Tile shows up in the world’s most enchanting spaces – from the Moorish mosaics throughout southern Spain to the ornate walls, floors and ceilings that characterize Italian Renaissance and French Baroque buildings.
The beauty of tile also lies in its countless applications for today’s do-it-yourself decorator. Tile fans laud it as an affordable option that wears better than carpet, traps fewer allergens and requires less cleaning.
None of this is to say that tiling is always straightforward. Consider the experience of one ambitious Colorado homeowner: She shopped for months for the right subway tiles for her Boulder County fixer-upper, only to get tripped up when she learned – after installation – that subway tiles require specialized grout.
What follows are tiling tips from The Home Depot. Anyone in need of additional instruction might consider dropping by Home Depot stores during March as all of them are offering free weekend tiling workshops.
– Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Start with a solid foundation
The floor must be flat. If you have hollows and valleys, fill them with a self-leveling mortar made specially for this purpose.
In most cases, you can lay tile over a wide variety of existing floors without removing them. To determine the exact procedure for your floor, ask an associate in the Home Depot tile department, or check pages 41-45 of the book “Tiling 1-2-3,” available at Home Depot and other stores.
Install backer board
Cement-based backer board provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking.
Generally, use ½-inch thick backer board on floors and ¼-inch thick sheets on walls.
Arrange the sheets so the ends are staggered and not directly over seams in the subfloor.
Spread mortar on the plywood where your first sheet of backer board will go. Once it’s spread, comb it out with the notched edge of a trowel, holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Place the first sheet on the mortar and screw it in, spacing screws ½-inch from the panel edges.
After all sheets are in place, fill the spaces between the boards using thinset mortar.
Guidelines for laying out tile
Measure out from both ends of the longest wall two tile spaces, one grout-line width and a ¼-inch gap at the wall. Mark the points with a pencil.
Snap a chalk line between two of the points to show the center of one of the tile joints.
Repeat the measuring and chalk-line procedure along the short end of the room.
Laying tile
Press the thinset into the backer board with the trowel at a shallow angle in order to make it fully adhere.
Comb the thinset, holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle to the floor and push the trowel teeth to the floor.
Lay down a tile flat, slightly twist it and pat it down.
Set the remaining tiles by butting edge against edge, placing spacers between them.
If any thinset gets on the surface of the tile, clean it with a damp rag.
Tiling a wall
Tiling a wall, like a backsplash, requires the same techniques as laying a floor.
With wall tile, you’ll often use mastic instead of thinset mortar.
Frequently check the mastic to ensure it’s still tacky.
Cutting tiles
Lay all of the full tiles on one day, then make your cut pieces.
The book “Tiling 1-2-3” shows how to mark tiles needed for gaps at walls, outside corners, pipe areas and unique shapes.
Tile cutters and tile wet saws are the two main ways of cutting tiles. You can use a tile cutter for glazed tile. For nonglazed tile and stone, you’ll need a wet saw.
Grouting the tile
Mix the grout per the manufacturer’s instructions, and wear rubber gloves.
Spread grout in sweeping arcs with the rubber grout float held at a shallow angle. Press grout into the joints, filling them completely.
After the grout is spread, remove excess with the grout float held at a steep angle.
Wipe tiles with a slightly damp sponge to remove residue, then buff tiles with a dry cloth.
Damp-cure the grout by misting it twice a day for three days.
Apply a tile and grout cleaner and a penetrating sealer specially made for grout lines.
Source: The Home Depot
