3 Big Steps For Ceramic Tile Flooring Success
Have you decided that ceramic tile flooring is the best choice? Lots of people agree. That's why you increase the value of your home if you install tile floors. Plus you get to enjoy the beauty and the practical value as long as you stay in your house. Maybe you want to install the tile yourself. Many prove it's not that hard to do. Here are three areas that you need to get right.
Gather The Tools
Only one tile tool is expensive and it's the saw. Now you can rent a professional saw, but you can buy a cheap light duty saw also. The saw is a must for most projects. Then you'll need trowels including the rubber grout float, and a mixer attachment for the grout and thinset, but most everything else is standard handyman stuff. That includes buckets, a square, level, chalk line, just your regular stuff. The saw's the biggy and you have a couple of options there other than buying an expensive professional saw.
Ceramic Tile Flooring Base The Right Way
The base over which you lay tile can be many things. You can install tile over vinyl flooring. You can install it over concrete or plywood. It can go over old tile. It can go over wood floors. It can install over many surfaces, but there's one must. The surface must be solid. Solid means rigid and not bouncy. Install over a floor that moves and the tile floor will crack. Now it may crack in the tile or it may crack in the grout, but it will crack. When in doubt, professionals just put down a layer of cement board which usually solves the problem.
The First Tile Is The Hardest
That's because it determines the position of all the other tiles. Here's what you need to think through before you lay that tile. Where do you want the cut tiles? Put the cut tiles out of sight and the whole project looks best. Also where are best square corners? That's often a good place to begin. Get that first tile right and the battle is half won.
There are several other tricks that can help you get the best ceramic tile floor job. The best way to learn the tricks is to watch a pro install tile, even if it's just one time.
If you can't do that, you can get access to a video series that shows every step of installing ceramic tile flooring from start to finish.