How To Install Porcelain Floor Tiles
Posted on: 15 October 2015
Porcelain floors are becoming more popular as people custom design their homes. Porcelain tiles are strong and can withstand the wear and tear of heavy traffic, much like hardwood floors. Porcelain allows you to create styles and designs that wood does not, and you can create floors to reflect your personal tastes and preferences. Here is how you can install porcelain tiles on your floors.
Layout Design Pattern
You need to find the center point of the room before you lay down the chalk lines you will follow while installing the tiles. To find the center point of a square room, measure each of walls in the room and make a mark on the subflooring with a pencil at the halfway points.
Take a chalk line and snap a straight line across the room where the marked points are located along the walls. The center point is where the chalk lines intersect in the middle of the room. You want to start laying the tiles at this cross point to ensure they stay in a uniform pattern as you lay them down.
Prepare Mortar
Read the directions on the package of mortar you are using to make sure you understand how to properly mix the mortar with water. Take a bucket and pour the mortar into it. Add water as you use a hand-held mixer to stir the ingredients together (you should be able to rent the mixer at the hardware store where you bought the mortar). Be sure to wear a breathing mask and protective eye wear to keep the dust from the dry mortar getting into your lungs and eyes.
Laying Tile
Take a trowel and use the teeth side to lay the mortar on the floor. The teeth will create grooves in the mortar that will keep the tiles from moving while you are putting them down.
Start at the center point and work one section of the floor at a time (make sure you don't work yourself into a corner where you'll have to walk over the freshly laid tile to get out of the room).
Spread the mortar on the floor along a chalk line. Place the tile along the chalk and gently press down on the tile to secure it to the mortar. Keep on repeating this until you get to the edge of the wall.
Spacers should be placed between the tiles to leave an opening for the grout.
Cutting Tile
There will usually be spaces between the tile and the wall that are too small for a full sized piece of tile to fit into it. You will need to cut the tile to fill the void. Hardware stores typically rent tile cutters you can use to cut pieces small enough to fit the voids. Tile cutters can produce a lot of dust, and cutting tiles is best performed outside the home so you don't get dust filtering throughout the house.
Floor Edges
If you are tiling up to a carpeted section, you'll want to install a barrier along the seam between the tile and carpet to protect both flooring materials. There are different types of barriers available, and the hardware store personnel should be able to tell you which ones will be best to use for your particular situation.
Grouting
The final step is applying grout to the floor. The grout will fill the seams between the tiles and make it easier to clean and maintain the floors. This you can do after the mortar dries and sets up. The mortar needs at least a day before it dries and you can safely walk on the tiles.
For more information or professional help installing tiles, contact a company like J. P. Moser Properties.
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