Laying of ceramic tiles is today carried out in many rooms – in a bath, sauna, dining room. Plus, it is indispensable in the kitchen, in the bathroom, it is necessary in the household and utility room. Below we will talk about its advantages and the method of laying.
Advantages of ceramics – why tiles are so popular?
Basics of laying ceramic tiles
This material is considered to be one of the best for lining of wet rooms. This is justified by the fact that the tile has proper water resistance, strength and durability. She retains its properties for many decades. Among other advantages of the material, several are distinguished:
Environmental friendliness. The main ingredient is clay. The tile is non-toxic and does not distinguish any harmful components in the environment. As we recall, many hospitals and hospitals are faced with this particular material.
Wear resistance, thanks to enamel coating. Tiles can withstand not only moisture, but also sunlight, sharp temperature extremes, mechanical loads.
A variety of choice not only in design, but also technical characteristics. So, tiles with increased thermal, frost resistance or impact resistance are produced. Therefore, you can choose the material not only for decoration of the floor and ceiling, but also for cladding of fireplaces, arches, pools, sidewalks and other structural elements.
Low cost. The market has a wide variety of tiles. You can choose material at an affordable price from Russian, Belarusian manufacturers. The more exquisite tiles of Italian and Spanish brands differs, of course, by a greater cost, but it has an impeccable design.
Prepare the base for laying tiles
Video lesson about how to lay tiles on the wall correctly
Before asking how to put tiles, it is important to learn how to prepare the base and choose tools. First of all, tiles with a small margin and suitable adhesive are bought. They are selected under the appropriate conditions (with special thermal, mechanical resistance, etc.). You will also need: painting tape, finishing profile, spacers, grout, silicone sealant. Next, the necessary tools are selected. These include: cutting, roulette, rail, gear spatula, rubber spatula, nippers for tiles, abrasive strip, plumb.
Next, prepare the base. First, check the perpendicularity and evenness of the floor and walls. It is important that there are no deviations, otherwise the curvature will then affect the styling and this will greatly spoil the appearance. Then proceed to leveling the base. If this is the floor, then the concrete screed is most often made. The walls are aligned with a moisture -resistant drywall, putty. Also, after that, you can additionally grind the surface. This procedure will strengthen the base, make it more durable and reliable. At the next stage, the masonry method is selected (parallel, diagonal and others). They also choose the technique – “with seams” or “without seams”.
Ceramic tile laying technology or three ideal finishing methods
After the base is prepared, they start direct laying. It is best to apply tiles from the most noticeable wall, since any irregularities will eventually be hidden under the cladding of the side walls. Choose a method of laying material – diagonally, “seam to seam” or “dressing”. The first method is considered the most time -consuming and complex. Most often used for large rooms. The essence is as follows. The whole base is conditionally divided into rectangles or squares. Further in the rectangular space begin to lay the tile diagonally. The second method “seam to seam” is a simpler and more common. It can be performed both in the horizontal and vertical direction. However, for this method, it is desirable to have the same tiles. They are aligned using a level or plumb.
The third method, “dressing”, is also not particularly difficult. The center of each stacked tile should be over the seam of the previous row. Further at the very bottom and top, lighthouse tiles are installed. They attach them to alabaster (it freezes many times faster). Then the rest of the tile is laid. Begin to apply it in the direction from the bottom up. The first row is necessarily laid using a rail, as it should be as even as possible. It is also important in the corners to make special rails. They allow you to control the correctness of vertical seams. All the remaining tiles are applied with a cement mortar, the thickness of which can be from 8 to 14 mm. The width of the seams should be from 0.7 to 2.8 mm.
Masonry of tiles, video with the application technology of which is presented on our webportal, should be made in special gloves.