Tiling Guide, Assembling the Tools and Materials You Need
Line up all these tools before you begin:
¦ Buckets
¦ Chalk line
¦ Clean rags
¦ Diamond-blade electric wet saw (for bigger jobs)
¦ Framing square
¦ Level
¦ Nipper
¦ Rubber gloves
¦ Rubber mallet
¦ Safety glasses
¦ Snap cutter
¦ Sponges
¦ Straight edge
¦ Tape measure
¦ Notched trowel (for adhesive)
¦ Rubber-faced trowel (for grout)
¦ Utility knife
Be sure to buy all the pieces of tile you may need beforehand. It will save many trips back and forth to the store. If you buy extra, most stores will let you return what you don't use.
To lay the tiles, you'll need a good adhesive. The generic name for tile adhesive is "thinset." Premixed adhesive (which is not really thinset at all) is called mastic. It is the easiest type of adhesive to apply, but forms the weakest bond with the tile. Mastic shouldn't be used for floor tiles, since it has no give when dry and any movement of the floor could cause it to come loose.
True thinset is cement with a wide variety of additives to make it more flexible and last longer when wet. Usually it's mixed with water- the more water, the weaker the ultimate bond. Epoxy in the form of resins and hardeners can also be mixed in to strengthen the bond, but they are difficult to work with because of their short drying time.
You will also need to decide on the color and texture of grout for your tile. Grout can be either rough (with lots of sand in it) or smooth (with mostly cement). Grout isn't added until the tile has been laid and set.
If the grout is the same color as the tile (or close to it), it will give a more formal look. If the grout is a con¬trasting color, the appearance will be more dramatic and casual.
¦ Buckets
¦ Chalk line
¦ Clean rags
¦ Diamond-blade electric wet saw (for bigger jobs)
¦ Framing square
¦ Level
¦ Nipper
¦ Rubber gloves
¦ Rubber mallet
¦ Safety glasses
¦ Snap cutter
¦ Sponges
¦ Straight edge
¦ Tape measure
¦ Notched trowel (for adhesive)
¦ Rubber-faced trowel (for grout)
¦ Utility knife
Be sure to buy all the pieces of tile you may need beforehand. It will save many trips back and forth to the store. If you buy extra, most stores will let you return what you don't use.
To lay the tiles, you'll need a good adhesive. The generic name for tile adhesive is "thinset." Premixed adhesive (which is not really thinset at all) is called mastic. It is the easiest type of adhesive to apply, but forms the weakest bond with the tile. Mastic shouldn't be used for floor tiles, since it has no give when dry and any movement of the floor could cause it to come loose.
True thinset is cement with a wide variety of additives to make it more flexible and last longer when wet. Usually it's mixed with water- the more water, the weaker the ultimate bond. Epoxy in the form of resins and hardeners can also be mixed in to strengthen the bond, but they are difficult to work with because of their short drying time.
You will also need to decide on the color and texture of grout for your tile. Grout can be either rough (with lots of sand in it) or smooth (with mostly cement). Grout isn't added until the tile has been laid and set.
If the grout is the same color as the tile (or close to it), it will give a more formal look. If the grout is a con¬trasting color, the appearance will be more dramatic and casual.