The Top 10 Tiling Mistakes or How To Lay Tile Properly
Tiling is one of the popular home revising do-it-yourself tasks, and many homeowners assume they can do it without much preparation. However, if you want a capability consequent right away, it is vital to pay attentiveness to a number of prominent issues. Nothing says "do-it-yourselfer" louder than a make-do solution when tiling.
The Top 10 Tiling Mistakes or How To Lay Tile Properly
Here are 10 of the most common mistakes made while tile installation:
10) Not establishment the surfaces well enough
It is prominent to clean and flat the exterior which you will be laying tile on thoroughly. Trying to save time on this step can lead to an uneven and instable tiling. Any wallpaper or other foreign coatings should be removed prior to tiling.
9) Grouting unevenly or too quickly
Ideally you should spread the grout evenly and slowly, using a keep tool like a squeegee. If you try to be too fast and grout a large area before laying tile, the grout on far-off spots may dry out before you certainly get to tile. Distributing grout too hastily also is likely to lead to an uneven tiling result. Also, it is prominent to take off any excess grout immediately after laying tile, because it will be much harder to do once it has dried up.
8) Dotting corners
Some habitancy believe that by adding dots of adhesive to the corners of tiles they achieve a stronger bond. However, by doing so you certainly increases the occasion of cracking because the adhesive shrinks as it dries. With the adhesive being thicker in some areas (for instance in the corners), the shrinking will add pressure on the tile.
7) selecting the wrong adhesive
This is particularly prominent for laying tile in humid rooms like bathrooms and swimming pools. In such cases waterproof adhesive is a must. Even well-fitted tiles can let some water straight through to the adhesive, which finally calles crumbling and breaking with non-waterproof adhesives.
6) Not using battens
Optimally you should use battens (thin rods of wood, alternatively any other long level object) both in horizontal and vertical directions to lay tiles in maybe level lines. Trying to lay tile without such a helper tool will often consequent in positioning mistakes and a ordinarily bad look of the tiled surface.
5) Not discovering and fixing mistakes fast enough
A rare first-time tiling job gets done flawlessly right away. Most likely, you will have a few awkward spots here and there. It is prominent to have a fresh eye look over your tiling consequent shortly after you are done, ideally within the first 6-12 hours. The faster you spot problems, the easier it is to fix them. A misplaced tile 24+ hours after you're done can be quite difficult to fix since the grout will already have hardened.
4) Not removing excess grout accurately
One of the most common signs of an amateur tiling, protruding grout is something that is easy to fix.
3) Miscalculations with the number of tiles needed
Some first-time tilers will just buy exactly the number of tiles to cover the area they want to tile. However, in practice, you should get 5%-10% more tiles than the minimum to insure yourself against breakages, miscalculations and difficulties cutting to size. This also gives you some spare tiles to replace cracked ones in future.
2) Failing to seal bath tops properly
If the gap between the lowest row of tiles and the bath top is not sealed properly, water may leak into it as it runs down the tiles. Commonly it is recommended to fill the bath before using the sealant, since baths can move significantly when filled with water, which can strain and crack sealant if it is not anticipated.
1) Insufficient or erroneous planning
This is probably the most prominent mistake, and also the one which is easiest to avoid. Instead of going for a make-do solution, always be sure to quantum out the exterior you need to tile carefully. Be aware that installing curved tile is significantly more difficult than tiling a flat wall. Plan for at least 10-15% waste and spare tiles for future replacements. Try to keep it simple. Cutting tile can be frustrating and expensive, so the fewer cuts you make, the less high-priced your project is.
Don't hesitate to read up materials buy some of the inexpensive video lessons (for instance the ones ready at http://www.tilehowto.com). For a larger project, maybe even arrange a brief designer consultation - an experienced eye can often behold problems that might cost you hundreds to fix afterwards.
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