Fitting Bathroom Tiles

Home owners are always looking for ways to update their bathrooms. The remodelling should add value to the home, as well as elegance and durability. Installing bathroom floor tiles combines both.

However, many owners may be considering mosaic tiles for their bathroom floor. While the tile is colourful and designs can be added, it can create a problem. The pieces are very small, thus increasing the amount of grout needed. Grout of course will absorb water over time, which can cause problems. Larger tiles take up much more floor space reducing the amount of grout needed.

Wall and floor preparation is essential for lasting durability. The tiles as a rule are installed over concert board. The board is easy to handle and comes in various sizes to reduce the number of cuts. It is anchored by decking screws or nails. It can be nailed using a wall board hammer designed to countersink the nail heads.

The surface of the stone or porcelain should be rough enough so it does not pose a slip hazard when wet. Preventing slips is particularly important in shower stalls. Owners can purchase specially manufactured wall board to apply mosaic tiles in shower surrounds; the material is generally green in colour. Wet area applications require an adhesive designed to withstand water.

Thin-set or cement mortar is popular because of its gripping power and ease of use. The cement is colour coded, white for walls and grey for floors. It can be applied directly to the substrate or backing. The adhesive is mixed with water, and it is more flexible and durable than pre-mixed adhesives. It is highly recommended for wet area use. There are professional installers that prefer to mix their own using cement and sand, this is generally called cement slurry or wet-set.

The slurry can also be used to level uneven floors to provide a flat surface for the tiles. Shower basins can also be built up using this method. It is important that when creating a basin that the slope is correct to allow proper drainage. Water should never be allowed to pool in the basin.

Backing is needed if the sub-floor is wood, and it is not needed if installing over poured concrete. The thin-set can be used to level and fill small depressions in the concrete to prevent rocking of the bathroom floor tiles. This will crack or break the material when walked on. The cement board should be used for wood sub flooring. It is not a good practice to adhere stone or porcelain directly to wood or untreated wall board.

The proper size adhesive trowel is important. The applicator has teeth and the spacing determines the amount of adhesive applied. Tiling walls with mosaic tiles requires the correct application of the mortar; the vertical weight will put a demand on the adhesive.