How to Make Cement Tiles
- 1). Purchase tile molds. You will need a tile mold in order to make your cement tiles. Molds come in a variety of sizes and designs. Molds are measured in inches, and the most common size for floor tiles is 9-by-9. You can purchase tile molds from home improvement stores and specialty store like The Mold Store (see Resources). Most molds come in a set of 3. For a 36-foot-by-36-foot patio, you would need to buy 16 sets of molds.
- 2). Prepare your mold for filling. When you are going to make your cement tiles, you will need to prepare the molds for filling. You do not want the cement to stick in the molds, so you will need to spray some vegetable oil in the mold. You will only need a light coating of the oil, so do not overdo it. If you get too much oil, you can use a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. This will ensure that the cement tile releases from the mold when it is dry.
- 3). Mix your cement. You can purchase a 5 lb. bag of cement mix at your local home improvement or hardware store. You will also need a mixing container, such as a large bucket, and something to mix with, like a shovel. You will mix up the cement according to the directions on the bag, which will be to add water to the mix in a container. You do not want to add too much water, though, so be sure to follow the precise directions on the packaging of the cement mix. Your mixture will not be runny; instead, it will look like thick toothpaste. If you want to make colored cement tiles, you can add a liquid dye to the water before adding it to the mix. You can also get the dye from a local home improvement store.
- 4). Fill your molds with cement. You will need to fill your molds with cement. The standard thickness for floor tiles, including patio tiles, is 1/2". You need to make sure all of the tiles are the same thickness. The Mold Store recommends using an empty 46-oz. container of frozen juice to get the perfect amount of cement in each mold. Be sure to get all bubbles out of the mold by slightly shaking the mold to help the cement settle.
- 5). Leave the molds to dry. Your cement-filled molds will need to dry for at least a day. The longer you can let them dry and setup the better. However, you should not leave them longer than 30 days. Cover the mold with plastic for the best results.
- 6). Remove the tiles from the molds. Once you have let the cement tiles dry, you are ready to demold them, or remove them from the molds. To demold simply flip over the mold on a flat surface and pry up the edges to release the mold from the tile. If you have problems, try pressing in the center and the corners to ease the tile out of the mold.
- 7). Cure the tiles. When the tiles are out of the mold they will need to cure for at least a week. Place plastic over the tiles and let them sit to sure. Before using your tiles you should apply a protective sealer to it. You can get this from your local home improvement or hardware store. Apply according to directions on packaging.
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