How tiles are laid on walls. Laying tiles in the bathroom with your own hands

Surface finishing with ceramic and tiles is one of the most visually attractive options today. finishing in residential, administrative, commercial or other premises. And besides external beauty, this finish has a number of other advantages:

moisture resistance;
strength;
and durability.

At the tiled or ceramic tiles there is only one drawback that makes it an inaccessible finishing option for many. This is high cost, or rather, the high cost of installation coupled with expensive prices for the material itself. The tiler will have to pay a tidy sum. And it’s not surprising - the work is painstaking, requiring concentration, certain knowledge and skills, and accuracy. The tiler not only selects tiles according to pattern and colors during installation (plus calculates the required volume), he also maintains the planes, laying them at the required level.

However, you can save money if you have the right amount of time for self-installation and strictly follow the installation technology. And also pay attention to everyone useful tips, what professionals in this field of finishing give.

How to lay tiles with your own hands?

Even if you have never had to do anything like this, an amateur has a good chance of laying tiles on the floor or wall with high quality. It is only important to be patient, be careful and consistently carry out all the necessary technological steps.

But first you need to get the right tool:

hydro or laser level, plumb line;
square;
a hammer drill with a mixer attachment;
polystyrene foam float to “stretch” the plaster over the surface;
trowel;
aluminum rule;
notched spatula;
tile cutter;
rubber spatula or jointing sponge.

Technology self-installation ceramic and/or tiles:

Alignment is a mandatory procedure, since without this the corner of the cladding can simply be “filled up”. This means that there will be a large variation in the width of the seams, which both looks ugly and is bad for the quality of installation as a whole. The evenness of the corners is checked with a special tool - a square, which is installed exactly in the corner, and its edges should lie tightly against the walls.

Laying tiles on the wall with your own hands

So, the prepared walls, from which the previous finishing layer/layers were removed, must be plastered in order to level them as much as possible.

To do this, you need to purchase the appropriate dry powder in the store. plaster mixture on cement based. And mix the composition with water in the proportions indicated on the package. To ensure a high-quality solution, you should use a special construction mixer or a special attachment for a hammer drill.

Plastering process vertical surfaces simple, but requires certain skills:

first, the mortar is thrown onto the wall in small portions with a trowel;
then using a polystyrene foam float in a circular motion, the solution is stretched over the surface;
It is necessary to constantly monitor the evenness of the wall using a laser, hydro or conventional level.

If the wall is large in area and/or has significant unevenness, then plastering will have to be done using aluminum beacons with a T-shaped section, 5 and/or 10 mm in diameter, placed strictly vertically on the mortar layer. In this case, the size of the rib is determined depending on the size of the irregularities. The step will be 1 or 1.5 m.

As soon as the layer with the beacons has set, it will be possible to throw the solution between the slats. And remove excess with a rule thrown between the rows of beacons.

How to plaster walls according to the rules? You will learn about all the secrets by watching this video review:

Now you can start tiling the walls:

knead the dry glue to the consistency of thick sour cream. Important: you don’t need to do much at once, otherwise the glue will cool down and lose its qualities;
Apply the adhesive mixture to each tile over the entire back surface with a special notched trowel;
the masonry is carried out from the bottom up and its evenness is constantly monitored (in each of the rows);
and it is necessary to maintain the same width of the seams using special plastic crosses (they are sold in different sizes).

Of course, during the installation process you cannot do without cutting the tiles. This operation is performed using special equipment - a tile cutter.

Detailed instructions for tiling walls are presented in the video review:

Laying tiles on the floor with your own hands

The floor, before laying ceramic tiles on it, will also need to be leveled. Almost by analogy with walls, but only using the screed method.

For minor unevenness of the floor surface, you will only need a self-leveling device - a ready-made dry building mixture. It will need to be covered with water and laid out on the floor. And this screed will level the surface itself.

If the unevenness on the floor is serious, there are noticeable differences in level, it will be necessary to level the surface with a screed using beacons. A solution of cement-sand mixture.

With a concrete floor everything is simple and clear, but with a wooden floor it is more complicated. The fact is that it is under no circumstances recommended to lay tiles on old boards. It is necessary to lay new ones with a thickness of at least 2.5 cm. In this case wooden surface must be cleaned and treated with special impregnations against fungus, water and rot. A waterproofing layer must be laid on top of the tree. You can take roll material, or you can use compositions for spreading on the surface. Next, a reinforcing mesh is placed, and concrete is poured after it. And you will have to wait until the screed hardens.

In general, it takes at least 4 weeks for concrete to harden (and not dry out). Only special plasticizer additives for solutions can speed up the process.

As soon as preparatory stages completed, you can begin laying tiles. How to lay tiles on the floor? Step by step, of course:

Prepare tile adhesive by kneading the selected dry mixture as written on its packaging. And you need to do exactly as much as you plan to spend, which is called “at a time.”
Apply the required amount of adhesive to the back of the tile and spread over the entire surface with a special notched trowel.
Glue the tiles to the floor, starting from the far corner of the room and moving towards the exit.
The evenness of the installation is checked in each row. The width of the seams is also controlled.

Regardless of where you had to lay the tiles yourself - on the floor or on the walls, as soon as the process is completed, you need to perform another mandatory finishing operation - jointing. That is, fill the resulting seams with a special composition of a certain shade.

This is done in both practical and decorative purposes. And experts do not recommend saving on fugue, otherwise the seams will crack.

The seams are smoothed using a special spatula or a special sponge. The mixture is prepared according to the recipe printed on each package. And after the composition has dried, its excess is carefully washed off the tiles with plain water.

Brief video instructions for tiling the floor:

How to lay tiles in the bathroom with your own hands

Most often, tiles are laid, of course, in bathrooms and toilets. The cladding process is not much different from those described above. The main thing is to choose the right plaster and adhesive compositions. And also correctly calculate the required amount of tiles themselves. So as not to buy more later.

There are several tips for laying material in this particular room:

It is better to place trim elements at the bottom and in the corners;
It is worth using a horizontal starting rail;
the bottom edge of the tiles in the initial (bottom) row must be installed along this wooden strip;
Check the evenness of the “sides” in the rows with a laser level.

It should be remembered that ceramic or tiles, even when laid on a properly prepared surface, take several days to dry.

A specialist talks about the secrets of laying tiles:

It’s unrealistic to just pick up and start gluing ceramic tiles on a wall. Firstly, laying always starts with at least 2 horizontal rows. Secondly, the surface of the wall itself must first be prepared, leveled, strengthened and various debris removed.

The final result of covering a wall with decor from the collection
The surface for laying tiles can be leveled or prepared as follows:

Plaster the surface along the beacons with a cement-sand mortar if the walls are generally crooked or not finished in any way.
Putty the walls with putty if the old plaster is of normal strength, but there are minor irregularities on its surface.
If the surface is made of plasterboard, then a fiberglass mesh is mounted on it and the entire area of the wall is puttied over the mesh cement putty or tile adhesive.
If the wall is plastered with gypsum putty, then to increase adhesion with tile adhesive, sweep the entire surface with a brush or broom, after which a penetrating primer, betogrunt, betocontact or their equivalent is applied with a roller to the entire area of the wall.

Attention! If you plan to prime with a penetrating primer, it is imperative to sweep the surface from dust. If this is not done, the wet dust will curl up and roll over the surface with a roller, resulting in crystallization - a thin film that does not increase adhesion, but on the contrary, can make the glue not stick to the wall at all.

After all the necessary steps to level the surface, it is necessary to accurately determine the future location of the tiles on the wall itself. To do this, you first need to find the highest point of the floor at the bottom of the wall. If the floor is not yet tiled, a long bubble level is used along the perimeter of the room at the base of the walls and, thus, determine the area where the screed is most raised. At this point, make 1 mark on the surface of the wall. Next, from the 1st mark, measure about 10-15 mm up the wall and make a second mark - this will be the future zero.

Leveling the surface of the wall on which you plan to lay the tiles
At the second stage, accurately measure the height with a tape measure facing material, which is planned to be placed on the wall. For example, the height of the tile is 30 cm, which means that this distance is measured from the previously found zero point up along the surface of the wall and a mark is placed. After that, a long bubble level is applied to the resulting mark, it is placed in an even horizontal position and an even line along the level is drawn along the entire length of the wall.

All ceramic wall tiling will be done from the line described above. However, to prevent the tile from sliding down under its own weight, a stop must be temporarily mounted along a continuous line to the wall. You can use a flat surface as a support edged board, remaining unnecessary metal profile or lining panel. Temporary installation of the stop to the wall is carried out using ordinary metal dowels.

Determining the location of the future vertical cutting row

The wall is prepared, the stop for the tiles is installed, but before you start laying the tiles on the wall, you still need to decide where the vertical row of not whole tiles will be located. To do this, you need to measure the width of the tiles and the total length of the wall. The length of the wall is divided by the width of the tiles and it is determined how many complete vertical rows of tiles will fit on the wall. This will leave a small distance. If this distance is less than half the width of 1 tile, then such a narrow wedge on the wall will look ugly. In this case, two vertical wedges are made on the wall at each corner. If the distance described above exceeds half the width of 1 tile, then such a vertical row of cut tiles is placed in the corner that is least accessible to the eye.

Advice! The area on the wall surface that is least noticeable is behind the door to the room or on the side of the entrance in the opposite corner.

To lay tiles on the wall you need the following tools:

A deep bucket or similar container for making glue;
Perforator with mixer attachment;
A comb spatula and a small flat spatula;
Level and square;
Rubber mallet;
Tile cutter or angle grinder (grinder) for cutting, depending on the thickness and strength of the facing material.

Making working glue

Pour 3 liters of water into a bucket or other container;
Pour dry tile adhesive powder into the water so that it forms a small slide above the water;
Mix the entire substance with a hammer drill with a mixing attachment in drilling mode until a homogeneous thick mass is obtained;
Leave the resulting adhesive mass at rest for 10 minutes, then mix the whole substance again.

The process of laying tiles with tile adhesive on the wall

First of all, the wall is covered with solid tiles, and cutting is done closer to the end of the work. The prepared working tile adhesive is applied to the wall with a spatula or trowel and spread to create a layer of equal thickness using a comb. Then the adhesive composition is applied to the back side of the tile and distributed in the same way. The tile is applied to the wall, resting against the mounted stop, and pressed lightly. In a similar way, several more ceramic tiles are placed nearby. After this, a level is placed vertically on the first glued tile and with blows of a rubber mallet it is given an even vertical position. Next, the level is applied to the entire row of 3-4 tiles horizontally, and the rest of the tiles are adjusted to the first tile aligned to the level. After leveling a small row of tiles, PVC crosses are placed in the joints between the tiles.

On the first day it is advisable to post maximum area from single parts of facing material. On the second day, first of all, a vertical row of cut tiles is laid out on the glue. After this, the entire lining is brought to ceiling. On the third day, you can safely dismantle the stop nailed to the wall and begin finishing the lowest horizontal row. Before gluing the very bottom row of tiles, you first need to cut and prepare a dozen small strips of masking tape and pin them from wooden block more chips of different sizes.

The sequence of work when finishing the bottom row is similar. The glue is applied and distributed on the wall and the back side of the tile, the tile is applied to the wall and leveled using a level and a mallet. However, under the lowest horizontal edge of the tile, you will need to select and insert wooden chips, while crosses are first installed in the upper section of the tile. In principle, wooden chips are enough to temporarily fix the tiles on the wall until the glue hardens, but to be sure, the glued and exposed tiles of the bottom row are additionally fixed with the tiles from the top row with strips of wide tape.

Aligning rows of tiles using PVC crosses

Grouting joints

A few days after the wall is completely finished, using a knife and pliers, PVC crosses are removed from all tile seams. Also, the fixing tape and the lower wood chips are removed from the bottom tile. Along all the seams between the tiles there are sharp blade knife to remove excess glue and, if possible, deepen the seams.

The next step is to pour about one and a half glasses of water into a small bucket and add dry grout for the joints. The entire resulting mass is mixed with a spatula until there are no lumps. Next, the prepared grout is applied sequentially to all cleaned and prepared tile joints with a rubber or silicone spatula. After filling the joints, you should wait about 30 minutes for the grout to harden a little, after which you should go over the entire surface of the tiles with a dry cloth and sponge.

Attention! It was described above how to work with cement-based grout. If the cladding is done in a bathroom or any other room with high humidity, it is recommended to use grout based on epoxy or furan resin. In this case, you need to specifically study the manufacturer's instructions indicated on the container with grout.

The last stage is the most important!

We invite all our acquaintances, friends and relatives, and show them our new finishing in the bathroom and boldly declare to everyone: “I did it all myself with my own hands!”

Probably no renovation is complete without tiles. Ceramics have many advantages over others finishing materials in many situations. And when it comes to decorating a bathroom, tiles are the absolute leader. However, laying tiles is not a cheap pleasure, and it’s also creepy interesting activity. These factors provoke many home craftsmen to work with their own hands. If possible, practice should be preceded by theory, so we tried to ensure that the article gives an idea of how to lay tiles on a wall.

We are not considering floor cladding here, but we assure you that if you master laying tiles on a wall, the floor will seem like an easy base. Vertical surfaces involve fighting gravity, the need to manage complex geometry and take into account many more parameters. However, it is not the gods who burn the tiles, and it is not the inhabitants of Olympus who do the finishing of the tiles...

Quick navigation through the article

Surface preparation

Ceramics can be laid using two types of mixtures: tile adhesives and cement-sand mortars. There are other binders, but they are used in special cases and have no relation to everyday construction tasks. Preparation of the base depends on the type of solution. Having given preference to glue (and this is the most popular solution today), the walls are plastered or covered with plasterboard. In any case, the base plane should tend to the ideal.

Gypsum plaster Knauf Goltband Beacon profiles are leveled in a flat plane and fixed to the solution. The plaster is applied to the wall and smoothed using the beacon rule.

The use of cement-sand mortar requires large layers of the mixture and a lesser degree of preliminary leveling with your own hands. We will describe how to glue tiles on flat surface. This method is more modern, but the main thing is that it can be mastered quickly. The “mortar” technique requires much more refined skills, and even many tilers do not fully master it.
Make sure the surface is as smooth as possible. The pipes should be hidden, eliminating the need to be distracted while laying ceramic tiles on the wall. The flatness allows you to use a minimum of glue and speeds up the cladding several times. Prime the leveled base, especially carefully if the walls are plastered.

We are making channels for pipes.
We connect the pipes for the bath and hide them in the wall.

If the base has previously been prepared and painted, you need to remove the paint layer or make frequent cuts. Nothing should peel off or crumble. This is important because negligence will lead to extremely short-lived styling.

Tool

Wall cladding requires special tool. Make sure that before starting work you already have:

trowel or spatula;
comb (notched spatula);
bubble level;
hydraulic level or laser;
wire cutters;
tile cutter;
rule 1.5 m;
grinder with diamond wheel;
tile crosses/wedges;
foam sponge;
rubber spatula.

Roulettes and other hammers were not included in the list; it is assumed that every household already has them. When mixing glue, it is difficult to do without a drill with an attachment, so it is advisable to have one. You can knead with your own hands, but correctly - with the help of a tool.

Marking

The basic rule of cladding: visually important places should be given a whole tile. The purpose of the cut tiles is to be located where it will be less noticeable or hidden. Calculate the number of slabs before leveling the base. You may have to level with a slightly larger layer if the geometry requires too small a piece of tile in the corner. It’s better to lose a little space than to admire a two-centimeter “stub” for many years. If the corners are visually equal, it may be worth trimming to the edges, and to the same extent. Although there are certain design rules here, in reality the owner’s taste comes into play.

Vertical layout is based on the whole tile at the top rule. But, again, there are exceptions, so be guided common sense. Do not forget to take into account the height of the floor and ceiling, as well as the joints between the slabs. Over a large area, despite their apparent insignificance, the latter play a large role, accumulating up to several centimeters in total.

The marking also depends on the type of ceramic layout. The most common:

“seam to seam”;
at a run;
diagonally;

It is unlikely that you will start with the last method, it is the most difficult. The second imitates brickwork This is the easiest way to glue tiles. The most popular type is the first, it requires careful adherence to the vertical and horizontal, any deviation will be noticeable.
A good video about the correct layout:

As a rule, gluing should begin from the second or third row. This is due to the fact that it is correct to cover floor tiles with wall tiles:

it looks better;
water flowing from the walls does not flow into the contour seams;
cutting wall ceramics is much easier;

If you have already laid the floor (even though this order is not according to the rules), start laying the tiles on the wall from the very bottom. But this option is unlikely, do not forget about the whole tile under the ceiling. Unless the height of the walls allows you to do without trimming.
Having decided on the beacon row, “punch” the marks of the upper edge of the first row using a water level. The presence of a laser will make the work easier, but the tool is specific, and there is no point in buying it specifically. Plastic tube is much cheaper, and unless you have a large area to tile, forget about the laser. Surely you know about the principle of communicating vessels, so we will not dwell on the operation of the hydraulic level.

Mark the horizon immediately along the perimeter, make sure that there are no problems with possible trimming around the pipes. Sometimes it is necessary to shift the marks to avoid a complex cut. Further on the marks you can:

pull the beacon cord;
draw a solid line;

The first option is still preferable, as it allows complete control over the horizon and plane. Let’s make a reservation that wall cladding with mortar involves only this point. Plumb lines will help you control the vertical, or, more often when finishing tiles with adhesive, the same line, but already along the Y axis.

The use of glue requires a support strip that secures the beacon row. Usually used aluminum profile or wooden slats.

To prevent the tiles from sliding down, we attach a 27x28 mm profile according to the marks. In this bathtub, an even layout from the center was chosen to create 2 identical trims along the edges.

Laying tiles

You need to glue it with tile adhesive that suits the task. Kneading with your own hands does not allow you to quickly bring the mixture to the desired consistency, so use a mixer. Apply the composition to the base or tile using a spatula. After application, remove excess glue with a comb; as a result, an even layer of grooves will remain on the surface. Select a notched trowel based on the size of the tile and the plane of the base. The larger the plate and the worse the plane, the larger the teeth on the tool should be.

Align the first tile along the horizontal and vertical marks. If using cord, start from the second row from the corner; After you remove the thread, you need to lay the rest of the tile. Fix with wedges placed between the ceramic and the support bar. Lay out the row, excluding the trim. Leave space between the plates, achieving uniformity using crosses (a popular size is 2 mm).

After a day, the support strip is dismantled and the bottom row of tiles is laid.

Control the plane using the cord or, if you don’t use thread, using a rule. The edges of the tiles must coincide with the beacon string. Check each row using a bubble level to ensure it is vertical. This is how you decorate the walls with your own hands. Trimming can be done immediately, but it is more convenient at the end of the stage. Remember to follow the pattern and remember that ceramics can have a lackluster pattern. On the back of the tiles there are arrows that show the direction of installation; they should always be in the same direction.
Video on how to properly lay tiles on bathroom walls:

Tile cutting

When tiling with your own hands, you can do without expensive cutting tools. If you have a tile cutter - good, if not - use a glass cutter or scriber with a pobedit tip. Mark the cutting line, fix the slab on a flat surface and run the tool along the line several times. Next, you need to place the tiles with cutting marks on a couple of nails and gently press - you have a finished trim. If you use a tile cutter, run the roller once, repetitions lead to defects.

This way they cut straight, but tiling the walls also involves figured cut. Cut holes for pipes using a grinder with a diamond wheel. If there are few holes and there is no angle grinder, you can use a cheap diamond-coated blade. But this is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task, and is only justified economically.

Grouting joints

After laying the tiles on the wall and floor, the seams are cleaned of glue and rubbed with a special compound. The grout is applied to a rubber spatula and the gaps between the slabs are filled with the mixture. Depending on the material and skill, 1-4 are processed in one approach square meters. Residues are removed with a foam sponge. It is used to bring the filler to a smooth state, distributing the grout evenly along the seams.

Do-it-yourself wall cladding, which you have mastered at a basic level, requires an understanding of the nuances. Some of them:

Before laying the tiles, check their quality, geometry and compliance with the calibration. Sort by size to make it easier to get straight seams.
Prepare the surface carefully, do not skimp on primer and maintain right angles.
Use on outside corners. Although it is not so beautiful, it is safe.
The tiles must be glued onto a dry surface.

Expenses

Costs for tiling a bathroom with an area of 3.5 m²:

2 guide profiles 27x28 mm - 90 rub.
(25 kg x 3 pcs) - 717 rub.
Strengthening soil Plitonit 1 l. - 98 rub.
300 pcs of plastic crosses 2 mm - 60 rub.
Kiilto grout 3 kg - 320 rub.
Self-tapping screws, dowels - 20 rub.

In total, installation cost us 1,305 rubles + the cost of tiles and preparatory work(plasters). If you do wall cladding yourself, you will need to spend money on the missing tools. For tiling the walls in a bathroom of this size, a tiler will charge at least 13-15 thousand rubles, including grout. Buy a tool that will remain with you forever and do everything yourself, or pay for the work of a master and calmly sip tea while styling - everyone will decide for themselves.

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It's hard to imagine renovation work without using tiles. It compares favorably with other types of finishes. And when decorating a bathroom and toilet, this material is a 100% leader. How to properly lay tiles on a wall?

The presence of vertical surfaces forces the influence of gravitational forces to be taken into account. It is also necessary to pay attention to the complex geometry of the coating and other parameters that influence the installation work.

Preparing the base

Laying ceramic tiles on the wall can be done using cement-sand mortars or tile adhesives.

Sometimes other binding materials are used. But such situations arise quite rarely.

The type of solution used influences the subsequent work. If adhesives are used, the wall surface is plastered or covered with plasterboard. Target pre-treatment– obtaining an even coating.

If used cement-sand mortar, a larger amount of building mixture will be required. This article will talk about how to lay tiles on a wall with a flat surface. This technique is more modern. It doesn't take much time to learn. When using the “solution method” you will need more refined skills.

How to lay tiles on a wall in compliance with technology? Laying tiles on the wall is carried out to ensure the most even surface possible. Pipes and other connecting devices should first be hidden. When using a flat plane, use minimum quantity glue. This speeds up the cladding process.

Primer is applied to a flat surface on top. If there is a wall covering old paint, it must be removed and notches made on the wall.

Before laying tiles, the walls must be cleaned of paint.

The surface must have a solid structure.

Necessary tool

Before the start facing works should be purchased special equipment. Laying tiles with your own hands is done using:

glass cutter;
two building levels;
roulette;
solution container;
marker;
rubber spatula for grouting;
support bar;
special adhesive composition;
water and foam sponges;
electric drill, which provides for the installation of a mixer attachment.

Carrying out marking

How to lay tiles on a wall to make it look good? Before starting masonry, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.

When marking the cladding, it is necessary to take into account the following rules:

There should be a whole tile in the most visible places;
the number of tiles is calculated before surface treatment begins;
it may be necessary to use a larger volume of fastening material to level the wall covering;
if the angles are visually equivalent, trimming is carried out towards the edges;
when marking vertically, the whole tile should be left on top;
The height between the floor and the ceiling and the thickness of the tile joints are taken into account.

Installation of facing material

When dealing with the question of how to lay tiles on a wall, you should choose the type of installation. The simplest method is one that imitates brick laying. The most common method of laying is seam-to-seam. But when using it, it is necessary to strictly observe the vertical and horizontal positions of the joining seams. Any deviations will be immediately noticeable.

How to properly lay tiles on the wall so as not to violate the technology? Usually the second or third row is glued first. Ceramics must adhere correctly to the floor covering.

She covers him. As a result, water does not flow into the joints. After installing the lighthouse row of ceramics, marks are “punched” for laying the first row. A water level is used for this. Marking can be done using a laser device. But the device is relatively expensive. There is no point in buying it specifically.

How to lay tiles correctly if flooring already installed? The cladding is glued from the bottom row. It should be taken into account that a whole tile must be laid under the ceiling.

When initially marking the horizontal level along the entire perimeter, it is necessary to take into account possible trimming of the lining near the pipes. In some cases, the marks are shifted in order to avoid making a complex cut. Next, a cord is pulled along the marked marks and a solid line is drawn along it.

Better laid tiles post it the first way. In this case, the level of the horizontal and vertical planes is fully controlled. To control the vertical, a plumb line is used.

Wall cladding with ceramic tiles

Installation instructions

Laying tiles on the wall with your own hands is carried out in the following order:

row 2 is laid out;
the horizontal level is marked;
to fix the lighthouse row, a support strip is used (aluminum profile or wooden strip);
using a mixer, the adhesive composition is mixed;
to apply glue to wall coverings and ceramics, use a special spatula;
excess adhesive is removed using;
an even coating with several furrows is formed;

To install the first tile, horizontal and vertical marks. Laying tiles with your own hands starts from the corner of the second row. To control the horizontal plane, use a horizontal cord. A water level is used for final testing.

Cutting tiles

Before laying the tiles, you will have to cut them. First of all, you should stock up cutting tool. Regular pruning is done with a manual tile cutter.

You can also use a glass cutter or scriber with a pobedite solder at the end. Cutting is carried out as follows:

the cutting line is outlined;
the slab should be laid on a level place and fixed;
draw along the marked line several times with the cutting tool used;
The tile is placed on the nails and gently pressed on it.

When using a tile cutter, the cutting roller is used only once. Repetition may result in jagged edges. For figure cutting use a grinder and a diamond wheel.

Grouting joints

After the tiles are laid on the wall, the surface of the seams is cleaned of any remaining adhesive and grouted. For this purpose, a special construction composition. The grout is applied using a rubber spatula.

The gaps between the tiles are filled with the solution used. Use a foam sponge to remove residues.

Foam sponges will help to distribute the grout evenly

With its help, the grout is evenly distributed along the seams.

When deciding how to lay tiles correctly, you need to pay attention to the following points:

Before laying the tile yourself, you should check its quality and calibration;
the material used is sorted by size to obtain smooth seams;
at the stage of pre-treatment of the wall surface, you should not skimp on the primer;
The verticality and horizontality of the masonry should be periodically checked;
The adhesive composition must be applied to a dry coating.

Joining tiles and laminate

When using modern design solutions, you have to dock various types coatings Quite often, laminate is used to finish the floor, and tiles are glued to the wall. As a result, money is saved.

The laminate laying technology involves several options for joining with wall ceramics.

The area where tiles and flooring meet may vary geometric shape. For its processing, building materials are used that can be deformed manually.

Laying options for laminate flooring may vary. The material used to finish the joining areas must have the following properties:

the design helps to increase the service life of coatings;
The service life of the connecting product must not be less than the service life flooring and ceramics;
the connecting coating must be waterproof, sealing unprotected areas;
using a connecting device, fastening parts are masked;
installation of the material should be carried out in the shortest possible time;
the threshold is used as a decorative and reinforcing element.

The threshold has a decorative character

Joining materials

Technological joining of laminate and ceramics can be done using the following products:

use of flexible PVC profile allows you to connect curved bends;
a flexible metal profile is used to connect curved zones and straight seams;
an aluminum threshold is used to process the joining surfaces under the door leaf;
the use of a box threshold increases sound insulation and seals joints;
using a transitional PVC profile, coatings with a large difference in height are finished;
when using a cork expansion joint, a smooth joining surface is obtained between the laminate and the tile;
Using a T-shaped profile from solid wood, straight seams are made.

Bug fixes

If a person is laying tiles for the first time, mistakes may be made during the finishing process. If the thickness of the adhesive composition is not calculated accurately, the cladding may lie unevenly. It is peeled off before final hardening occurs, the glue is cleaned off and the installation is carried out again.

Chips on the edges of the tiles are masked using grouting material. The tile is durable building material. At correct installation it will be able to serve you for a long time.

If previously you needed to use a hammer drill and chisel to remove old tiles. After this procedure, the apartment was dusty and dirty. Fortunately, today this is not necessary; new flexible materials make it easy and safe to glue tiles directly onto old tiles.

In this instruction, we will tell you step by step how to lay ceramic tiles on a wall, draw your attention to special points, and give advice.

Important: To ensure that your new ceramic tiles adhere securely, you need the right glue. It is recommended to use either cement-based polymer tile adhesive (Flex adhesive) or ready-to-use dispersion adhesive.

Cement-based flexible adhesives contain plastic additives, thanks to which the tiles adhere well even on a smooth surface. Flexible adhesive can be used on walls and floors.

Dispersion adhesive consists of plastics dissolved in water. It can be used immediately, without any mixing. Due to its high adhesive strength it is very suitable for smooth substrates.

Attention: dispersion adhesives require a very long time to dry completely and they are not frost-resistant. Therefore, they can only be used for heated residential premises.

Choose a primer and grout that matches the type of adhesive used - preferably from the same manufacturer. Please follow the instructions on the packaging.

Step 1 - Determine Material Requirements

To determine the required amount of materials - tiles, glue. First you need to determine the areas where ceramic tiles should be laid. Next, select the desired tile design, you can also use several types of tiles to compose individual design. Don’t forget to buy tiles with a reserve so that a certain amount is left for future possible repairs.

Step 2 - Check the base and prepare it

The base for the tiles must be clean, dry, level and strong enough - the latter is especially important for floor tiles. The strength and reliability of an old tiled surface can be easily checked by gently tapping it with a rubber hammer. Tiles that do not adhere well must be removed. Then all irregularities are corrected using putty. After sufficient drying time (following the manufacturer's instructions), thoroughly clean the entire surface of excess putty and dirt. If necessary, treat with a mold repellent.

Step 3 - Prime the surface for the tiles

Before facing, the base must be primed. Apply the hardened quartz sand primer using a wide brush or roller evenly to the surface of the old tile and allow it to dry thoroughly, preferably overnight (following the manufacturer's directions). A base with good adhesion is very important, as it will later allow new tiles hold up well.

Step 4 - Trimming and Drilling the Tile

Ceramic tiles can be cut using a tile cutter. To do this, scratch the top of the slab and break its edge. If needed round holes, break them out with pliers or drill them out with a drill.

Step 5 - Technique for laying tiles on the wall

Wall tiles are laid symmetrically. Using a spirit level, draw vertical and horizontal reference lines. Start with the first row of tiles on the horizontal baseline. Then continue laying the tiles in a vertical line (you will end up with a T-shape). Next, lay the tiles so that only whole tiles are placed in the center, and the trimmings fall on the edges near the walls and floor.

Step 6 - Technique for laying tiles on the floor

For floor tiles, find the middle of the room and extend a guide line there or draw one parallel to a side wall. Lay the first row of tiles (either the center of the tile along the line or its edge) along this line. Then continue along the front side (to create an L-shape).

Step 7 - Applying Tile Adhesive

If you are not using ready-made dispersion tile adhesive, prepare a sufficient amount of flexible cementitious adhesive according to the manufacturer's directions. For mixing, you can use an electric drill with a special attachment. Apply glue to the base and smooth it out with a notched trowel. While doing this, hold it at an angle of about 45 degrees. Always apply as much adhesive to the tiles as you can process in 30 minutes (depending on the speed of work - from 1 to 1.5 m2).

Step 8 - Laying ceramic tiles on the wall

Press the tile into the adhesive with a slight twisting motion. Tile crosses help you maintain the correct spacing between tiles. (Before grouting, the crosses must be removed, but if they are deep, they can be left and then sealed with grout.)

Check randomly to see if there is enough adhesive on the tile (there should be at least 80 percent coverage). When laying, lightly tap the tiles with a rubber mallet. If necessary, use corner or end profiles.

Don't forget to provide expansion joints in appropriate places. When moving to other rooms and coverings, expansion joints should also be provided.

Step 9 - Sealing the seams between the tiles

The joints between tiles are important because they accommodate movement and stress. Even before the glue hardens (after about 60 minutes), clean the tiles and the seams themselves with a wooden wedge. Once cured (follow manufacturer's instructions for at least 24 hours), mix the grout into a creamy slurry. Pay attention to the maturation time of this solution.

Protect yourself when working with rubber gloves. Distribute the solution evenly and press on it with a rubber spatula or a handy tool. Remove excess grout from the cracks; after drying, remove the remaining grout with a damp sponge. To thoroughly clean tiles, wipe them with a dry cloth.

Step 10 - Close the expansion joints

All bulk, corner and connection seams must be sealed with a continuous, elastic sealing compound, such as silicone. To do this, cover the edges of the seams on both sides using masking tape. Then, using a cartridge and a gun for it, we evenly apply silicone to the seams.

We remove excess silicone and make the seam smooth and even. Remove masking tape, wipe everything.