Floor Tiles (Supplied and Fitted) in Exeter

Do you wish to have your residential or commercial space tiled? With a plethora of benefits that comes with a tiled floor, it’s little surprise more and more home and property owners are going for this special flooring type. Not only are they able to improve the curb appeal of any property, but they’re also resistant to moisture helping to increase the durability of the house – be it wall or floor tiles.

Tiling a floor is not the simplest of tasks and should be done with utmost care and attention to details. If you lack the confidence to pull this off, we’d recommend you hire a reputable professional who can guarantee the best outcome the first time.  In this guide, you’ll find processes involved in floor tiling to help put you in the right direction.

Floor Tiles Installation Procedures

1. Floor Preparation
   The first step is to prepare the floor by moving all objects like mortar, adhesives and more. Use concrete patching compound to fill ill low spots and cracks, until the floor is levelled.
2. Ensure the floor is dry and clean.
3. Pattern Layout
   Take the measurement of each wall’s length while also taking into account the room’s diagonals.To help place the tiles in an orderly manner, make use of a chalk to mark down lines on the levelled surface in question and ensure it’s parallel to the walls.
4. Adhesive Preparation
   Mix the appropriate amount of water with the adhesive (bonding agent). The mixture should be toothpaste-like thick to ensure the durability of the tiles.
5. Tiles Placement
   Depending on the tile’s size, evenly spread the mortar on the floor using a notched trowel. Lay the first tile on the bonding agent (adhesive or mortar) and apply a gentle and little pressure on the tile.
   
   Repeat the technique for other tiles using plastic spacers to ensure the edges and corners are properly aligned.
6. Tiles Cutting
   Cut the tiles (if necessary) with the help of a wet saw or scoring cutter featuring a diamond-tripped blade.
7. Grout Application
   Filling of the tiles’ gap is done using the grout. It can be applied to the joints with a rubber float. After application, allow the grout to set up for some minutes. Use sponge and a bucket of water to clear out any adhesive leftover.
8. Grout Sealing
   Use a foam brush or applicator bottle for the sealants’ application. Clean out excess sealer within 10 minutes.

How To Tile A Bathroom Floor

Are you looking to tile your bathroom floor very soon? Well, we’ve got you covered! Tiling is not the easiest skill to acquire and definitely not one you’d not want to try out on your bathroom with some practices. For the best results and to get it right the first time, we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional especially if you’re inexperienced or without a bathroom tiling training. Hopefully, this quick step-by-step guide will put you in the right direction.

Bathroom Floor Tiling Procedures

lMake Sure You Have A Levelled Subfloor

• Your subfloor’s stability is crucial for the success of your tile laying.

• Once done, then you can start planning how to level the floor.

• Identify the highest point of your floor and place a really long level to determine the dip and hump spots.

• Fill in the identified low spots with mortar.

lCut The Tiles

• Using a wet saw with a diamond blade and pump, cut through the tiles to get the appropriate shape.

lChoose The Appropriate Adhesive

• To best adhesive is probably the one written on the label and suggested by the manufacturer.

• If uncertain, you can make use of a modified mortar

lPrepare The Area

• Using the prepared mixture of your mortar, prime the surface by spreading it on the floor with the trowel’s flat side.

• Once done, you can add more mortar with the ridges of the trowel.

lSpace The Tiles

• Tile spacement depends largely on the surrounding walls. Straight walls equal straight tiles, if not your judge would be required to ensure a great outcome.

• If the wall is straight, make a space of about an eighth of an inch. The bigger spacing, the higher the possibility for the grout to become visibly discoloured.

lUse The Right Grout

• With sanded and unsanded grouts having a variety of colours, choosing the ideal grout can a tricky affair.

• The size of the spaces play a huge role in determining the best choice.

• Use a sanded grout if the spacing is an eighth of an inch or more. However if less, make use of the unsanded grout.

How To Lay Tiles On Concrete

Installation of tiles on concrete sub-floors can be done with relative ease under adequate guidance. Here is what you have to do.

lPrepare The Concrete Subfloor

• Ensure the concrete is dry, clean and must be at least 6 weeks old.

• If there are dips and humps, level the concrete using a levelling compound.

lSet Out

• Working from the centre outwards, take a measurement of the floor (both length and width) and draw a cross at the centre.

• Lay out the tiles from the cross with a space of 3mm between each tiles. This will allow for movement stresses within the floor and later to be filled with grout upon installation of the tiles and adhesive dried.

lCut The Tiles

• Due to the particularly had nature of some floor tiles such as natural stone and porceclain, high quality tools are usually required to produce a clean cut through the tiles. With the help of an electric wet cutter alongside a slide cutter and nippers, your job would be made a lot easier.

• For a better result during intricate cuts, make use of a cardboard template.

lFix The Tiles

• The tiles should be fixed using a cement-based adhesive.

• Ensure to refer to the packaging or product data for the mixing ratios information.

• Stir the mixture till its lump-free

lApply The Mixture

• Spread the mixture onto the concrete sub-floor to create parallel ribs with the help of a floor trowel.

• Push the tiles into the parallel ribs.

• Clear out any excess adhesive from the tiles surface with a damp sponge.

• Do not walk on the tiles for at least 2 hours.

lGrout

• Once the adhesive is dried, wipe out any dust, adhesive or dirt from the tiles’ gaps.

• Mix about 4 to 5 parts of grout powder with 1 part of water and ix together.

• Apply the mixed grout diagonally across the tiles using a soft rubber grout float.

• Wipe out excess grout from the tiles surface and allow the tiles to dry.

• Stubborn residues can be cleaned using any washing up detergent with warm water within 24 hours after grouting.

How To Tile A Floor

Are you interested in having a tiled floor in your residential or commercial space? There are so many benefits that comes with installing tiles and that’s why so many home or property owners are considering it. Not only do they increase the visual appeal of the property, but they’re also resistant to moisture helping to increase the durability of the house, whether it’s wall or floor tiles. So if you wish to lay tiles for your house, this guide will help put you in the right direction, ensuring you get it right, the first time.

Floor Tiles Installation Procedures

lFloor Preparation

• The first step is to prepare the floor by moving all objects like mortar, adhesives and more.

• Use concrete patching compound to fill ill low spots and cracks, until the floor is levelled.

• Ensure the floor is dry and clean.

lPattern Layout

• Take the measurement of each wall’s length while also taking into account the room’s diagonals.

• To help place the tiles in an orderly manner, make use of a chalk to mark down lines on the levelled surface in question and ensure it’s parallel to the walls.

lAdhesive Preparation

• Mix the appropriate amount of water with the adhesive (bonding agent).

• The mixture should be toothpaste-like thick to ensure the durability of the tiles.

lTiles Placement

• Depending on the tile’s size, evenly spread the mortar on the floor using a notched trowel.

• Lay the first tile on the bonding agent (adhesive or mortar) and apply a gentle and little pressure on the tile.

• Repeat the technique for other tiles using plastic spacers to ensure the edges and corners are properly aligned.

lTiles Cutting

• Cut the tiles (if necessary) with the help of a wet saw or scoring cutter featuring a diamond-tripped blade.

lGrout Application

• Filling of the tiles’ gap is done using the grout. It can be applied to the joints with a rubber float.

• After application, allow the grout to set up for some minutes.

• Use sponge and a bucket of water to clear out any adhesive leftover.

lGrout Sealing

• Use a foam brush or applicator bottle for the sealants’ application.

• Clean out excess sealer within 10 minutes.

Floor tiling can be a very tricky activity that can end up being disastrous, especially when done by a novice. Unless you have prior experience or well-trained, it would be advisable to employ the services of a seasoned professional - it’ll save you lots of time, money and guarantee a top quality job is done.