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Tips for Tiling Floors, Walls and CountertopsFor tiling over concrete floors, check if the slab is level, properly cured and free from dirt, wax or curing compounds before installation. The floor should also be repaired prior to tile installation if it is cracked or spoiled in any way. For tiling over a wooden sub flooring, the bonding surface must be solid, exterior-grade plywood with minimal deflection and having a minimum thickness of 1". A 1/4" plywood backing must be first glued in place, then fastened with 5d coated nails that are 8" apart in every direction. A space of 1/8" between sheets of plywood should be present to allow for expansion. For tiling over a wooden sub flooring in wet areas, cement backer boards or a cement plaster coat reinforced with metal lath should be applied before the tiles are installed. The cement backer board is laid over the sub flooring with some thin set, with a 1/7" space between boards, then nailed every 6" with 1-1/2" galvanized roof nails. For tiling over vinyl flooring with a concrete base, the vinyl covering must first be removed. Liquid stripper should then be applied to the mastic residue and scraped off to remove all traces of adhesive. For tiling over an existing wall, installation of wallboard or some other new backing material should be done if the wall has wide cracks and other surface defects. Thin set should be used to plug all corners and cracks, then a surface coat is applied. If the surface is originally glossy, then it will have to be sanded down. If you need to tile over existing ceramic wall tile, the surface should first be cleaned and abraded, and thin set should be used as the bonding substance. For tiling over countertops, it is important that high-quality tile should be used, as the surface will be subjected to a good deal of moisture, impact and other abuse. Since unglazed tile tends to stain, glazed tile is recommended for use around sinks and food preparation areas. A 1/8" space between plywood pieces should be allowed for expansion. When installing over Formica, all residue should first be removed from the surface, then roughened with a coarse sanding disc to ensure a good bond; it is also a good idea to remove all traces of sanding dust before installation.
, Using Ceramic Tiles.com |
