How to lay tiles on the floor

Whatever diversity is pleased today with an assortment of available finishing materials, ceramic tiles, although it belongs to the venerable "veterans" of the construction market, does not have to take the lead in popularity. It occupies a completely specific "niche" - , this material, due to its unique performance characteristics, is used for exterior and outdoor works , for residential and technical premises, for finishing floors and walls, facades and hydraulic structures,and even elements of garden design.

Tiles practically have no competitors in the field of interior decoration with expressed by high humidity - bathrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and , .Strength of ceramics allows it to withstand high loads, therefore, when flooring in such rooms, preference is given most often to it, since for all its positive qualities, it still is also very affordable. And still one important advantage is the relative ease of mounting: if you have a good understanding of the intricacies,

to put the tile on the floor, put a little effort on, try hard, then can be handled with such work.

But before tackles the tiling issues, it would be logical to consider problems with its correct selection.

How to choose a floor tile

Going to the store to select and purchase the necessary materials, the owner of the apartment should be "armed" basic knowledge about what tiles are usually represented in the sale.

Choosing a tile for a floor with an eye exclusively on its decorative qualities is an extremely frivolous approach. In a good shop, a great help can be provided by trained sales consultants who will prompt which tile model for which targets is designed for. But it's better to be able to navigate in icons and pictograms, which can tell a lot about themselves. The most common characters that can be seen are listed in the table:

1 - This is a tile with pronounced frost-resistant qualities. It is suitable for porch floor, verandah, balcony or loggia. Spend on the purchase of such a tile for further flooring in a heated room - there is no sense.

2 - foot on the clone plane - a symbol of anti-slip quality tv pl weaves. For rooms with high humidity( bathroom, kitchen) or for the vestibules, where often the shoes are filled with moisture from the street - a very important criterion. Often such an icon is accompanied by a digital indicator - this is the coefficient t rhenium. For the above-mentioned premises, the slightly rough tile with a specified coefficient of at least 0.75 will be the best choice.

3 - Sign in the form of a diamond( sometimes occurs with the image of the drill) - the tile has increased characteristics of surface strength, resistance to accented impacts. Good quality for the kitchen floor - accidentally dropped dishes not will cause to cover serious damage.

4 - This icon is always accompanied by a numerical value - this is the thickness of the ceramic tile. For laying on the floor, usually a material with a thickness of the order of 7 - 8 mm is purchased.

5 - The ultimate strength of an individual bending tile. This parameter is determined by the results of bench tests, and the is higher than the , the better the material( for example, in ceramogranite this figure is much higher, than for conventional tiles).However, the tiles on the floor should be laid so that the bending load is minimal - densely and evenly to the surface, without air bubbles, shells and midsize .

6 - The palm sign indicates that this ceramic tile is exclusively for walls. No matter how beautiful and strong it neither seemed , it is impossible to acquire its for laying on the floor.

7 - But the image of the track from the boot speaks for itself - this tile is designed for the floor.

8 or 16 are the indicators of ceramic tile resistance to abrasive, abrading load. In accordance with the international standard PE1 ( EN ISO 105645.7), there are 5 classes of wear resistance:

Class of abrasion resistance according to PE1( EN ISO 105645.7)	Scope of application
I	This tile is suitable for rooms with a minimum load,people( for example, a bathroom, a bathroom).In such premises do not wear street shoes, and they do not have a close neighborhood with access to the street.
II	This tile is for rooms in which they also go in home shoes, but the traffic intensity is somewhat higher.
III	Wear resistance of this class allows the use of ceramic tiles in hallways or in kitchens.
IV	High-strength tiles for rooms and halls with intensive loads - entrances, shops, public places, offices, etc. In conditions of apartments or private houses, there is no sense to use
V	The highest class of abrasive strength, applicable for coatings with extremely high intensity of movement of people and even some types of transport. Scope of application - railway stations, large supermarkets, warehouses, production facilities, etc.

9 - This icon indicates that the ceramic tile has passed the double firing procedure. Such material usually has a glossy glazed surface, and is more suitable for laying on walls. In addition, the double firing technology assumes an increased porosity of the ceramic - and this is the reduction of the of its mechanical strength and increased water absorption.

10 - The badge in the form of a chemical flask indicates an increased resistance of the tile surface to acids, alkalis, other aggressive substances, including - to any type of household chemicals. The alphabetic index of this property of the material is "AA".

11 - If there is such a badge, needs to be careful in choosing tiles - in one box there can be tiles of different shades.

12 - Not which expensive types of ceramic tiles can be produced with the inclusion of precious metals in their composition: silver( Ag), gold( Au) or even platinum( Pt).

Pictograms 13 ÷ 15 inform about the parameters of the factory packing of ceramic tiles. So, in the example , the symbol 13 indicates that that the weight of the gross box is 19.00 kg , the 14 icon is about volume, that of one package is enough for 1.42 m² of floor space, andsymbol 16 - that the in the box is packed with 24 tiles.

Some of the specific properties of the material will be indicated by the pictograms indicated in the table under numbers 17 to 21. Such ceramic tiles are designed for special operating conditions. It can be the station and and airports, medical facilities, industrial enterprises, hotels, sports facilities. Acquire such a tile for flooring in a private house or apartment - there is no point.

Which still moments should not be overlooked:

• If the tile is planned to be laid on the bathroom floor, shower room, kitchen or other room with high humidity, then a material with a minimum( not more than 3%) water absorption coefficient is required.
• The linear dimensions( length and width) of the tiles also matter. Of course, the tiles are larger, the faster its can be laid. However, for rooms with a small area and complex floor forms, too large tiles not will suit - there will be a lot of waste. And look great tiles in these little rooms will be somewhat ridiculous. In addition, do not forget that carefully stacking a large tile - much harder.
• If you buy as much as the packages of ceramic tiles, you need to choose the goods of one lot.

This is necessary for two reasons:

- First, even the same tile model, but different batches can have minor variations in tint. In the conditions of the store, this, it is quite possible, will not even be noticeable. However, after laying such a coating on the floor and under normal lighting, such a difference may well spoil the intended interior appearance of the room.

tile - Secondly, fluctuations in the linear dimensions of the tiles are not excluded. It is clear that the cutting of material on the is carried out by under the control of precision electronics. But still ceramics remains ceramics , and small errors can be, so it is necessary to calibrate the finished products. In one batch there should always be tiles of uniform calibration, and the difference between different batches can be even several millimeters. When laying such a tile on the floor, especially in the premises of a large area, noticeable with the unarmed eye can appear.

• Be sure to check the packaging for the absence of broken, cracked tiles or having chips on the surface. Salespeople can argue that the - marriage is an inevitable phenomenon, and this needs to be reconciled. No, you do not, you pay your money for quality goods.
• It is generally accepted that a certain reserve should be purchased, for 10 % more space. This will leave for "cuts" and for cases of compensation for some annoying misunderstandings. It is necessary to remember that it is not always possible to purchase tiles later to fill the missing quantity - this was already mentioned when it was a question of parties.

. By the way, if you plan to lay the tiles on the diagonal, the reserve can even be slightly increased - up to 15%.With this technology it is more difficult to make the material fit along the walls, more remains of waste and, in addition, a much higher probability of allowing, but inexperience, some errors.

How to lay tiles on concrete floor

The process of facing the floor with ceramic tiles can be divided into four main stages:

• Preparation of the surface for laying.
• Carrying out the necessary marking, drawing up a scheme of work.
• Laying ceramic tiles on adhesive mortar.
• Grouting and finishing work.

Preparation of the floor surface for laying tile

The requirements for the laying of tiles, in principle, are simple - it must be strong, stable, ensure good adhesion to the adhesive. How is this achieved?

When comes on a concrete foundation, it is first necessary to perform a thorough revision of the old screed on which tiling is planned. No need to be lazy - every centimeter of floor should be taped to make sure the in the absence of unstable areas.

• First of all, checks its horizontality - if this condition is not met, then pouring a new screed simply can not be avoided. If the level is satisfactory( the difference is not more than 2 - 3 mm), then the old cover can still serve, provided , of course, it is stable.
• If during inspection inspection the places of detachment of screed, crumbling of concrete, deep oiling are revealed, it is necessary to remove them until a "healthy" surface, both in width and in depth. Wide cracks and slots need to cut to a width of up to 10 - 15 mm.
• On the surface there should be no traces of paint, oil products, fats, remains of the old coating - everything is peeled off to clean concrete.
• All tabs are necessarily cut off - if you can still see the on the insignificant groove "through fingers", as it is in the process of laying, all is filled with glue, even the smallest bump will make even laying impossible.
• After this, a thorough cleaning with is carried out by dust removal of the surface. To repair sucking well lay , it is necessary to prime all the places to be repaired and allow the primer to dry completely.
• The repair composition is being prepared - it can be a "classic" cement-sand mixture in the proportion of 1: 3, but it will dry long enough.

A good repair composition can be cement based tile adhesive, however such an approach will be reasonable only with small defects - on extensive or deep areas of very expensive adhesive will go too much.

• All potholes, dents, cut slits and cracks must be filled with repair mortar and aligned with the common floor surface. The meaning is not in the ideal smoothing, but in the most dense filling of voids.
• After the repair compound has dried, a complete priming of the floor surface with a special compound is made, which will harden the surface and provide excellent adhesion.

Primers are on sale a lot, and there is always the opportunity to purchase the best in price and quality. An excellent reputation, for example, is " Cerezit CN 94 ", " Concrete contact ", " Plitonite - primer-supercontact ".

Apply the primer in two layers, with mandatory drying of the first. Once the primer is completely absorbed and dried, the floor surface can be considered completely ready for laying tiles.

Any repairman will confirm that it often happens that when repairing a seemingly small area of ​​the old screed, the "avalanche process" of the - begins, the detachment spreads all and farther away from the .The output in this case is one - to remove the old covering completely, to the slab. The work, of course, is not the most pleasant, but without it can not do - tiles on the unstable semi long is not allowed.

Once the old coating has been removed from , it is necessary to fill a new screed with a thickness of at least 30 mm. ( as it is correct to do - can be read in the corresponding publication of our portal ).

Finished and completely frozen screed is also ground twice, after which you can proceed to further work.

Floor marking for laying ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles should become a decoration of the room, and it will be possibly only provided that its location on the floor planned correctly. Inaccurately, obliquely laid tile can fully fulfill the interior

There are many methods and methods for placing ceramic tiles on the floor - all of them on the scale of this article can not be considered - this is a topic for a separate publication. But even the simplest, "classic" method requires accuracy and accuracy.

Begin planning to lay from the wall - it's very risky, since the slightest defect will grow with each next row, and it will be very difficult to eliminate it. Therefore support lines and the first rows of tiles are usually located approximately in the center of the room.

reference lines The first reference line is usually carried out along the room. For this, in two places, the at the beginning of the and at the end, carefully measure the distance between the opposite walls and put the midpoints. They are connected by a straight line( this is usually done with a coated cord), and receives a longitudinal baseline.

Now it is necessary to draw a second perpendicular to the first, also approximately in the middle of the room. It is very important that the strictest perpendicularity is observed. In order to avoid errors, and is quite possible when using a square and ruler, it is necessary for to check the right angle using the formula of the well-known " Egyptian triangle": 3² + 4² = 5². According to the Pythagorean theorem, this is a triangle with legs multiple of 3 and 4, and a hypotenuse multiple of 5.

For example, measure from the point of intersection of the legs 900 and 1200 mm. We connect the marked points by a segment, and its length should be exactly 1500 mm - is no more, not less than .

When the lines are drawn and their perpendicularity is verified, one can think about how to arrange the rows of tiles and from which the start the computation. Remember that the reference lines conducted are not a "dogma" for the beginning of the masonry - they do not constitute t t ore to produce parallel transfer in any direction.

For example, if the entrance door in a spacious room is located exactly in the center, then you can lay out the first rows of tiles - along the paved support lines. The principle is that the view at the entrance to the room would be a flat area, without slashes and fits.(see item "a" in the figure).

But in a room of small area, with an offset of the output to the edge( pos. B), yes is still and, possibly, having a complex shape or stationary obstacles, the beginning of the masonry can be to put on a free "penny" - from here it will be much more convenient to work in all directions, but it is the entrance that turns out to be "ceremonial".

In any case, never need to be lazy - it is necessary to carry out control laying of the central longitudinal and transverse rows of ceramic tiles "dry", without using mortar, but leaving the planned gap between adjacent tiles.

This simple procedure will allow you to visually assess the future picture, measure the distances, finally determine the layout scheme, that is, to stay on one of the principles:

1 - in a small room, for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen, you can take for the "starting line" two walls from the entrance( green arrows), provided that they are exactly perpendicular. In this case, the entire visible part of the room will be laid out with whole tiles, and the cut edges will be hidden under furniture or sanitary equipment.

2 - laying is carried out by the from the center with calculation to place the maximum possible number of whole tiles on the floor, leaving narrow sections for complementation with fragments( brown arrows) of . Beneficial in terms of material savings. However, for reasons of masonry quality at the walls it is desirable to leave areas not narrower than the width of the tile.

3 - a little more imposing looks arrangement with the minimum number of whole tiles in a row, but with extended fragments along the walls( blue arrows).This coverage looks more completed , and from an operational point of view it is more reliably than # 2.

4 - laying diagonally - will help to hide the curvature of the room. Of the disadvantages - more complex execution, especially in terms of pre-marking and fitting tile fragments, more material goes into waste.

If this is the case, it should immediately be outlined what scheme will work on - from the far corner to the input, or with the division of space into several areas by straight lines, then filling them.

is planned in advance. It is also possible to "fill" the space in different ways. So, some masters are laying the order .Others prefer the "ladder" scheme with a sequential increase in the number of simultaneously stacked rows.

steps. By the way, there are supporters and laying ceramic tiles on the floor of " in the descent" or even chaotically - sometimes this is part of the design plan for finishing the room. But under the conditions of a conventional house, they prefer to be limited to a straight laying scheme, " seam in seam ".

Laying of tiles on the floor

• So, we prepare the required tool and materials for laying.

- For work you will need spatulas, usual, with a width from 100 to 250 mm, and gear , with the height of the grooved 8 - 10 mm. To grout the joints, it is not a bad idea to get an elastic rubber spatula.

- You will need a building mixer or a drill with a nozzle for mixing the tile adhesive, corresponding to capacity for the same purposes.

- Always at hand should be the building level.

- In some cases, you need to apply the force to lay the tile in place. It is convenient for this purpose to use a rubber mallet.

- You should immediately think about what will be done cutting tiles( this - a little lower).

- It is necessary to create a stock of calibration crosses of the required thickness, plastic wedges for leveling in height.

- . In order for the not to remove dirt, it is necessary to have a stock of clean rags and a sponge for rubbing the solution off the face of the tile.

• Probably, nowadays no one thinks about producing tile glue on its own - it can always be purchased at the store. When choosing, it is necessary to check the purpose of the composition - in addition to the usual ones, designed for the of most internal premises, there are specialized mixtures, designed for rooms with high humidity conditions, for street, especially resistant or for so-called "difficult surfaces" , for the system" of warm floors" and , as .

The glue is diluted with the gradual addition of a dry mix in the with the instruction instructions for the amount of water, with constant mixing while using a mixer or drill. The composition should be absolutely homogeneous, without lumps, rather dense consistency - so that the ridges created by the notched trowel do not spread.

After obtaining the required consistency for the composition, it is left for 5 minutes to "mature", then is still once mixed for 2 ÷ 3 minutes - and you can start laying.

Do not immediately prepare too much mortar, especially if has no experience in laying ceramic tiles. The term of his "life" is limited - this must be indicated in his instructions. If the glue during the work of starts to become noticeably thicker , then will have to be discarded by - it can not be re-watered again - it will lose its quality .

• Beginner masters, apparently having listened to old, irrelevant advice or reading somewhere about it, soak the tile in the water before laying it on the its floor. By this they make a gross error.

A similar approach is possible if the tile is laid on a conventional cement-sand mortar, and even then - not in all cases. And all modern building mixtures - adhesives for ceramic tiles, are designed for application on a dry surface. Excess water will significantly reduce the performance of the adhesive, and the tile will start the with time to "dance" and fall off.

Therefore, , before you put the first tile, still once carefully read the instruction manual for the of the tile glue purchased - there surely everything is indicated.

• Where to apply glue - on the floor, or on the tile? There is no unity of opinion on this issue. Someone likes to apply to the tile - remain untouched by the line markings on the floor.

On the other hand, it is more convenient to immediately cover a significant area of ​​the floor, and then concentrate on the flat tile laying( of course, if there is an defined experience, otherwise it can not be done).

. There is a third advice - to spread both here and there, but lay the tiles in such a way that the direction of the combs made with a notched trowel on the floor and on the tile is perpendicular - so all the cavities,maximum grip is ensured.

• The tiles, after gluing with glue, are laid on the surface in the right place, tightly pressed to the floor, the is controlled by its location relative to the reference lines, and the horizontal plane of its in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
• Work continues in the same order, with the mandatory installation of calibration crosses - they will allow the to clearly withstand the required clearance between the tiles.

When fitting each tile you must check the its horizontality using the construction level. Immediately the necessary adjustments are made - adding or removing the solution, inserting a small wedge and , .

• tiles must be controlled. It is necessary to ensure that there is no surplus of glue in the interlacing gap - this space will need to fill the seams. So it's better to clean the glue immediately, since later it will be very difficult to do. Together the with the , with the front surface of the tile, should be immediately wiped away with a rag or sponge to remove stains of the solution, preventing them from drying out.
• The remote crosses are left between the tiles before the initial setting of the mortar. Then, when the tile has already become immovable, the crosses need to be removed - leave them in the seams until the glue is completely solidified, since then there will be difficulties with extraction.

Video: a visual lesson on laying tiles on floor

• Very convenient in the work of modern devices for rapid laying tiles - the so-called leveling systems. In the complete set kt in the racks are clamped( disposable elements) and wedges( can be used again).

- After the first tile is laid on the glue, well pressed and inserted in the level, with each of the its sides are mounted on two clamps so that they with their heel come undertiles. The thickness of the clamp foot will determine the size of the seam. Clips are installed at a distance of about 50 mm from the corner.

-The next tile is then stacked. The wide heel of the clamp is and under it.

-The wedge is inserted and reaches the limit to the limit, where it will be fixed by the ribbed surface about the hooks. It is very important - the wedges are always inserted from the side of previously laid and leveled tiles.

- Thus, the lower, equal face of the wedge "pulls" the surface of the next tile perfectly into the plane already laid. However, control using the level all no one cancels.

- The wedges must remain in this position until the glue dries completely. Then they are removed light lateral blows with a rubber hammer. The design of polymer clamps is such that they withstand the tensile load, but immediately break off when subjected to fracture. Below, under the tile, , only the broken heels remain.

- Wedges, as already mentioned, can be used further, and broken off hooks - are recycled.

Video: laying tiles with the help of the alignment system tiles

Cutting tiles

Previously it was only about laying the whole tile, however in practice, there are never cases that this is all limited. So, now it's time to consider the problem of cutting tiles.

• Installation of fragments is recommended to be carried out not immediately, but one day after the main part of the floor. During this time, the glue is already good grab , and it will be possible to accurately measure the required dimensions.
• When marking a tile for posture cutting, you should not forget about intersheave interval - it must necessarily be corrected.
• You can cut ceramic tiles in several ways:

1. The is most convenient with tile cutter, a desktop tool that gives a smooth and precise cut. It is enough to put the tiles with the marking line on the central ledge, hold the roller on the roller with an effort to the top of the tile, and then, keeping the feet on the tile surface on both sides held features, push the lever down.

With even a small experience of the master, marriage in such a cutting practically does not happen.

2. Hand-held tile cutter - quite handy tool, but already requiring more dexterity from the worker.

Initially, the roller is carried out along the intended risk line. Then the tile is clamped so that tile cutter is exactly on the top of the line cut .Movement with hands - and tile should be divided into two parts.

The same procedure is used for cutting and with the of a conventional glass cutter, with the only difference being that the breaking is done about the edge of the workbench, or using from the bottom of the metal bar( nail or wire) cut on the workpiece on the work bench .

With all the advantages of hand and desktop tile cutters , they allow you to cut the tile only in a straight line.

3. Sandblaster with a diamond disc - this approach is especially good when cutting a tile with an angle or creating complex shapes. Here the main difficulty is to provide with a reliable fixing the tiles when working with a "bulgarian" so that it does not fly out or crack.

The tiles can be cut right through - when parts of a complex configuration are required. If direct long sections are cut off, then it is possible only to break the integrity of the upper enamel layer - then the tile will not be difficult to break along the intended line.

Particular attention to precautions - must be covered by the mask of the eye and face, so as is not excluded scattering small of hot fragments of ceramics.

4. Small sections of the tile can be removed using ticks.

can come to the aid. In this case, it is advisable to apply a roller of the glass cutter on the site to be removed. Then with ticks, very small fragments are neatly broken out, gradually bringing the tile to the desired size.

If necessary, any minor unevenness left after cutting can be removed using a bar, of a coarse-grained( 80) abrasive paper .With large teeth, they can be "corrected" with ticks. If there is a pronounced sharp edge, it is better to begin to process its round file.

The process of laying the cut fragments, in fact, does not differ from anything else from the , as described above.

When performing work to cut tiles and when laying out fragments of it, you should take extra care. Pottery can t and not on the intended line, and means , it is likely that when you press a cut hand injury. In addition, the broken edges can have extremely sharp edges, capable of causing very deep cuts. All work should be carried out only in protective gloves.

Jointing

After the entire floor area is covered with ceramic tiles, you can proceed to grouting the seams.

• First of all, you need more times check state of the seams - they need to be cleared to the full depth and width.
• Prepared grouting mortar - grout .It can be cement-based or an epoxy bicomponent composition.

1. In domestic conditions, cement grouts are often used( etc. , class with with G 2 according to EN 13888).

They are sold in shops in the form of hermetically packed dry mixtures, can have different tinting - there is always the opportunity to choose the most appropriate color for the overall design. They are shut up to the desired consistency, they often water. But for rooms with high humidity or for floors with a high level of load, it is still recommended to use a special latex additive for breeding the composition - from this the floor surface will only benefit.

2. Recently, the grout on an epoxy base( class RG to EN 13888) is rapidly gaining popularity. These are two-component compounds, which are prepared immediately before the beginning of work on the filling of seams.

The term of "life" of such a composition is small, therefore it is prepared in small portions so that is guaranteed to work out before solidification.

Epoxy trowels - more durable, resistant to chemistry, they are much more plastic and do not crack with time. These compounds have a much wider range of shades( including bright, saturated colors), and besides , is sold many similar grouts with special effects - sparkles, fluorescent glow and , etc. .

The only significant drawback of epoxy grouts( except for a specific difficulty with the correct preparation of the working staff) is so far a very high price, very limiting the scope of their use.

• The finished compound is typed on rubber spatula or rubber grater and is applied with a force on the joint area, usually in the direction of 45 degrees from the seam line. Such a trajectory will ensure the fullest and densest filling of the intershour space.

• After the seams have been filled, it is necessary to immediately remove excess mixes from the tile surface - later this will make it much more difficult. Usually, this is started when the white coating appeared on the trowel left on the tile surface - it began to dry out( as a rule, after 20 - 30 minutes).

To do this, take a foam sponge, well washed and wrung out, and remove the remnants of the fugue. The movements , like the rule, are the same, so when trowelling - 45 degrees to the seam line. At the same time, we must try not to touch the seams, so as not to wash out the fugue. Sponge follows t t thoroughly wash as often as possible , with a constant change of water. By the way, water plays a double role here - it cleans away pollutions, and participates in the hydration of the cement composition of the trowel.

After 3 - 4 hours it is possible more once again to wash out a surface with the help of a foam rubber sponge. Then, after washing the floor dry, the remaining light cement plaque is easy to clean by wiping the tiles with a dry clean soft rag.

After that, the ceramic tile will already take its "ceremonial" appearance, and you can say that the process of its stacking completed .

Video: the option of grouting on the lined floor

However, if the lining was carried out in a room with high humidity or with intensive loads on the surface, it is recommended to perform another one simple operation - to smear the seams with a water repellent .

This is done very simply - the composition is applied abundantly on the seams with a fine brush. This treatment will give the composition of the fugue water-repellent properties, which will significantly increase the service life of the ceramic coating, not ck to accumulate dampness in these places, will facilitate cleaning.

When water repellent is absorbed and dried, you can direct to the final order .It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the floor with a clean water - and we can assume that the entire multistage process of laying the tile on the floor - behind!