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How to Apply Ceramic Tiles to Concrete?

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Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space. Prepare the concrete. Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice, clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly. Examine the floor and see if there are any cracks or pits that need to be fixed and use the proper concrete repair kit to repair them.

A muriatic or other acid-based cleaner is usually the best way to completely clean the concrete prior to installing wood tile. Seal and level the concrete. Once your repairs have dried, take the time to seal the concrete. Once the sealer has dried, apply the concrete patch or leveler and make sure that you have a flat surface with no defects. The floor must be level or your tiles design and grout will form cracks.

Cleaning the concrete should be done before adding a floor leveling compound. A sodium silicate or lithium silicate based sealer will help to waterproof and strengthen the concrete. Because silicates work below the surface, they won’t interfere with adhesion.

Plan the tile layout. Before installing the small tile it is a good idea to lay our your design. Pre-plan which and how many pieces of tile have to be cut and where the cut marble tile will be placed. Chalk lines will become very helpful so make sure you mark the floor.

Mix the mortar. After you have decided where you want to begin, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer and begin to mix the mortar. Don’t mix too much in advance, as it will begin to set up on you before you can use it. Using your grooved trowel, begin spreading the mortar over a small area. Never spread out more than what you can cover with three or four floor tiles at a time.

Different kinds of tile require different types of mortar. Ask the sales representative who sells you the glazed rustic tile to help you choose the right one. A grooved trowel will be necessary to spread the mortar. They are available with different sized grooves, so be sure to read the package directions on the mortar to ensure that you buy the right size.

How To Install Floor Tile Like an Expert?

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Lay down marble tile cement or thinset mortar where your first section of tile design will be.
Use the flat side of the trowel to key in the thinset, and then comb with the notched side of the trowel with even horizontal lines. The goal is to have a nice even application of cement or mortar for the cement tile to hold onto, and even horizontal lines grip the ceramic tile better than random curved lines. Only lay down as much mortar as you can work with in 10 minutes; otherwise it will begin to harden and become difficult to work with.

If you’re using tile cement, give it about 15 minutes to become tacky so the wood tile will stick properly. Use tile cement with linoleum and vinyl small tiles, and thinset mortar with ceramic or porcelain tiles. Start laying the flooring tiles in the middle of the room, lining them up with your chalk lines. Press each tile gently into the cement or mortar; you can also use a rubber mallet to do this after you complete each section.

Put a grout spacer at each corner of your tiles. Butt each new tile up to these, taking care not to slide the tiles through the adhesive material. Wipe up the thinset that squishes up between the tiles. Continue laying all but the tiles on the outer edges of your room. Then, measure the space between the last tile and the wall and mark the tiles you need to cut. Use a wet saw to make these cuts and install the cut tiles like you installed the others.

If you lay all the polished tile in the middle of the room first and then mark and cut your white tile afterward, you only need to rent the wet saw for one day, saving you wall tile and money. As you lay down smaller pieces of marble wall tile in the corners of rooms, back-butter the individual tiles instead of messily trying to get mortar into the small nooks and crannies of your room. Allow the tile adhesive to dry overnight, then remove the grout spacers, if necessary. Some can be left in place so check with the manufacturer to be sure.

Mix your grout according to the directions on the package; usually grout is mixed with water in a 5 gallon (18.9 L) bucket. It should have a peanut butter-like consistency. Like the thinset mortar, it should slake for 10 minutes and then briefly be mixed again before application. Use a masonry float to spread the grout into the spaces between the common marble tiles, creating a smooth surface. Float your grout in several different directions to make sure you’re working the grout into the grout lines effectively and evenly.

Work quickly here. The grout sets up fast — considerably faster than the mortar does. For this reason work only in small areas before branching out. Remove the excess grout you get on the tiles with a sponge. Again, give yourself a small area to work on so that the grout doesn’t set up before you have time to wipe it off the tiles. You can also use a damp cloth after this time to rub away any haze left over on the tile. Let the grout set for at least a few hours. Seal the grout after it has set for 72 hours. Use a grout sealer with an applicator brush and take care not to get any on the wood marble tile itself.