Tile Stone & Glass
Beautify Your Floors With Tile
Installing Ceramic Tile
Ceramic wall tile is durable and easy to clean, and it looks great in a variety of settings, most appropriately in the kitchen or bathroom. The truth is that installing ceramic wall tile is something most people can do. It takes time and effort, but you can save money by doing it yourself.
Put up cement wallboard – Bathrooms and kitchens are both exposed to a great deal of moisture, and sheetrock will crumble, leaving you with a wall that falls apart. Therefore, use of cement wallboard at least a half-inch thick is imperative. Use galvanized screws six inches apart to properly support the wallboard.
Tape the seams – Fiberglass tape is an excellent choice. It is possible to use mastic cement as an adhesive for the wallboard seams, but you should use a thin adhesive to fill in the joints to reduce the chance of water damage.
Draw reference lines – To perfectly place your ceramic tile, draw reference lines in a 3x3 square foot area. Use can use a tape measure and a level for this step. Continue over the entire area to be tiled using the 3x3 rule. When you are finished, you should be looking at a grid that covers the area to be tiled.
Apply tile adhesive to the wall – This will keep your ceramic wall tile in place. Only do one 3x3 area at a time, applying the adhesive and then putting the tiles for that area in place. Do you best to keep from covering the guidelines you drew before. Now put the ceramic wall tile in place. You should use spacers to keep the grout gaps as even as possible. Follow your guides and check frequently to ensure that your application line is straight. Each area should be done individually.
Apply grout – When an area is tiled, use a sponge or rubber-bottom float or sponge to wipe grout on over the top of the ceramic wall tile. The grout goes onto the sponge or float and then is wiped diagonally across the tile. Then sweep across the tiles again to remove excess grout.
Fill in spaces – Use a caulk made from silicone chalk or Latex. You can put a bit of soap on your finger to keep the caulk from sticking to your skin. This is important, as you will use your finger to smooth the caulk as you put it in the joints. After the caulk finishes drying, you can use a utility knife to trim any overflow caulk.