Do you know the feeling you get when you step onto a nice fall? What, exactly, a nice floor is may depend in part on your personal preferences. Some people really like hardwood, while others think carpet is the premier type of flooring. Also, some types of flooring work better in certain rooms than in others. For example, hardwood looks lovely in a dining room but is not the best choice for a bathroom. As you can see, there is a lot to know about flooring. That's why we are proud to offer an array of articles all about flooring right here on this website.
5 Tips For A Successful Tile Install
New tile in a bathroom or as a kitchen backsplash can really bring any space to life and make it look like new.
1. Remove the Tile Fully
When you are removing tile, it can be a bit tricky because it was essentially cemented into place. To remove it, you can start out by hammering away at it to break it up into pieces, then once the top of the tile is gone, you can scrape it from the bottom to get everything up including any adhesive that's stuck to it. To scrape everything off of your subfloor so that it's as smooth as possible, use a heavy-duty floor scraper to get underneath everything.
2. Level the Floor
Once you have successfully removed all of the tile and glue from your floor, you want to make sure that the subfloor is as level as possible; otherwise, you are going to run into some issues when you are laying it. To check how level it is, just take a large level and lay it across the center of the floor; is it unlevel or is it even? If it's only off by a little bit, you may not have to fix it but if it's off by a lot then you may need to lay some underlayment on top of the subflooring to create an even surface.
3. Use the Right Mastic
Mastic is a waterproof adhesive that is great for tile; especially in a bathroom. When laying mastic, you want to make sure that you apply it with a tile trowel (which is long and flat) and then smooth it out so that the tile lays as evenly as possible on it.
4. Start Laying It in a Corner
When you have a pattern tile it can be especially hard to think about how to properly lay it so that it looks even. While some people may recommend starting in the center, it can make it that much more difficult to lay it evenly. Instead, start by laying the tile in a corner and build the pattern off of there.
5. Use the Right Tile Saw
You want to make sure that all of your tile cuts are as even as possible and one of the best ways to do that is to use the right type of tile saw. For instance, if the saw has a sharp blade, you are going to get precise and clean cuts so that all of your tile fits together as seamlessly as possible.
To learn more about tile installation, reach out to a company near you.