Is it weird to start working on your own ceramic tile project? Get ready to learn the basics of how to lay ceramic tile right here and make that beautiful ceramic tile floor you and your family have always wanted! So, get your tiling tools ready, put on your safety glasses, and let’s do some tiling!
Most tile laying jobs start with a well-prepared subfloor. As you learn more about laying ceramic tile flooring, you’ll learn about the three general types of flooring that tile installers typically work with. This information will help you a lot along the way.
In general, you will find three types of subfloors: vinyl, plywood, and concrete floors. Installation of ceramic tile directly over vinyl or linoleum flooring (or subfloor surfaces) should be avoided at all costs. Your vinyl or linoleum flooring may contain asbestos fibers and should be tested first before attempting to remove it. If your vinyl floor does not contain asbestos fibers, a general recommendation on how to lay ceramic tile is to sand or scarify the surface of the vinyl floor to provide a better grip for your tile mortar. Use a latex-modified thin-set mortar to install your ceramic tile over your vinyl subfloor.
Working on plywood subfloors can also be very tricky. Like vinyl flooring surfaces, ceramic tile is not recommended to be installed directly over the surface of plywood flooring. Plywood floors generally have a smooth surface and easily warp when exposed to heat or moisture. Make sure the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and reinforced and supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will easily chip off or worse, crack and need to be replaced. The edges of the plywood panels should be installed approximately one quarter inch from the perimeter walls and jambs of doors, fixtures, and cabinets. They are expansion joints and should not be saved with tile mortar. To prevent moisture from damaging the plywood subfloor, use a waterproofing sealer or caulk on the plywood subsurface.
Concrete floors are the most ideal subfloor surface to work on. But before you start laying tiles on the surface of the subfloor, it must be thoroughly cleaned. Paint, adhesives, fillers or levelers, sealers, and chemically treated cementitious substrates are not suitable surfaces for ceramic tile installation. Remove them using non-chemical methods. For dust and other debris, sweep and then mop the surface of the concrete subfloor using only clean water. Allow the surface to completely dry before beginning work on it. Smooth concrete surfaces are generally difficult to work with, as the tile mortar may not grip or hold. Consequently, your ceramic tiles may be in danger of being dislodged. Smooth concrete surfaces should be sanded, scarified, or etched to allow the tile-setting mortar to adhere.
Another important aspect of how to lay ceramic floor tiles is to always check for cracks and debris. Repair as many cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the section of the floor where they meet with new concrete. The concrete may need to set (or dry) for at least twenty-four hours before you can begin to tile over it. Lastly, take out your carpenter’s level and check for any depressions or humps in the surface of the concrete subfloor. If you find any, you can use a cement-based floor level to fill in any depressions and smooth out any humps. This will help keep the finished ceramic tile floor level and minimize tile dislodgment or breakage.
Allow to dry or set properly. This is the key step to keep in mind on how to lay a ceramic tile floor. There are three set periods: the first is just after the ceramic tile is thin-set and adhered to the subfloor. The second is after you put the tile grout (before you put the sealer). These setting periods last from one night, as a minimum, to twenty-four hours, as a maximum. Your sealant has dried, that’s it!
So when working on your own ceramic tile project, always remember how to properly lay ceramic tile by knowing how to work with your subfloor surfaces. Learning how to lay ceramic tile is also a great way to learn a new hobby and home improvement skill. Just remember to maintain a safe work environment, not to rush things (especially during set periods), and try to work with a partner. Better yet, invite your friends and help out.