Guidelines and Tips for Securing Ceramic Flooring

New flooring can improve the aesthetics of a home's interior like no other improvement. It is also an excellent equity builder. Think about it, compare two homes in the same area. One with linoleum or even wood and the other with ceramic. Ceramic doesn't need anything to maintain like wood and it doesn't stain or cut like linoleum. No matter what your interior, there is a color and size of ceramic to fit any application. Most people are going with larger tiles these days. It gives a much more luxurious look and not as many grout lines. Larger tiles make the room appear larger and give more surface area to enjoy.

Any tile layer worth his salt will always tell you preparation is the most important aspect of a good tile floor. Air bubbles in your thinset mortar or cracks in your foundation, and you have a recipe for disaster. Don't go short on prep or cheap on materials or you will pay for it in the long run. First things first. Scrape your floor down to brass tacks - bare concrete. You don't want anything like old linoleum glue or carpet glue to mix with your mortar. The mortar is the guts of your tile. A flat piece of iron isn't worth a damn if it's on shaky ground. Level your floor where necessary and fill in any cracks for the best possible tile job.

Most thinset brands come in 50 lb bags. This should do around 100 square feet of floor but buy a little more than the bag specifies considering you will inevitably waste some of it with common error. Do not be persuaded to buying the qwikset varieties of fast drying mortar because if this is you are reading this, you obviously do not have the requisite skills to work with that stuff. It is more expensive, dries fast (duh!), can lead to mislaid tiles, and the grout lines are a royal pain to clean up if allowed to dry. I prefer to use organic mastik in kitchens and dining rooms. I cannot explain it but most times I hear about loose or broken tiles, it is in these two areas the most. Do yourself a favor and use the better stuff for a firmer setting. This eliminates 80% of floor breakage. Mastik is a little harder to work with though. More on that later.

Buy a trowel with square notches in it for applying to the floor. Remember to buy what is called a "whip" for mixing your thinset and grout mortars with a (1/2" drive) power drill. When mixed correctly, the thinset should have a peanut butter consistency. It will take some time to acquire this visual test. Try not to waste too much thinset finding this niche. Just try to make small batches at first so you don't waste any with drying or getting the consistency just right. Plastic tile spacers are also necessary to get the right spacing on all tiles.

Now to decide whether to apply the thinset to the floor or the tile. Applying to the floor makes the job much quicker but there is more error potential. Applying to the tile first ensures a good even coating to each tile, reduces grout line waste, and reduces air bubbles under the tile. Such air bubbles are the major culprit for breakage and lifting. Buttering (term for applying mortar to each tile) will take longer but if you want your rookie job to go well, this is the way to go. Drop chalk lines in the room being tiled, diving the room into quadrants. Start at the apex, setting tiles at each corner and work out from there. Butter the tile with your trowel and give it a good amount. Scrape off the excess into your bucket using the notched end of your trowel, making sure to keep it as even as possible. Set the tile down and shift into place if necessary. Put some weight on it to eliminate any air bubbles.

Set all the full tiles possible leaving a walking space - remember you cannot walk on the set tiles for almost 24 hours. Leave the cutting for later so most of the area is covered. Measuring cutting are half the job - you'll see! Do yourself a favor and clean the grout lines as you set tiles. A helper is invaluable for this job. Cleaning dry grout is no fun, time consuming, and can lead to broken or chipped tiles.

Mastik is very hard to work with but it could bond oil to water. No other flooring mortar I have ever used bonds like that stuff. In your accident-prone areas, it is irreplaceable. Drop a brick on a tile that's been set with mastik and you are likely to only get a chipped tile. Your tiles are welded into place! However due to this god-like power, care must be used when using it. Don't use too much and absolutely (no questions!) clean those grout lines. You will need a chisel and sledge to get this stuff up when cured. You decide if you are ready to use this powerful adhesive on your floors. Most tilers only use it for bathrooms in showers and when setting tile on walls. I use and continue to because of good results and reviews by clients. Hope all goes well. Maybe we will cover grout in the future! Good luck to you all and be well. Guidelines and Tips for Securing Carpets and Flooring