Put your foot down when it comes to getting your floor
tiling done properly - here's our free guide to porcelain tile laying
Porcelain floor tiles - how to get a professional
finish to paving your terraces and paths
Laying floor tiles is not a job which your average DIY person
should normally consider taking on although a knowledge of how to lay
porcelain tiles can benefit the supervision of the tilers when they come
to do the work. Also, an understanding of the process can assist in the
preparation which, in turn, can improve the finish and keep the cost
down. The process of laying floor tiles is as follows:
Having levelled the excavated surface, lay a concrete slab approximately
100mm thick. Use a moderately strong mix of concrete - typically 21
N/mm2 or above. This is normally laid level so you will need to set up
steel or timber forms and use a spirit level and string line to ensure
accuracy.
Allow the concrete slab to cure before the next stage of laying floor
tiles.
Using cement and sand or cement and fine aggregate, produce a strong
screed and lay this over the concrete slab. Again, you will need to use
forms as the finished height of this screed is critical. You also need
to allow for any falls (if the tiles are going to form part of a path
then a cross fall of about 1:40 (one inch per metre) will suffice to
throw off rainwater. If the tiling is inside the screed should be
perfectly flat or if it is part of a very large area then you will need
to consider drainage troughs and tiling crests to control the rainwater.
48 to 72 hours later, the screed should be swept thoroughly and any
detritus removed. Spray the surface with clean water particularly if it
is a hot day otherwise the glue will dry out. Apply a proprietary tile
adhesive generously to the cleaned surface and spread over with a
shark-toothed applicator. When an area of no more than two square metres
(preferably less) have been covered in this way, place each tile
individually on the adhesive using a plastic cross to exactly locate it
relative to its neighbours and to provide the required spacing (see
grouting below). Tap home each tile with a heavy mallet and regularly
check for line and level.
The bond you use to lay the tiles to is a matter of personal taste but
those with more cutting (eg herringbone or stretcher) are generally
thought to be stronger than butt-jointed or basket-weave. Unfortunately
the strongest ones are also the bonds with most cutting and porcelain
tiles are notoriously hard to cut.
A professional used to laying floor tiles will probably find it
worthwhile to have invested in a bench cutter which can be used to cut
tiles within a tolerance of a few millimetres and which make the many
mitre cuts look simple. A disk cutter can also be used but the finished
product will not approach that of a proper porcelain tile cutter.
At this stage of laying floor tiles, they need to be left for at least a
day for the adhesive to set. If it is a hot, dry period (and tiles
should not be laid in the rain), then it is a good idea to give them a
light spraying with clean water - this will stop the adhesive from
shrinking.
Using an old chisel, screwdriver, broom and vacuum cleaner, remove all
loose material from between the tiles. If this is not done thoroughly
then weeds will soon take root and the paving will rapidly degrade
thereafter. Now, using a small quantity at a time, mix up some tile
grout (available in a range of different colours) and apply over the
tiles in areas of no more than 2 square metres at a time. As soon as it
is down, start washing away the surplus from the face of the tiles using
a sponge and clean water. Be very careful not to allow the grout to set
on the face of the tiles as this will prove extremely difficult to
remove.
About 24 hours after spreading the grout, your porcelain tiles will be
ready to walk on although be careful with them for the first week.
We hope that this article will help you supervise your contractor when
he is laying floor tiles.
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