It is easy to do ceramic tile installation at home if tiles, adhesives, and some needed equipment are available for the purpose. It can be a very good DIY activity for people who like to do their own stuff. But before starting the process, it is important to ensure that the floor is dry and sufficiently clean. It is also important to make sure that there are no abnormal cuts on the tiles, and there is sufficient option of draining out any water that may creep in during the process. Here are the steps involved.
- Establishing a reference point – For ceramic tile installation, first of all, the datum line should be identified and marked with the help of a pencil, spirit level sensor, and a meter tape so that a symmetrical and straight point of reference can be established for tile laying. Next, the powder tile adhesive should be mixed with water to make a paste that should have the same concentration as a toothpaste. This would allow proper binding between the tiles and the surface.
- A dry run can be helpful – Laying out the tiles on the floor without applying adhesives can be a very good way of determining the look of the floor after ceramic tile installation. They should be laid out around the datum line and must be evenly spaced from the wall. If not, the datum line may have to be re-determined properly.
- Laying the tiles – Pour some adhesives between the datum line and the nearest wall and with the help of notch trowel, try to spread it evenly so that a tile can hold firmly to the surface. A small amount of adhesive on the backside of a tile can be applied too. It must be ensured during the ceramic tile installation that the tile is in sync with the datum line.
- Inserting a spacer – After laying a few tiles, put tile spacers within the gaps so that the grouting line stays straight and aligned. Using two tile spacers at either end of the tile can solve the purpose. Later on, they can easily be removed with the help of nose pliers when the adhesive dries up and bonds tightly.
- Cutting the tiles perfectly – The distance between the wall and the laid tiles must be determined so that it can make a perfect square. Now, take a new tile and mark this distance from either end along with a central equidistant line. Cutting the tile through the line will ensure that the cut pieces can perfectly fit on both sides. For many tiles, this process has to be repeated numerous times. If plans are there for putting tiles on the wall, then a small gap must be left between the nearest floor tile and the wall, so that wall ceramic tile installation can be done later.
- A drainage hole has to be made – for making a square-cut in a tile, lay the desired tile against the one that is located just after the drainage hole. The length will be determined in this way. Thereafter, turn it on its side and determine the width. Now, drawing straight lines will establish the length and width of the hole. Then, a grinder can be used to mark the cut outline. Once it is complete, a diagonal cut in the square will help in taking out the square piece perfectly. When it comes out, the tile can be laid on the drainage hole.
In this way, complete ceramic tile installation can be done. If there is any level adjustment to be made, a tile can be taken out and the amount of adhesive can be adjusted so that all of them are at the same perceived level with the correct fall
