How to tile a floor. Self-laying tiles on the floor

Ceramic tile is a type of flooring that is in great demand, which is fireproof and moisture resistant. finishing material, made of silica, clay and sand. Ceramic tile differs from ceramic only in its glossy finish, which gives it shine and showiness. She is used as facing material for all surfaces due to its unique qualities: long service life, wear resistance, heat resistance, resistance to dirt and chemicals.

The coating is divided into several types, depending on the place of operation. Floor tiles are available for:

• premises with low traffic;
• residential areas;
• kitchens, toilets and bathrooms;
• trade and office halls;
• crowded areas.

Ceramic tiles have a classification, a huge color palette and maximum amount invoices. This allows you to choose a product that preserves the integrity of any interior.

The advantages of tiles compared to other flooring materials are very significant:

• higher resistance to mechanical damage;
• durability;
• preservation of the original appearance for a long time;
• moisture resistance;
• resistance to deformation;
• resistance to low and high temperatures;
• environmentally friendly material;
• safety for allergy sufferers.

Along with the advantages, the product has a number of disadvantages that should be considered:

• rather high cost of the material;
• the need to purchase related materials;
• the desirability of providing floor heating;
• The cover is not impact resistant.

Laying floor tiles with your own hands is a time-consuming task and requires special knowledge and skills. But thanks modern technologies To do this work on your own is quite a feasible task. Consider how to put floor tiles, step by step.

Tile selection

Ceramic (or tile) tiles can be single-color, multi-color, ordinary and shaped. According to quality characteristics, it is divided into three grades.

Ordinary products are square and rectangular. Square ones have dimensions of 150 × 150 and 100 × 100 mm, and rectangular - 150 × 100 and 150 × 75 mm.

Corner elements with different shape and purpose, are called shaped. The scope of their application is the corner laying of cornices and skirting boards.

You can learn a lot of additional information from the pictograms on the packaging: a foot drawn on a black background means that the material in the box is intended for the floor, a brush means walls, a snowflake means frost resistance, and a foot on a shaded background indicates a high coating strength.

The most important indicator for flooring is wear resistance. The abrasion class must be at least 1 or 2. AA marking is the best indicator of resistance to aggressive environments.

We draw the scheme of laying the coating

It is necessary to select tiles so that their dimensions are in perfect harmony with the size of the room. In narrow and long room it is better to mount the coating in width. This will slightly hide the length and visually expand the room.

For clarity, it is better to draw on paper a diagram of how ceramic tiles will be laid on the floor. So it will be better to see whether the ornament should be supplemented with borders and decor. It is necessary to calculate the adjoining of ceramics to existing plumbing or communication elements. And also to know how and how the final row of finishes will end.

Materials and tools

For laying floor tiles, you need to purchase some tools and materials. Since there are many ways to level surfaces and lay flooring, this list can be considered approximate.

Tools:

• hammers;
• chisel for dismantling old tiles;
• trowel (plaster spatula) and rubber spatula;
• plumb and level;
• triangle;
• wire cutters and pliers;
• polyethylene film;
• brushes;
• bucket and rule;
• grinder and tile cutter;
• floor heating;
• plastic crosses for precise styling.

Materials:

• ceramic (tiled) tiles;
• bituminous mastic;
• polyethylene film;
• self-leveling compound for the floor;
• anti-mold primer and antifungal solution;
• adhesive for tiles;
• grout for joints, preferably epoxy.

The quality of tile adhesive and grout often depends on the brand of the coating manufacturer. Often on the packaging with glue and grout there is a recommendation about the products of which companies are best used in a particular case.

When choosing a grout for tile joints, it should be remembered that it becomes lighter after drying.

Subfloor preparation for finishing

After the tools and materials have been prepared, the coating scheme has been drawn with all the additions, you can begin to prepare the surface of the subfloor. It must be clean and dry.

The wooden floor is leveled by scraping: the smallest cracks are puttied, irregularities are smeared and polished. Or you can just put moisture-resistant plywood, the thickness of which is from 12 mm.

Laying floor tiles on a concrete floor should be done after adjusting the surface with self-leveling compounds. Before this, the surface must be dried and cleaned. In addition, a number of other conditions must be met:

• the difference in irregularities and roughness is not more than 2 cm;
• complete absence of cracks;
• the surface must be treated with a primer;
• the mixture must not leak into adjacent rooms.

After leveling the surface, waterproofing works and floor priming.

Waterproofing under the tile is performed:

• rolled materials, the advantage of which is low cost, and the disadvantages: pungent odor, the need to use a burner, the complexity of laying, raising the floor level;
• bituminous mastics, which are easy to use, especially in difficult rooms, but have a pungent odor and cannot be used in the underfloor heating system;
• cement-polymer mixtures, easy to apply and firmly set to the surface, but they dry very quickly (small volumes can be diluted).

The primer is applied in several layers until it ceases to be absorbed instantly.

Do-it-yourself tiling

• To lay the tiles evenly and neatly, you should mark the prepared floor surface:
• remove skirting boards and sills;
• we measure the middle of the walls and draw center lines;
• draw diagonal lines for diagonal styling.
• After that, you can start laying along the marked lines, according to the drawn sketch. You can try laying out the material on the floor without glue to find the best location.

• Glue is applied to one square meter surfaces in any selected corner, which are formed at the intersection of marking lines. For this work, you should use a spatula or spatula.
• We firmly press the tile to the floor, pressing on the adhesive base. Marking lines are used as a guide for movement. Laying is carried out over the entire surface on which the adhesive is applied. If you need to observe a special distance between the tiles, then you should use plastic crosses prepared in advance.
• Observing the direction created by the lines, we lay the coating, heading towards the center of the room. We carefully close one half of the room, only then we take on the second part.

Note! It is necessary to maintain the same level, in some cases a little more adhesive can be applied.

• Next, you need to fill in the empty space between the floor and walls, where the solid tile did not fit. To do this, the material is cut with a special cutter with an adjustable size, for the same trimming.

A product cut on all sides may look bad after installation.

• After laying, the adhesive must dry and harden. After that, if the tile is porous and not pre-coated with primer solutions (see the instructions for the tile), it should be coated with a primer.

The tile has practically no competitors in the field of interior decoration with a pronounced high level humidityThe solution to save money during repairs, one of the most important decisions, many things you can do on your own, without resorting to the help of outsiders. One example, laying tiles on the floor, this is a task that many can handle. It will only take diligence, attention to detail, knowledge of theory and its application in practice.

Solid floor tiling

The geometric shape of ceramic tiles directly affects how they are laid. At traditional way the tiles are laid exactly in rows, it requires careful and accurate installation, since the slightest deviation will be immediately visible.

Laying floor tiles in different rooms private houses or apartments is a very popular type

If the room is with high traffic, then it is recommended that the scatter method is recommended. If there is a chess layout, or a traditional one, then you can lay it out diagonally. In rooms with broken geometry, you can lay a Christmas tree. If the tile will lay down with a border and a pattern, then first a laying scheme is made, and then installation is carried out.

When we put tiles on cement mortar, it needs:

• Soak in water for at least 8 hours.
• First you need to test on a piece of tile, if it is of poor quality, then stains may appear under the enamel.
• After 2 days, you need to check the sample, if everything is fine, then you can proceed with the installation of the floor.
• If the stains appear, then you can limit yourself to wiping the back of the tile with a wet cloth.

If ceramic tiles are placed on a cement-sand composition on a concrete floor, then the work is simplified. Water is poured onto the concrete floor, then cement is poured through a sieve, and tiles are applied to the resulting mess.

Instructions: how to lay tiles on the floor

Laying ceramic floor tiles is a little different from the technology of installing tiles on the wall. Floor tiles are much easier to lay beautifully. To choose the right layout method, you need to put 1 row of tiles on a dry floor along one of the walls.

Much depends on the availability of quality material, tools and surface preparation.

With the diagonal layout method, you need:

• Connect 2 opposite corners;
• Draw long line on the floor;
• Determine the center;
• Tiling is being done.

If the room has a strict geometric shape, then laying tiles starts from the corner or from the center. The adhesive must be applied to the reverse side of the ceramic tiles with a notched trowel evenly so that no voids remain. It is necessary to press the tile very strongly. For even seams, plastic crosses must be mounted on the floor at the same time between the tiles.

The crosses are removed only after the glue has completely dried.

When installing tiles, you need to monitor the horizontal surface, this is done using the building level. If the tile has fallen below, it is worth adding glue, if vice versa, then remove excess glue. The seams are rubbed after the glue has completely dried with a special solution. For application, you can use a rubber spatula, the excess is removed with a damp sponge.

Laying tiles on the floor

First you need to understand in which room the floor will be laid, the choice of tiles will depend on this. Each room has its own type of tile. The tile has a number of properties that meet the requirements of hygiene, so it is often used in bathrooms and toilets.

When choosing a tile for the floor, be sure to consider the purpose of the room - this will help not to overpay for the operational properties of the material

AT sanitary facilities it is necessary to ensure that the floor is not slippery, for this you need to choose tiles with a corrugated surface, or having an anti-slip effect.

In rooms with high traffic, it is necessary to use tiles with the greatest thickness. Clinker and porcelain stoneware differ in that it has a low percentage of abrasion and high strength, as well as a large range of colors and surface texture.

Briefing:

• First, the surface is marked, thanks to which the boundary of the work and the position of individual control fragments are indicated.
• With thread or laser level the perimeter is indicated.
• An angle is measured at 90ᵒ from the far corner.
• It must be taken into account that the distance between the end tile and the wall is 1.5 cm.
• Trimmed tiles are placed at the edges.
• To visually assess the future surface, you can draw a diagram on paper, or pre-lay tiles on the surface.

Next, you need to prepare a solution. Either a cement composition or ready-made glue is used. Cement mortar can be prepared independently. To do this, use clean sifted sand, cement and water. The finished mixture must be prepared strictly according to the instructions. With the help of the finished mixture, laying tiles is easier, it contains all the necessary additives that provide stronger adhesion to the surface.

The first step is to cut the tiles. This requires a pencil, tape measure, as well as cutting tool. Cut marks are made on the back of the tile. Glazed tiles are cut only from the front side. To cut the tiles, you can use a special electric or manual tile cutter, but you can also use a grinder or a glass cutter.

Laying floor tiles with your own hands is a laborious task and requires special knowledge and skills.

After the preparatory period, you can proceed to the main work:

1. With a notched trowel, glue is evenly applied to the floor, approximately 4 tiles. With small differences, the adhesive must also be applied to the tile.
2. From the far visible corner, the installation of the tile begins strictly according to the markup, slightly pressing the part.
3. Tap the top of the tile with a rubber mallet to expel the air and tamp the adhesive.
4. Using the level, all errors are removed
5. Plastic crosses are installed between the tiles at the seams. In this way, the tiles of each row are laid.

Finally, the seams are grouted. For this, it is applied ready composition, as well as a rubber spatula. Not a large number of grout is applied to the joint area, tightly compacted deep into the seam with a spatula.

The recesses are pre-treated with antifungal impregnation so that there is better adhesion, they are additionally wetted with water.

Excess mixture is removed with a spatula, then wiped with a rag. Additionally, already hardened putty can be treated with a water-repellent liquid. All joints of tiles with furniture, plumbing must be sealed with silicone.

Lessons: how to quickly lay tiles on the floor

Work before installing ceramic tiles should begin with preparation working area. To begin with, the surface is freed from everything superfluous.

If you want to lay tiles not only quickly, but also evenly, correctly, then, subject to the finishing of the entire room, you need to start from the floors

Removed:

• Furniture;
• old base;
• Trash.

The floor must be clean and dry. After that, it is necessary to make waterproofing in order to protect the concrete from excess moisture, for this it is necessary to use bitumen or film, but the easiest way is to paint the floor, while also capturing part of the wall. The next step is to level the surface with a screed. To do this, using the level, it is necessary to determine all the differences. If the differences are insignificant (no more than 3 cm), then they can be corrected without a screed by applying an additional layer of glue.

After that, the surface must be primed and treated with antiseptic impregnation.

It is necessary to take the building level, measure the distance from the wall equal to the tile, minus 2 cm. On this horizontal line, it is necessary to fix the beam, from which the tile will be laid upwards. In this method, the installation will be carried out very quickly and efficiently, since initially the glue is applied directly to the floor. You just need to press the tile harder and monitor the horizontal level of the tiles being laid.

Strong mortar for floor tiles

The finished dry mix must be diluted by yourself strictly according to the instructions that are attached to the composition or printed on the package. To avoid lumps, you do not need to pour water into the powder. But if you do the opposite, carefully add the composition to the water, stirring with a drill nozzle, then the mixture will turn out to be of a homogeneous mass and of high quality. It is necessary to stir the solution twice: directly during preparation and before application.

Pure cement is the most popular type of material, simple and affordable to work with.

It is necessary to monitor the temperature of the added water, it must be room temperature, otherwise the mixture may lose all its adhesive properties. It is also necessary to monitor the temperature in the room, it should be from 18 to 24 ᵒС. To avoid loss of the mixture due to its fast drying, it must be cooked in parts. When using dry ready mixes, the tiles must not be soaked, and the subfloor must not be moistened. In this case, the floor only needs to be cleaned of dirt and excess objects.

For the preparation of cement mortar, well-sifted dry sand is used, to which required amount cement. Next, water is slowly added, and the whole mixture is mixed. Additives can be used if desired. To check the desired consistency of the solution, you need to take a little sweep with a trowel. The mixture, when properly kneaded, should be plastic and be held on the trowel without dripping. The density of the solution depends on the size of the tile, if the tile is small, then the solution should be more liquid, for a large one - thicker.

How tile lays on the floor (video)

You can lay a tile with your own hands easily and quickly, with proper installation, the service life of the surface, the decorativeness and aesthetics of the cladding will delight for many years.

Wondering how to lay tiles on the floor? This article-instruction will help you do everything correctly, efficiently, beautifully and, most importantly, with your own hands. We will describe in detail all the laying processes, from surface preparation and marking, to the actual work of laying tiles and grouting. Video materials will help you to clearly understand what's what.

- this is a task that is quite capable of being performed by absolutely any person, provided that he applies a sufficient amount of patience and diligence for this, and also first familiarizes himself with the procedure for performing these works.

Necessary tools and materials

Before you start laying floor tiles, you must ensure that the following materials are available:

1. Ceramic (porcelain stoneware) tiles. It must be said that porcelain stoneware, due to its high strength, is the preferred material for flooring. However, for its installation, special glue is required;
2. Glue for tiles, from which the adhesive solution will subsequently be prepared;
3. Water;
4. Crosses for tiles (separators);
5. Grout for seams.

As for the tools needed for laying tiles, these include:

1. A container for preparing a solution;
2. Perforator;
3. Bulgarian with a diamond blade for cutting tiles. Instead, a tile cutter or an ordinary hacksaw can be used;
4. Master OK;
5. Drill with a nozzle for stirring the adhesive solution;
6. Notched trowel with tooth length from 0.6 to 10 cm;
7. Rubber mallet;
8. Rule;
9. Level;
10. Rubber spatula.

Floor surface preparation

To achieve the best result, it is necessary to lay the tiles on a perfectly flat floor surface. Otherwise, the existing irregularities will be noticeable even after its installation.

First, using a perforator or a chisel and a hammer, the old tile is removed from the floor surface, as well as the remnants of tile adhesive, cement screed and waterproofing.

If there are slight irregularities on the surface intended for laying tiles, then the following steps can be taken to eliminate them:

1. Using tile adhesive, carefully seal all cracks and cracks in the floor (especially in the corners). This is necessary to ensure reliable waterproofing.
2. Carefully remove all debris resulting from the preparatory work.

It is possible to lay “tile on tile”, but only after making sure that the old coating is strong and on condition that it is even. But it is not recommended to lay on an uneven floor.

If the surface needs to be radically leveled, then for concrete floors you will have to make a screed, and a sheet of plywood or (chipboard) is laid on wooden floors. Is it possible to lay tiles on chipboard, plywood and others wooden bases? - Can.

A little about waterproofing

After finishing work on leveling the floor surface, you can proceed with the installation of waterproofing. This is enough milestone in laying floor tiles, especially if such work is carried out in rooms with high humidity, such as showers, kitchens, baths, toilets, bathrooms, etc. Despite the fact that quite often, in order to save money when repairing with their own hands, the owners skip this important step, experts still do not recommend laying tiles without prior. This is especially true of premises in which pipes of water supply or heating systems are laid.

Work on the installation of waterproofing is carried out in the following order:

1. The surface of the floor is treated with a primer;
2. applied waterproofing coating on the floor and adjacent walls. It would be correct to “raise” the insulation on the walls, to a height of 10-20 cm.

There are the following methods for applying waterproofing, the differences of which are mainly due to the type of insulating material:

1. pasting. This method is most convenient when you have to "raise" the waterproofing on the walls to a certain height.
2. Smearing. If it is necessary to protect only the floor, it is possible to apply waterproofing coating method, which involves applying its protective layer with a roller or brush, a spatula is used in corners or other hard-to-reach places. protective layer applied in several layers with a time interval of 5-7 hours. To do this, you must first prepare the required solution from a dry mixture and water.
3. Coloring. For this method, a special waterproofing paint is used. The main disadvantage of this method can be called the fragility of the resulting insulation layer. The advantages, in turn, include its maximum simplicity.

Preparation of tile adhesive from a dry mix

To date, construction stores have in their assortment an extremely large number of different mixtures for the preparation of tile adhesive. It is quite difficult to understand this abundance at first glance, however, if you look a little closer, you can see a clear classification of these materials.

First of all, dry and ready-to-use mixtures are distinguished. The former are cement-based, sold dry, and can be used for laying tiles on a surface that has minor irregularities. At the same time, ready-made mixtures, which are made on a polyurethane basis, are designed for laying tiles on a perfectly flat surface. When using such mixtures, very high strength fastening tiles to the surface, however, the cost of such materials is much higher than their dry counterparts.

More: , what to look for, the most popular brands.

When choosing a tile adhesive, you should pay attention to its characteristics, which should be indicated on the packaging. It is imperative to take into account the operating conditions of the floor covering, the size of the tile, on which material it is laid, as well as the rate of hardening of the adhesive mixture, and it is not recommended to choose a composition that dries too quickly.

How to lay tiles on the floor

Before laying the tiles, a primer layer is applied to the cement base. This is done to ensure better adhesion of the tile adhesive to the surface.

Usually, ceramic tiles are used as flooring in apartments and private houses.

After priming the surface, the tile is laid out on the floor. This is done in order to determine which part of the tiles located at the edges will have to be cut. You need to plan it in such a way that the rest of the drawing does not lose its aesthetic appeal. In addition, laying out tiles on the floor allows you to visually understand whether enough material has been purchased to install the flooring of the selected room.

By the way, mosaic tiles fit in the same technology. The only difference is that it is usually sold in ready-made mats.

Laying begins from the farthest corner of the room from the entrance. To ensure even laying of rectangular tiles, you need to draw lines on the floor using a corner and a ruler. In this case, the distances that the width of the seam between the tiles will occupy should be taken into account. Its recommended value lies within 2-3 mm.

The adhesive mixture is applied to the floor using a special notched trowel. The thickness of the solution layer in this case should be approximately 10-15 mm. You can apply glue with a trowel, but after that you still need to make grooves in the resulting layer, using a notched trowel. After that, the tile is pressed tightly against the surface and, for better fixation, is lightly tapped with a rubber mallet. Under no circumstances should cavities be left unfilled with mortar.

When laying tiles with your own hands, you should pay attention to it. rear surface, there may be pointers in the form of arrows that show in which direction to lay this tile. By following these tips, you can achieve the correct distribution of color tone, even if at the moment it is not noticeable under the existing lighting.

With a perfectly flat floor surface, the glue consumption will be the same everywhere. To form even seams, special crosses are inserted between the tiles.

After laying each individual tile, the correctness of its installation must be checked with a level. Residues of tile adhesive are immediately removed without waiting for it to dry.

After laying the main (whole) plates, they proceed to the installation of their cut pieces.

In the process of laying tiles, it is necessary to trim it under required size. The cut edges of the tiles can be hidden under the plinth by turning them towards the wall. The use of such parts will significantly save material.

Cutting tiles is a separate art, and on our website there is a separate article dedicated to this process:. The article describes in more detail the methods of using both improvised and professional tools.

Depending on the availability of a special tool designed for cutting tiles, one of the following methods can be used:

1. Cutting with a diamond glass cutter. To do this, the tile is placed on a flat surface, after which, using pre-applied marks, a ruler is applied to it and carried out with a glass cutter straight line. After that, the tile can be broken into two parts. If the fault did not turn out to be perfectly even, then you can modify it with a file.
2. You can also cut tiles with a hacksaw. However, using this method it is very difficult to get perfectly even edges of the tile.
3. If a mechanical tile cutter is available, the process of cutting tiles can be significantly accelerated. As a guideline, it may be advisable to soak the tile briefly in water before cutting.
4. Another type of tool that can be used for cutting ceramic tiles is grinder with a diamond wheel. Its disadvantage is some difficulty in ensuring reliable fastening of the cut off parts of the floor tiles, a large amount of dust that occurs during operation, as well as an increased risk of injury to this tool. The advantage of using a grinder is the ability to easily cope with pruning even large species tiles.

Grouting

The last step in laying floor tiles is grouting. The quality of this work largely depends on the overall appearance the entire floor covering.

You can start grouting when the tile adhesive is already completely dry. First of all, it is necessary to clean all the seams between the tiles from dirt, and also remove the crosses remaining during laying.

The choice of grout material is made based on the operating conditions and tile design. In any case, it would be correct if the color of the grout is darker than the general background, first of all, this is necessary so that when dirt and dust accumulate in the recesses between the tiles, this is not conspicuous.

The process of applying the grout itself is quite simple. First, it is worth moistening the seams with a sponge, this will ensure best quality adhesion of the grout to the tile material. After diluting it with water, the resulting mass with rubber spatula rubbed into the seams between the tiles. The stronger the pressure of the spatula on the surface, the denser the space between the tile and the grout material is filled.

When working on the floor, it is customary to start grouting from the opposite corner from the entrance and move towards the door. After all seams are processed, excess material is removed from the surface with a rubber spatula. To do this, it must be moved perpendicular to the seams. Approximately 30 minutes after the completion of these works, when the grout in the joints dries a little, you can proceed to the final stage of cleaning the floor tiles with a damp sponge.

Tiles on the floor of the kitchen, bathroom, corridor or utility room - perfect option flooring from all points of view. The coating easily creates the desired effect in the design, the main thing is to choose the right colors and texture. It does not require effort when cleaning, it is easy to clean, it is cleaned of dirt, it has a neat appearance. Properly selected floor ceramic tile not afraid high humidity, temperature, durable, does not rub off like paint.

Disadvantages - a cold floor, painstaking laying work and increased hardness, due to which broken dishes that fall on such a floor are sure to break. However, these shortcomings are not significant. The tiled floor can be insulated, the kitchen can be equipped in such a convenient way that the risk of dropping the dishes is minimal, and the technology proper styling can be mastered by anyone with the proper desire and diligence.

When choosing a tile for the floor, you should consider a few points.

1. When choosing a tile, do not be lazy to attach two or three tiles to each other to make sure that there are no gaps between them and that they fit snugly together.
2. Floor tiles must not slip. You can check for slip by moistening the front side with water. The surface must be rough, with corundum coating or ribbed. slippery tiles not suitable for flooring and suitable for walls.
3. You should buy material with a margin, during installation you can split it, damage it. To do this, the area to be covered must be measured and then compared with the size of the sample and correctly determined the required amount. The remaining part of the coating after the repair can be stored in the house in case of damage during operation, for replacement.
4. Calculate the required amount as follows: divide the floor area by the area of ​​​​the tile sample to find out the required amount. You need to add another 10-15 percent for marriage and stock.
5. Pay attention to moisture resistance. look specifications, moisten. The reverse side should not absorb moisture.
6. When choosing, preference should be given to heavier, thicker tiles (from 8 to 13 cm). It must be resistant to impact and withstand solid physical exertion.
7. By hardness, the tile is divided into 5 levels. flooring correspond to levels 3 to 5.
8. Pay attention to how the tile is washed, reacts to washing abrasive substances. When choosing, designers are advised to choose floor tiles that contrast with the walls in color.
9. The most reliable material for tiling is porcelain stoneware. It costs more, but does not create problems during installation and operation.
10. If the kitchen is small, it is better to choose tiles smaller size(10 by 10). Large tiles visually reduce the room. The easiest way to lay square classic tiles. If you choose curly, do not forget about skirting boards, borders, corners. For such places there are special forms of tiles.

Tools and materials needed during the laying process

To lay the tiles yourself, you need to stock up on tools and materials.

Adhesive mixtures

A ready-made adhesive solution in voluminous plastic buckets or bags is expensive, but in practice it is not very convenient to use it. It is better to buy a special dry mortar, which is easy to turn into building glue at home. In addition, the dry mix can be prepared in parts, choosing a convenient schedule and pace of facing work.

Ready glue or dry adhesive mixture can be replaced cement-sand mortar. Work with cement mixture It’s tricky, but it’s cheap, it will help smooth out errors in the curvature of the floor, and in terms of the quality of installation, if you do everything carefully, the cement mortar prepared with your own hands will not yield to glue.

A good composition for a building adhesive mixture is a combination of sand, ordinary quality cement and a dry adhesive mortar. It is both reliable and economical.

Fugue (grout for tile joints at the junction of tiles)

Fugue - grout for inter-tile joints at the junction of tiles. When choosing a fugue, you should pay attention to the fact that the contrasting grout makes the floor bright, emphasizing the shape of the tile, and the fugue matched to the color of the tile will give the effect of a uniform smooth coating. The width of the seam depends on the quality of the tile and ranges from 2 to 20 mm.

Before facing, it is necessary to prepare the floor for laying tiles. If the surface is not level, then the floor must be leveled following the construction work technologies. Minor errors can be easily corrected with the help of cement mortar, as well as building aggregate from dry building mixtures.

Lay the tiles on a clean surface. Therefore, before work, the room must be completely freed from furniture and things, the floor must be thoroughly vacuumed, washed, cleaned of grease, dirt and dried. The room must be ventilated and closed for the duration of work and drying, eliminating drafts.

How to lay floor tiles in relation to walls

There are three main types of laying floor tiles.

1. "Seam to seam" - the easiest, most understandable and simplest way, when the tiles are laid sequentially, one after the other, in even straight rows, while the seams are the same, they are located one above the other evenly, the plates are parallel to the walls of the room.
2. "Diagonally" - the plates are not parallel to the walls, the corners of the tiles "look" at the walls. This is less economical, more troublesome, since many slabs have to be cut diagonally. But it is this method that can aesthetically make the room more attractive, visually more spacious, due to the diagonal lines on the floor.
3. "In a run" - the slabs are placed one above the other, but the seams do not match, the fragments of the coating are laid like bricks, the border between the overlying tiles is in the middle of the seam of the underlying tile.

Video - Laying tiles

Laying tiles

The first thing to do is determine the point from which laying will begin and where the first tile will be laid. Such a point can be located at the middle of the wall or in the middle of the room. This is necessary for symmetrical styling, as it is convenient.

Having prepared adhesive composition, apply it to the floor. For thicker tiles, we give a thicker adhesive layer. Level it, distribute it evenly with a notched trowel. We make sure that when leveling the grooves are the same in depth and height.

Experienced repairmen usually fill 1 square meter with glue or cement. meter. If there is no experience, it is better to reduce the area. You need to lay the tiles quickly, until the glue is weathered and begins to dry out.

If a cement mortar or a more reliable mixture of cement and glue is used instead of a special adhesive, the tile must be soaked in a basin of water, for tight "sticking" and adhesion (adhesion) with the prepared floor surface.

On the finished fragment of the floor with the adhesive applied, the tile must be applied and pressed with your hands, then carefully tap on each side with a rubber construction hammer so that the laid tile adheres evenly.

For this, the building level is used. If the edge of the tile is higher than it should be, lower it with pressure or tap with a hammer. If the tile "sags", it is better to add a small portion of the adhesive solution.

We insert plastic dividing crosses between the tiles. so that the seams between the fragments of the coating are the same. Crosses can be replaced with matches or narrow wooden wedges, pegs with a diameter of 2-8 mm.

Sometimes a tile does not fit at the end of a row, in which case a tile cutter will come to the rescue, and if it is not there, an ordinary "grinder". Can be used for cutting and glass cutter. This will require additional effort, but - no additional costs.

While working on laying tiles, it is necessary to keep a damp cloth nearby to immediately wipe off glue and cement stains until the composition thickens and dries.

After laying the tiles completely, you need to wait until the glue is completely dry. It is necessary to exclude the slightest drafts, close windows and doors tightly, make sure that there is no one in the room with freshly laid tiles, including animals and children. The glue will dry in a couple of days. After complete drying, you can begin to complete the work - grouting.

The seams between the tiles are rubbed with a special building mix. We take out all the plastic dividing crosses (or matches) from the gaps between the tiles, then apply the grout mixture to the seam with a small rubber spatula.

By the way, puffer can be made colored by adding dye to the finished mixture. The paint is selected individually in accordance with the aesthetic tasks that you set for yourself.

If the tiled floor is in a crowded room, liquid cement mortar can be used instead of a fugue, it is stronger, more resistant to physical aggression and does not wear off quickly.

After grouting, the tiled floor must dry out. Usually this takes a day. After that, you can wash the floor and breathe easy: the repair and construction part of the work associated with flooring is completed.

Often, those who decide to lay the tiles on their own do not think about which side to start laying the tiles. And this is very important point.
Experienced craftsmen they know that if you start laying tiles in the bathroom or kitchen correctly, then less material will be needed, which means less finance will be spent. It will also reduce the time for laying tiles and the design in the bathroom or toilet will look better.

By and large, the question: “Where should I start laying tiles” does not have a clear answer. But there are several points by which the master determines which side to start laying tiles.

First you need to decide on the sequence of laying tiles in the bathroom or kitchen. It is advised to start laying tiles from the walls, and not from the floor, because. during work, the material with which the tiler is working may fall from the walls and new tile on the floor will be damaged. Another reason why laying should start from the walls is the drying time of the tiles. In order for the tile adhesive to fully set, you must wait from several days to a week. This time will have to stop repair work in the bathroom or toilet, and this is extra time.

Laying scheme

Before you start laying tiles in a bathroom or toilet, you need to decide on the location of the tiles. To do this, draw a design on paper and make the necessary calculations.

Next, you should make even markings on the wall, moving the tile from top to bottom without mortar. It is necessary to mark the position of each tile, thereby determining the future position of the tile. The bottom row will correctly be laid last of the chopped pieces.

How to lay tiles on walls

They start laying tiles on the walls from the corner that catches the eye first when entering the room, usually this opposite wall from front door. On the second row marked with a thread or level, you need to attach a rail to the wall, making sure that it stands level. Then you can start laying tiles on the wall.

To avoid slipping tiles, you can lay out no more than two rows at a time. You can lay two rows of tiles on each wall and so on in a circle. While the row will be laid on one wall, on the other it will already dry out. You need to start facing with whole elements, and the lower rows can be laid from damaged ones.

If a novice tiler wants to lay first one wall after another, we can safely say that nothing will work out - the tiles in the corners will not converge, and the seams will fluctuate from 3 mm to 3 cm, which looks very ugly.

It should also be noted that if there are external corners in the kitchen or bathroom, then the tiling takes place precisely from them, since finishing the row with damaged tiles on outer corner won't work at all.

The bottom row should be placed last. Most often, when laying the bottom row, the tiles have to be cut. This is done with a special tool - a tile cutter.
Between each row of tiles in the bathroom or kitchen, you need to put crosses - special accessories for working with tiles.

In the event that glue is accidentally spilled onto the finished work, it should be immediately removed from the tile to avoid solidification. After the laid tiles in the toilet or bathroom are completely dry, the entire lining should be wiped first with a damp cloth and then dry. After that, you can start grouting the seams.

Drawing on the wall

It should also be noted that if the owner is going to lay out a certain pattern in the toilet, then you need to start laying the tiles from the center of the image. If this is not done, then the drawing may end up in the direction of the wall.

To determine the center of the wall in the kitchen or in the toilet, you need to set the diagonals with a cord, where the diagonals will intersect, there is the center of the wall.

You should start laying tiles from the center of the image and continue the row in one direction and the other from the center. After the central row is laid out, it will become clear where to go next and the work will go faster.

Laying tiles on the floor

Where to start laying tiles on the floor in the toilet?

1. There are three options with which experienced tilers begin to lay tiles on the floor. Laying takes place from the farthest corner opposite the door. This standard way, which is suitable for laying tiles in the kitchen, but if in the bathroom this corner is closed by a shower, then there is no point in using this method.
2. Masonry from the threshold at the door. this case laying tiles starts from the corner that is closest to the door. This method is used most often because opposite side usually located plumbing.
3. Laying from the center of the room. Four tiles are laid in the center of the room, from which the laying of the floor continues.

There is one easy way to determine which of the three options to use. You should measure the length of the row and divide the result by the width of the tile. If the resulting balance is less than half, then you should start laying the floor with tiles from the beginning of the row. This method not only saves material, but the layout looks neater.

Before starting work, the floor is thoroughly cleaned and leveled. Next, you should create a waterproofing trough that will protect the floor from various kinds of leaks. To do this, use waterproofing - liquid or roll. On top of the insulating layer is primed to increase the adhesion of the tile adhesive.

Grouting

You can grout the seams after the lining is completely dry. All crosses should be removed and you can start grouting.

The grout is matched to the color of the tile, diluted in water to a homogeneous mass and evenly applied with a rubber spatula between the joints.

After some of the seams are rubbed, it is necessary to wipe them with a slightly damp sponge so that the seams are smooth and beautiful.

Saving

Many people think about how to save money during repairs. The first thing you do not need to save on is the quality of the tile, as in the future this saving can cost even more.

You can not lay tiles where it will not be visible, for example, on the walls where plumbing fixtures will be installed. Only at the same time, you need to remember that the walls will need additional protection from moisture - be sure to plaster, prime, and possibly also paint.

Also, you can not lay tiles under the bath, especially if the entire space under the bath is covered with a screen. The floor, where there will be no tiles, should also be protected from moisture.