How to install ceramic tile flooring Part 5
At this juncture, you've prepared your floor plan, made sure you've got the
right tools on hand,
and ordered your chosen ceramic tile. Once your batch of ceramic tile has
arrived at your site,
you've let it acclimate � that is, you've allowed it to expand and contract
along with the subfloor
in the environment where it is to be laid. At this point, you are ready to
actually install ceramic
tile flooring in your chosen space! It�s the moment you�ve been waiting for!
Here are some
initial steps to make sure things continue to go smoothly:
-
Find the center point: Once you�ve consulted your plan and confirmed the
measurement of the space, find its center point. Finding the center point is
critical for
laying the tile as it helps you determine where to lay your first tile along
with the ones
that will follow. You can find this center point by drawing lines from the mid
points
of all the floor walls. These lines will intersect each other at a single point
in the mid
of the room (in case of a square or rectangular room). This point will be your
center
point and it will divide your floor into 4 equally sized quadrants.
-
Tile laying "dry run" Lay your tiles as a "dry run". Think of this stage
as a sort of
"rehearsal", in that you'll be laying down the ceramic tiles without adhesive
to make
sure they fit together as planned. Starting at the center, lay out the tile
pattern by on
the floor, placing the first tile at the corner nearest to the center point.
You will work
in one quadrant at a time. Begin placing tiles in a straight line towards
either wall,
leaving a small space in between the tiles. Later, when you are laying tiles
with
adhesive, you will use tile spacers to provide uniform joints between your
tiles. For
now, leave a space approximately the size of the tile spacers you will use
(either �
inch or � inch, depending on your preference for joint size).
-
Connecting center point and walls: Once you have laid a row of tiles in
one
direction, lay another row in the opposite direction, and continue following
this
pattern until you set the last tile in the corner, kitty corner from the center
point.
-
Cutting Tiles: To cut the tile, you can use a tile cutter or a
glasscutter. While using
a glasscutter, put a straight edge along the tile and score the line only once
with the
glasscutter. Place the tile on the edge of a workbench and snap off the cutoff
piece.
For complex cuts, you can use a tile saw or tile nippers.
-
Covering the remaining quadrants: Follow the same process for the other
three
quadrants. Once you have laid out tiles on the entire floor, check to make sure
that
the spacing is ok. For tiles closest to the walls, you will have to either cut
them or
slightly realign your center point. Most people choose to cut rather than
realign,
depending on whether or not the bordering tiles will be visible to the eye.
However,
you can adjust the positioning of the tiles to a reasonable degree so that you
end up
with as many full tiles as possible. This will avoid excessive cutting.
When all tiles are laid out, measured, and cut, and appear to be to your
liking, you are ready
to lay the adhesive.