residential premises, it is indicated by numbers from 3 to 9.
- Grade. The indicator of the quantity of marriage is indicated by numbers from 1 to 3. The 1st grade is not higher than 5% of the marriage, the 2nd grade is not more than 25%, the third is not sold at retail.
We also look at the appearance of the material:
- The surface of the ends should be fully or partially glazed.
- On the front side, the presence of smudges and damage is unacceptable.
- The ends should form an even right angle, the skew will make the installation process extremely difficult.
- The front surface and the reverse side of the two tiles should fit snugly. Otherwise, this indicates the concavity of the material.
There is one more factor that must be considered before laying the tile on the floor. It should be non-slip. An ideal choice would be an anti-slip coating. As for the choice between matte and glossy, it depends on individual preferences and the design of the room. But on a shiny tile all pollution is better visible.
Separately, dwell on the size - it is impractical to use tiles with a side of less than 20 cm on the floor, and very small mosaics are often lost against the background of disproportionately large seams.
Material calculation
In order to understand how much tile you need to purchase, we resort to elementary mathematics. First, find out the area of the room - measure the length and width, multiply them and get the area in m². In principle, this may be enough - the cost of the material in the store is indicated per square meter.
But if you need to understand how many tiles to buy, then the area of the room is divided by the size of one tile. So we get the exact number.
Maximalists who strive for ideal can also add to the equation an allowance for seams - 2-5 mm - and take this parameter into account when calculating. But in any case, the amount of purchased material needs to be increased by 10-15% of the calculated one, since during work the tile often breaks.
Also, the laying pattern affects the material consumption. Among them there are options in which the purchase must be increased by 30-40%.
Popular styling patterns
Tile is not only durable, but also a very beautiful material. It is made in a variety of colors, with a variety of patterns, inserts and ornaments. Also, ceramic tiles can be interestingly fit into the interior using an unusual laying pattern. There are many of them: some beginners can cope with some, only a real artist can realize others.
So, how to lay tiles on the floor? You can use the following schemes:
- seam to seam - classic;
- Chess board;
- diagonal;
- offset of one row relative to another by 1/3 or 1/2 of the tile;
- longitudinal orientation;
- lateral orientation;
- mosaic;
- panel;
- modular;
- parquet flooring;
- herringbone;
- carpet;
- a combination of two or more methods.
So they look clear.
With any method of laying, you will have to face the need to cut tiles. But with the “seam to seam” scheme, the waste will be minimal. Whereas when creating a picture, trimmings can make up 30-40% of the total material. It is also worth considering that the original size of the tile should not remain less than 20%, otherwise the composition will look unpresentable.
Tool list
Before laying the tiles on the floor in the bathroom, in the kitchen or hallway, we will prepare all the necessary tools:
- Measuring: level, tape measure, ruler.
- Construction: spatulas - smooth and serrated metal and soft silicone, rubber mallet.
- For cutting: tile cutter or grinder.
- Auxiliary: marker, solution containers.
- Protective: goggles and a respirator (when cutting), gloves.
We also buy all the necessary materials:
- tile;
- grout;
- crosses for seams;
- sealant and waterproofing agent;
- a mixture for screed or sand and cement;
- primer;
- glue.
Preparatory work
Before laying the tile on the floor, we prepare the surface:
- We remove the old coating, including skirting boards, hardened mortar and any protrusions.
- We clean the stove from debris and dust.
- The surface is impregnated with a liquid primer.
- If there are slots or holes on the plate, they are closed with a sealant.
- A layer of screed is applied to the plate. It is best self-leveling, so you can get a perfectly even base for the tile.
- The screed is impregnated with a primer.
- A waterproofing agent is applied to the surface (an important step for laying tiles in the bathroom), the walls are also smeared to a height of 10-12 cm.
Work order
So, we have come close to the question of how to lay tiles. The procedure is as follows:
- Drawing a marking on the basis. Tiles are most often laid from a corner, a more complex option is from the center of the room. When marking, it is necessary to take into account the size of the plastic crosses. When drawing up the composition, you must first provide a place for large elements, and only then mark it up for small ones. The entire further course of work depends on the accuracy of this stage.
- Glue preparation. It needs to be kneaded in a small amount, since after 40-45 minutes it dries up and is unsuitable for use.
- We put a layer of a solution with a thickness of 0.8-1 cm at the place of laying the first tile and level it with a notched trowel.
- We put the tile on the floor with our own hands and gently push it. Its orientation is adjusted by level and rubber mallet. Plastic crosses are fixed at the edges.
- All tiles are laid out in the same way, except for openings along walls and difficult sections.
- After exposure for at least 1 day, we cut the tiles to the desired size and fill in the gaps.
After completion, you should wait another day until the glue has completely hardened.
Final phase - grouting
The appearance of the flooring depends a lot on this procedure. The grout can be tinted to match the tiles or to create contrast. This step is performed in the following sequence:
- extraction of crosses;
- cleaning joints from debris and dust with a stiff brush and vacuum cleaner;
- priming joints to improve adhesion (adhesion);
- solution preparation;
- grouting with a soft spatula;
- half an hour after application, the seams are wiped with wet foam;
- after 24 hours, the seams are treated with special impregnation.
The work is done!
Should I put a new tile on the old
It remains to find out one more point. Are tiles laid on the floor tiles in the bathroom or kitchen? Yes, this is often done when dismantling the old coating is difficult. Many people prefer to avoid this procedure, since when removing the old tile, the screed often leaves, a lot of construction debris and dust, dangerous fragments appear.
So, we put the tile on the floor on the old tile:
- We evaluate the condition of the old coating.
- We carry out the preparation: we remove the old glue, we clean the seams from debris and dust.
- Smooth tiles provide poor adhesion, so you need to “spoil” it: remove the top layer, apply a lot of scratches and notches.
- For better adhesion, apply a specialized primer - it will make the surface rough, more suitable for adhesion.
- We lay the tile.
In what cases is it better to dismantle the old tile
There are also a number of factors that directly indicate that it is better to dismantle the old coating:
- if there are areas on the tile with chips and cracks;
- there are areas where the tile moves away from the floor;
- there are uneven areas on the floor;
- if an uneven sound is detected when tapping, this indicates the presence of voids;
- it is better to remove the old coating in those cases when there are communications under the floor.
The base is a wooden floor. Is this permissible?
Now find out if the tiles are laid on the wooden floor. Here you need to understand that flooring from boards is found both in high-rise buildings and in the private sector. And if we talk about the latter, then often these are very old houses with a lot of wear on the beams, which do not need to be additionally loaded with rather heavy tiles. If the house has concrete floors, then you can lay the tiles on the wooden floor, but at your own peril and risk. Speaking frankly, everyone understands that this is not the best basis for tiles. The wooden floor is springy, mobile, even in those cases when the boards look monolithic, it “plays” a little. Ceramic tile is a rigid material, and a flexible base under it will cause the tile to begin to break down.
However, many people during repairs do just that and are satisfied with the result. So, how to lay tiles on a wooden floor? The procedure is as follows:
- assess the condition of the floor - boards, logs, bumps, degree of wear, etc.
- to update all problem areas: fix staggered floorboards, replace damaged ones.
- smooth out irregularities with a planer or grinder;
- remove paintwork;
- impregnate the board with an antiseptic;
- sand the boards;
- soak with drying oil;
- prime the floor to provide waterproofing;
- make a screed: cement, self-leveling or dry from plywood or chipboard;
- lay the tile.
In which cases, do not lay tiles on a wooden base
So, we figured out how to lay tiles on a wooden floor. But there are many factors for which this is not worth doing:
- Humidity differences. The tree swells and resizes. For humans, this change is imperceptible, but fatal to a hard ceramic floor.
- The tree under the tile rots faster, even if treated with an antiseptic. Therefore, if the floor is worn out, it is better not to subject it to unnecessary tests.
- If the boards were laid less than 3 years ago, then their shrinkage will quickly spoil the ceramic coating.
- Do not lay tiles on uneven, creaking, shaky floorboards.
- If the logs are badly worn or rotten.
The result is this: the preparation of a wooden floor contains so many conditions and requirements that it is more expedient to dismantle it. But even if everything goes well, then all efforts will eventually fall to pieces due to different service lives of the materials: ceramic tiles will be well preserved after 20 years, while the wood will “suffocate” and begin to rot under an impermeable tile much earlier.