Picking The Right Flooring By Greg K. Hansward At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

If you want to install your own tile floor, you have probably chosen the most difficult home improvement project there is.

The best way to get started is to acquire a software package that helps with home designs. There are many available, and they will always have a section on the best way to lay floor tiles. No, they will not prepare the floor for you, or put the glue down, but they will help you avoid mistakes by planning right. They will give you ideas about designs, how to measure properly, and many tips on how to cut the tiles, working with glue, etc.

Your taste will dictate the kind of tiles you want, but you have to keep some things in mind. Stone and slate are beautiful choices, but they are very expensive compared to ceramic. They will also need to be sealed once they are installed, otherwise they will stain and will not be easy to clean.

Make sure your floor area is properly prepared. If you have existing vinyl or linoleum on the floor, it can remain, as long as it is smooth and not worn in spots. This is a difficult choice, because soft spots caused by warping will cause your tiles to crack.

If the surface is concrete, make sure it is likewise completely level. You can use a 2X4 to do this, but finding a straight 2X4 is a challenge. To avoid this, use boards and place them against each other, then switch around 180 degrees and make sure they still lie flat.

High spots in the floor can be leveled down by an electric disc sander with a course sandpaper. If there are bumps, you can carefully chisel them down; just don't make a hole instead.

You will never achieve a perfectly smooth surface, but you should not have greater than a 1/16th of an inch rise or you will end up with tiles that rock over the lump and eventually cause cracks.

You have to have a strong floor surface so you do not end up with any flexing. Smooth and strengthen uneven floors with fiber board for cement or you can use a composite-spread it on the surface with a trowel.

Locate the center of the floor using strings by laying two of them them across the diagonals of the entire room. Chalk string is used to mark these lines on the floor, and a heavy pencil mark shows the center.

Beginning at the center, start to lay a few tiles to lay out the pattern and make sure it will work as well as to see how much space you want for grout. You do not want less than 1/2 a tile at the wall.

Trowel out the tile adhesive on the floor using the proper tool-a trowel with notched or saw toothed edges. If you have a tight spot, you can apply the adhesive directly to the tile. Try to have long, low ridges. Then put each tile down and shimmy it back and forth to set it.

Once you have some rows down (make sure the adhesive has not set) use a wide surface tool and a mallet with a rubber head to hit the tiles into place on the floor.

It will be easier to apply grout if you use a nozzled tube. Just put down a bead of a couple of feet, wipe away any additional grout with a damp cloth before it sets.

For best results, you should let the floor cure for at least three days (a week is better) before regular use.

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