Laying Ceramic Floor Tile To Save Money And Get The Results You Want
Laying ceramic floor tile is usually a job left to the pros. There's no reason a handy person can't tackle this kind of project. It just takes some planning, the right tools and some help with a few of the tricks.
Certainly most ceramic tile is installed by professional tile setters. But there's no reason a handy person can't do a professional job of laying ceramic floor tile. There are tricks for sure, but the main advantage a pro has is speed. A pro makes money by going fast. What's your hurry if you're doing a project for yourself? There is no big hurry, right?
Planning a tile job is the key to success. Picking the tile you want plus the right adhesive and grouts is the first step. With the money you save by doing it yourself you can even use granite flooring or some other premium choice. You'll need a few tools too, but the only really expensive tool is a wet saw. You can rent a saw or buy an inexpensive saw.
Actually installing the tile starts with the layout of some guide lines. Most rooms aren't exactly square so the real key is finding the best place to start and striking some chalk lines to get you started. Often at least one corner is square and that may be the best place to start. You may need to cut tiles along two walls so try to pick those walls so the cut tiles are less noticeable.
Once you have your guide lines you can nail down a couple of board to use as guides to get you going. Then you'll be using tile spacers to keep the grout lines even, checking regularly with a carpenter's square to make sure you're staying straight.
A real challenge is cutting the tiles at the edges. The tools for this are your tile saw or you can even get by with a cutter board plus a pair of nippers. The edge tiles are cut such that you have a grout line at the wall too.
The last major step is grouting the tile. The choice of grout depends on the tile and the room. Bathroom floor tile is often grouted with epoxy grout since it is completely waterproof. The size of the grout line often determines whether you use sanded or unsanded grout. Your supplier will help you pick the grout. The grout is applied with a rubber faced float or trowel.
Visit our site for a rough estimate of the cost of laying ceramic floor tile.
Al Bullington invites you to visit http://www.InstallingCeramicTile.net for answers to your tile questions.
Certainly most ceramic tile is installed by professional tile setters. But there's no reason a handy person can't do a professional job of laying ceramic floor tile. There are tricks for sure, but the main advantage a pro has is speed. A pro makes money by going fast. What's your hurry if you're doing a project for yourself? There is no big hurry, right?
Planning a tile job is the key to success. Picking the tile you want plus the right adhesive and grouts is the first step. With the money you save by doing it yourself you can even use granite flooring or some other premium choice. You'll need a few tools too, but the only really expensive tool is a wet saw. You can rent a saw or buy an inexpensive saw.
Actually installing the tile starts with the layout of some guide lines. Most rooms aren't exactly square so the real key is finding the best place to start and striking some chalk lines to get you started. Often at least one corner is square and that may be the best place to start. You may need to cut tiles along two walls so try to pick those walls so the cut tiles are less noticeable.
Once you have your guide lines you can nail down a couple of board to use as guides to get you going. Then you'll be using tile spacers to keep the grout lines even, checking regularly with a carpenter's square to make sure you're staying straight.
A real challenge is cutting the tiles at the edges. The tools for this are your tile saw or you can even get by with a cutter board plus a pair of nippers. The edge tiles are cut such that you have a grout line at the wall too.
The last major step is grouting the tile. The choice of grout depends on the tile and the room. Bathroom floor tile is often grouted with epoxy grout since it is completely waterproof. The size of the grout line often determines whether you use sanded or unsanded grout. Your supplier will help you pick the grout. The grout is applied with a rubber faced float or trowel.
Visit our site for a rough estimate of the cost of laying ceramic floor tile.
Al Bullington invites you to visit http://www.InstallingCeramicTile.net for answers to your tile questions.
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