Next, the foundation on which the ceramic tile is going to be put on needs to be assessed. There are certain foundations which are not suitable for ceramic tile flooring installation. They are cushioned vinyl flooring, any kind of particle boards, plywood, OSB (Oriented Strand Board), tongue and groove planking and hardwood floors. Concrete is a suitable foundation for ceramic tile flooring installation.

If the bathroom is in a foundation home, plywood may be the sub flooring and one will have no choice but to install the tile flooring on it. If that is the case, then the choice is to put a membrane between the ceramic tile and the plywood which will decrease the likelihood of moisture getting into the plywood.

After that membrane is applied and dried, use a latex thinset bonding material applied between the dried membrane and the tile.

Assuming it is the bathroom which is to be re-floored with the ceramic tile flooring, in addition to the above flooring which need to be treated, the trim molding, the toilet, and the toilet gasket will need removal. Remember to shut off the water before toilet removal and the wax gasket will need to be replaced. Installation of the toilet bowl is the reverse of removal.

They will add to the height of the floor, so any door thresholds will have to be removed and replaced later. The bathroom door may need to be trimmed to clear the new height of the floor.

If you are going to be covering vinyl flooring, have a piece of the vinyl flooring tested for asbestos. If it does not contain asbestos, it is recommended the vinyl is sanded to make the latex modified thinset bond easier to the vinyl. If the vinyl is asbestos refer to the pamphlet provided by the EPA titled “Asbestos in Your Home”.

Installing them directly to concrete, will require application of thinset and placing the ceramic tile on it. Assuming there is no paint or other treatment on the surface of the concrete. If the concrete floor does have paint on the surface, that will need to be removed or the surface roughed so the thinset will bond to the paint. If the floor surface is not perfectly level, you will need to use a concrete mix to level the work area before beginning to lay the ceramic tile flooring. If concrete was needed to level the surface, you will need to allow the concrete to cure 24 hours before applying the thinset.

Thinset dries pretty quickly, so once you begin to lay the ceramic tile you have to stay with it through to the end of the job or the thinset. Plan ahead and don’t mix so much thinset that it dries in the bucket before you use it.

The three most common floor surfaces one may want to cover with a ceramic tile are concrete, plywood and vinyl. The latter two are not recommended to be used as foundations for ceramic tile flooring installation, but can be used with proper steps taken to insure the thinset will bond the ceramic tile to the floor. One needs to remember about the dangers of asbestos in older homes. Other than that, the job is fairly straight forward.

David has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his latest website that discusses some great ideas on home renovating
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ideas that can be used for kitchens of all shapes and sizes to add some great features to the inside of the house.

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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.

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