There are many different styles of home interior flooring to choose from and each style creates a very different look and feel to your home.
Ceramic tiles are able to be installed wherever you like in your home, although they are more common in bathroom and kitchens. Tiles are much easier to keep clean than carpeting and do not succumb to water damage.
Ceramic tiles typically come in two types, glazed and porcelain. Glazed are not as expensive as porcelain and are suitable for most areas of the home, porcelain tiles work best in bathrooms.
When flooring with tiles it is recommended to use tiles that are 12 inch x 12 inch. But there are many other styles and sizes that you can choose from.
When laying tiles it is best that you lay a base foundation for the tiles, this can consist of ¾ inch to 1¼ inch plywood. Tiles are able to be laid straight onto a concrete base; you need to make sure that the floor is very clean first. Levelling compounds are available to purchase if necessary for the tiles.
Before you start to lay the tiles, it is recommended you lay the tiles down on the floor to see how the style or pattern of the tiles will look.
Place the tiles that may not be of the greatest quality out of highly visible spots, such as in corners around bathtubs or cabinets.
After the floor is completely clean of all dust and dirt, apply the adhesive to the floors starting in the centre of the room where you drew the parallel lines during the surveying step.
If cuts are required, complete these cuts before applying the adhesive. When applying adhesive use the flat end of trowel to spread quite a thick layer, approx 1/8 inch to 3/16 inch thick. Use your trowel to create ridges in the adhesive to help hold the tile more secure.
After you have laid your adhesive, start applying your tiles from the centre out. You may need to add extra adhesive to the back of the tile if you are using large tiles.
If you have tiles that need cutting it is recommended that you use a wet-saw. These allow for very accurate cuts, and you will have little wastage of tiles so that all tiles are spaced evenly, use a lug between each tile.
After all tiles are laid, you will need to grout. Leave the tiles to rest for at least 24 hours before grouting. Grout is simply mixed with water or a bonding agent and applied with a rubber trowel.
Immediately wipe off excess grout with a wet sponge, then again after 30 and then 60 minutes. After 24 hours your tiling is complete.
