Tile for stairs - what is its special feature?
Every day people meet with such a miracle of building thought as a step. They persecute us everywhere - at home, at work, at a party and not only. On average, each person for their lives passes through them more than 800,000 thousand steps. If you take only residents of megacities, then there is just over one million. One can argue, you did not expect such huge numbers. But what is this stair tile? In fact, it is no different from the usual, only with improved performance properties, so to speak, modified. There is a huge amount of it, of any color, size and value. In general, it is quite easy to find what you need.
All these materials were invented by a person, accordingly, it has its pros and cons. The most popular is clinker tile , we will consider it. Its properties to some extent share other types of tiles, so getting acquainted with the clinker, you can get an idea of all kinds.
However, there is also a so-called ceramic tile for steps, which is almost inferior to the first kind, but slightly more prone to wear. In general, everyone chooses himself, but it is better to choose the first option.
Note first the pluses of , which are huge. Firstly, speaking of our harsh climate, the clinker from which the tiles are made is frost-resistant, which excludes the appearance of cracks and other unpleasant trifles during the most severe frosts. Secondly, they are not afraid of salt, which allows them to be easily cleared of ice and snow, without fear that the steps will lose their color.
Also laying tiles on the stage guarantees their resistance to mechanical stress. Another advantage is the high density of the material, on which it is possible to pour the paint, and after simple removal with the help of rags there will be no divorce, let alone stains, that is, the pores are not so large as to absorb the paint. Another significant plus is the ability to give the tile any, even the most complex shapes.
Speaking about cons of , it is worth noting a small increase in the size of the steps after facing, and by choosing different color solutions, you can visually increase or decrease the steps. Here are all the main pros and cons.
Tile for steps - prepare for installation
When buying you can afford a choice of a more solid and expensive version of the tile, as the installation of tiles is not very difficult, and it can be done by hand, that is, to save. To begin with, you need to do some preparatory work.
First, you need to buy the very tile and glue. Glue is needed as usual, as for any other tile, if your steps are on the street, then take glue for outdoor works. It's better to take it from an official dealer, since counterfeiting is not uncommon.
Now you need to clean the surface of dust, grease and other unnecessary spots, protrusions and everything else. From tools prepare a drill and a nozzle of the "mixer" type. You will also need a bucket, rags and so-called struts, which are placed between the tiles, in order to have the same stitches. Now you can proceed to a process that professionals call tiling steps.
Laying the tiles on the steps - basic rules
After cleaning the surface of the steps, and having prepared everything necessary, proceed to the process of installing the tiles. In fact, the rules for facing the steps on the street with ceramic tiles are ideal for clinker.
The first step is to stir the glue, it is done with a drill and a "mixer".Then we dilute the glue in strict accordance with the instructions. At this stage, negligence is not permissible.
Now take the tile and start the lining from the topmost step. For this, apply a layer of glue 3-5 mm on the surface and tightly tile the top of the step. With force, we press it, take the spacers and place them along the perimeter.
Then we repeat all operations: apply glue, re-tighten the tile and arrange the spacers. Until the end, nothing in this sequence will not change, which is why the process is not difficult.
In case the tile needs to be cut, since it does not fit or there is some kind of non-standard turn of the step, then you will need a Bulgarian and a cutting disc. Next draw a cut line and easily solve this problem. Just do not forget about safety, at least glasses and gloves must be worn.