Installing Ceramic Tile Floor 101
The ceramic tile floor is the choice of most home owners these days. Once a ceramic tile is installed, it will stay beautiful as ever for generations to come. This is because ceramic tiles are durable and can withstand the wear and tear brought about by heavy foot traffic. It is moisture and stain resistant too.
A few swipes of a damp mop are all it takes to rid the floor surface of dirt and stains. Ceramic floor tiles come in varied shapes, sizes, textures and designs. You will be given unlimited options to create a floor that will blend in with the decoration scheme of the house.
Ceramic tile is so versatile that it can be installed over any kind of base be it concrete, old tiles, and vinyl floors. Wood floors though are not a suitable base for ceramic tiles because water seepage would destroy the wood. Apart from that, wood is not very stable and any movement could crack the tile joints. Here are the steps that you need to do:
* Lay Out-this is the first step in installing ceramic tile floor. Find the center by measuring the length and the width of the room. Using a chalk, strike lines that will serve as your guide for symmetrical tile installation. Lay tiles on the floor without the adhesive. This is called dry setting. This will enable you to see the appearance of the finished project. This will also give you the chance to experiment on different floor designs if you are going to use patterned ceramic tiles.
* ThinSet-this is the adhesive that you will use to make the ceramic tile stick to the floor base. You can use a ready mix thinset or you can mix one like the pros do. Thoroughly mix the adhesive powder with water by using a stirrer attached to an electric drill.
* Installing the ceramic tile- Spread the adhesive or the thinset using a double edged trowel. Use the flat edge to spread thinset to the floor base and the notched edge to spread thinset to the tile. The notched edge will ensure that the right amount of thin set is used. Excess thin set will ooze out of the tile joints. The pros would start installing at the center of the floor but you can start at the less visible parts to hide installation flaws. Let the tiles set for about 48 hours.
* Grouting-This is the last step in installing ceramic tile floor. Apply the grout using a rubber trowel. Make sure that the joints are filled with the grout. Grouts are available in different colors. It is advisable to use a dark colored grout for floor areas with heavy foot traffic as dirt would be less noticeable. Clean the excess grout from the surface of the floor. Use water and a sponge to clean glazing grout. Frequently rinse the sponge until the tile surface is completely cleaned of grout.
You have finished installing ceramic tile floor. A fulfilling job, isn’t it?Even if you haven’t done any tiling before, you can easily follow the step by step procedure. Like many other DIY projects, installing ceramic tile floor can be learned with pleasure if you are really interested.
If you would like to learn more before you start your project so you are totally prepared. Then you need to CLICK HERE to learn what you need to do.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer
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