Laying tiles with your own hands step by step. Professional advice and instructions for preparing the floor yourself, laying and grouting tiles. Stage II. Preparation of the solution

Reading time ≈ 5 minutes

Tile floors are not only beautiful, but also durable, easy to clean and maintain. For styling ceramic tiles on the floor, the performer only needs to have a small amount of perseverance, accuracy, artistic taste, as well as the ability to do something independently without the involvement of specialized specialists.

Before laying tiles on the floor with your own hands, you need to acquire necessary set materials and tools, without which this process will be difficult or even impossible.

Materials

First of all, you need to choose yourself floor tiles, guided by the overall design of the room. Depending on the room in which the floor area for laying tiles is located, the material is selected with a glossy or matte surface. For safety, you should take tiles with a non-slip surface.
When buying tiles for laying on the floor, you need to take into account that its actual consumption will exceed the area of the room by 5-10%, since part of the material will be spent on cutting and breaking. You should carefully review all packages, sorting possible deviations by size and shade.
You will need to purchase tile adhesive based on the consumption indicated on its packaging. The contractor must be prepared for the fact that the actual glue consumption, depending on the surface of the subfloor, may differ significantly from the declared one.
To prepare the surface for laying tiles on the floor, according to technology, you need to purchase a primer deep penetration.
To grout the joints you will need a special mixture. You can choose it in a variety of colors, focusing on your vision. general design floor.
All building mixtures It is advisable to buy from the same manufacturer - this will ensure their correct interaction with each other.

Tools

For styling tiles the floor requires a minimum set of tools and devices to ensure successful work.

It is advisable to purchase a set of plastic crosses the right size, a small trowel, a plastic bowl for preparing the adhesive solution, a metal spatula with teeth.
To prepare the adhesive solution, you will need a powerful drill with a mixer.
In addition, you need: a rubber spatula, a rubber hammer, pliers (depending on the area of laying the tile covering, it can be of the simplest design or in the form of a full-fledged machine with an electric drive for cutting tiles).
To measure and mark the tiles, you will need: a tape measure, a building level, a pencil, a square.
To protect the performer’s legs and arms, it is advisable to purchase knee pads and gloves.
To thoroughly clean the floor, you should stock up on a sponge and a rag.

Step-by-step instructions for laying tiles

1. When starting the process of laying floor tiles, you must first prepare work surface. To do this, you need to check the horizontalness of the subfloor with a level, if necessary, clean it from roughness, and vacuum it, removing dust and debris from the surface. The floor needs to be rinsed thoroughly to remove any possible grease stains. In order to ensure reliable adhesion of the tiles, the surface must be treated with a deep penetration primer.

2. Before laying tiles on the floor, it is necessary to mark the surface in such a way that a minimum of undercuts are visible and the new covering lies symmetrically to the room. To do this, it is advisable to look at photos and videos on the website demonstrating the nuances of the process. Experts recommend starting marking from the entrance to the room. Initially, the first row is laid dry to determine the correct layout.

3. Mixing the adhesive solution (using a mixer or manually) requires strict adherence to the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the amount of added water and the preparation technology indicated on the packaging. Experienced experts advise preparing a small amount of mortar at a time, focusing on the speed of laying the tiles.

4. Having prepared the adhesive solution, you can begin laying the adhesive on the floor surface using a trowel. Next, the glue is evenly distributed thanks to the use of a notched spatula-comb. If the tile is large (sides larger than 30 cm), glue should be applied to the tile itself.

5. The first tile must be laid, strictly focusing on the marking lines applied to the floor, after which it will need to be leveled horizontally using a rubber hammer and a level. When laying the next tiles in a row, it is advisable to use crosses to maintain the width of the joints between them.

Now on construction market a huge number offered various materials for interior decoration. Among this variety, one of the most common materials is ceramic tiles.

Despite the fact that this finishing material has been known since ancient times, it not only has not lost its relevance, but on the contrary, due to the constant improvement of technology, the characteristics of tiles are becoming increasingly higher. And if earlier ceramic tiles were mostly used in rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom, now, thanks to the exquisite design and modern installation technologies, this material is well suited for decorating living rooms and bedrooms.

Ceramic tiles are building material, which is made from clay and sand. Techniques for the production of tiles are being improved and modern tiles are a material for finishing premises with high performance characteristics. In terms of its strength characteristics, the tile is indeed very unique - as tests have shown, with a correctly performed installation process, the surface of the tile can withstand a load of up to 30 thousand tons per square meter.

Another advantage of tiles is that they are very easy to clean from dirt, which makes them convenient to use in various conditions.

Ceramic tiles are not subject to fire, are not toxic when exposed to heat and do not collapse in case of contact with various chemicals. Also, ceramic tiles are a fairly rigid material and do not deform even under very high loads. In addition, tiles do not conduct electric current, which makes them safe material for use in any premises. This finishing material is very durable because it does not lose its original appearance under the influence of moisture, frost or sunlight.

Due to their hygiene, tiles are excellent for use in the bathroom, kitchen, etc.

One of the disadvantages of this material is that it conducts heat well, and therefore feels quite cold when in contact with the body. Therefore, it is not very comfortable to walk on a tiled floor barefoot, which is why a floor heating system is often installed underneath it.

In order to choose ceramic tiles for interior cladding, you need to know its main differences and characteristics. When choosing a tile, many people pay main attention to its texture and pattern; they are not interested in other nuances and characteristics. The right choice any finishing material primarily depends on the conditions of its operation, purpose and specific premises where it will be used. Basic information about a particular tile can usually be obtained by reading its characteristics and looking at the special symbols on its packaging.

For example, if the packaging shows a foot on a black background, this indicates that you are looking at floor tiles. Wall tiles are indicated by a hand pattern, high wear resistance is indicated by a foot pattern on a shaded background, frost resistance is indicated by a snowflake drawn on the packaging. If an icon is drawn more than once, this indicates a higher level of the designated property.

Usually, the information on the packaging is enough to choose the right tile, if the buyer has a good understanding of the conditions of its use. For example, when choosing a coating for a bathroom, you need to take into account that the walls and floor in the bathroom are in contact with various chemical compounds (cosmetics, hygiene products, etc.), so for the bathroom you should use a type of tile with high acid resistance, low porosity and resistance to chemical bases. Such qualities are especially important when lining a pool, where the material is constantly in contact with various chemicals. Such characteristics are indicated on the packaging with the designation “AA”. If the properties of resistance to chemical influences are less, then the mark “A” is used, then the designations go in descending order - “B”, “C”, “D”.

For wall tiles in the kitchen, a high level of resistance to chemical compounds is also important, but wear resistance properties in this case are not paramount. But when it comes to kitchen floor tiles, here you should choose a material with high wear resistance and low porosity. As a rule, tiles of wear resistance class 3 are purchased for the kitchen. When choosing a material for the floor in a corridor or lobby, you should give preference to tiles with a 4th or 5th class of wear resistance.

How to calculate the amount of tiles and adhesive

Before you go to a hardware store and buy tiles, you need to calculate it required quantity and decide how much glue you will need to purchase.

There is no universal formula suitable for all cases of tile laying work. Here everything depends on the size and additional features of the room, on the method of laying the covering and on the size of the selected tile. In order to have enough tiles, experts advise purchasing 5-10% more than in the initial calculation, because various nuances such as adjusting the pattern or diagonal laying method may require additional material consumption.

As an example, let's look at how to calculate the number of tiles for a bathroom with dimensions of 1.5 x 1.7 x 2.7. To make it easier to consider the essence of the calculation, let’s assume that there are no protrusions or niches in the bathroom. As for the dimensions of the material, we will focus on standard dimensions- that is, we will use floor tiles 33.3 x 33.3 cm, that is, the most common. There are several different ways of laying tiles, let's take a closer look at each of them:

Method one

If we need to work with a rectangular or square formula, then first of all we need to determine its area. To do this, we need to measure the length and width of the room and multiply these indicators. If the room is complex in shape and does not resemble a rectangle in any way, then it is worth drawing up a plan of the room on paper, where the floor surface should be divided into several parts so that each of them is close to rectangular shape and then separately calculate the area of each part and add up the results.

Method two

This method is used when you have to work with complex masonry. If you need to do laying in a staggered or diagonal manner, then first of all you should draw an exact floor plan of the room. It is more convenient to draw up such a plan on graph paper or on square paper. Using a ruler and pencil, draw a floor plan to a scale that will allow you to fit the entire floor surface onto the paper. To begin with, place whole tiles on the plan, and only after that start calculating the trimmed elements.

So, it turns out that if we have a bathroom in front of us that is 1.5 meters wide and 1.7 meters long, then we need to divide the width of the floor by the tile side. Since we chose a tile with sides of 33 cm, the result we get is 4.54 - this is the number of tiles in the row in width. We round this figure to 5 pieces.

We need to calculate how many such rows are needed, for this 170 cm needs to be divided by 33 cm, the result is 5.15 rows, this result round up and get 6 rows. Then we multiply 5 tiles of one row by the number of rows and get that for the entire floor in the bathroom we will need 30 pieces. But, as already mentioned, when purchasing it is worth adding another ten percent of this amount, that is, in this case you need to purchase 33 ceramic tiles.

Let's look at how to calculate the amount of material for wall cladding. To make this easier, it is better to calculate the required number of tiles for each wall. We take the wall height of 2.7 m and divide by 30 cm (since we are calculating the work with standard wall tiles with dimensions 20x30 cm), we get that in one row in height we will have 9 tiles. Now we take the width of the surface 150 cm and divide by 20 (the width of the tile), it turns out 7.5 - round up to 8 - this is the number of tiles in the row in width. Now we multiply these two results and it turns out that we will need 72 pieces of tile for a wall 150 cm wide. We also calculate the material consumption for the remaining walls of the bathroom in the same way.

Now let's talk about how to calculate glue consumption. There are many nuances here, and one of the main ones is how smooth the surface of the base is on which the tile will be glued. If this surface is fairly flat, with height differences of about 3 mm, then the glue consumption will not be large. In this case, the glue will be applied in a layer of up to 5 mm and its function will only be to adhere the base and the tile to each other.

But if there are strong unevenness on the surface, then the glue will also perform a leveling role. Construction stores sell special adhesives designed for such work. With the help of such compositions it is possible to level out height differences of up to 30 mm.

In order to avoid overuse of glue, you need to choose the composition that is intended for application to a specific base. Usually on the packaging of the glue there is information about what surfaces it is intended for.

In addition to the base, the adhesive consumption is also greatly influenced by the characteristics of the tile. The larger the tile, the thicker the layer of adhesive that needs to be applied to it. The porosity of the material also affects the consumption of glue - for highly porous structures, approximately 1.5-2 times more adhesive composition is required.

As already mentioned, ceramic tiles differ not only in size and design, but also in characteristics that depend on their production method. Ceramic tiles can be divided into several main types.

This type of tile is considered the most common. In terms of its composition, this material is a mixture of bowl, minerals and clay, which goes through a firing process and is covered with glaze. It is the glaze that makes it possible to make a product with any texture, texture, color or ornament. The glaze can be either matte or glossy.

Porcelain tiles

This definition is general for a group of materials that have a very low (approaching zero) level of water absorption and a high level of frost resistance. The composition of the raw materials for the production of such tiles is very similar to the raw materials from which porcelain is made, although the products themselves are more reminiscent of stone in appearance. Porcelain stoneware is produced by dry pressing and single firing. Such tiles are pressed under higher pressure and fired at a higher temperature compared to ceramic tiles.

The result is a vitrified sintered material with high performance characteristics. Porcelain stoneware belongs to the group of materials with the highest resistance to abrasion and aggressive environments. Ordinary unglazed porcelain stoneware has a grainy granular structure throughout the entire depth of the product, just like natural stone. But at the same time, unlike stone, porcelain stoneware does not have such negative qualities as a tendency to form cracks or the presence of cavities or foreign inclusions.

Porcelain stoneware, in terms of resistance to temperature changes, is also superior to most types of natural stone, this is explained by its higher density and homogeneous structure. Unglazed porcelain tiles can have a relief, polished, semi-polished and unpolished surface. Polished material costs at least 30% more than unpolished material. Unglazed porcelain tiles are often used in rooms with a large flow of people.

Glazed porcelain tiles also have high performance characteristics, but at the same time have great variety in terms of design. Modern production technologies make it possible to create appearance, as close as possible to natural stone, with the same pattern or chipped texture. If desired, you can even find “antique” series, the products of which are specially given the effect of abrasions, which are formed after a long walk on the stone.

Clinker

Clinker is a glazed or unglazed tile with a compacted base, which is produced using the extrusion method. The clinker is fired at very high temperature, due to which he gets his unique performance, such as excellent resistance to wear and cold temperatures. Also, clinker does not absorb water, is resistant to aggressive chemicals and is easy to clean. The extrusion method makes it possible to give products complex geometric shapes. As an example, tiles for lining a swimming pool; sets of such products include various elements: steps, gutters, connecting elements, corners, etc.

This is the name of brick-colored tiles, which are produced using the extrusion method. As a rule, such tiles are not glazed and have various natural terracotta colors, that is, red, pink, brown and yellow shades. For natural color and its warm shades, such tiles are actively used by European architects. Cotto is one of the most ancient methods of producing tiles and we can say that this tile carries a certain charm of antiquity, due to which it is often used to create the interior of churches and museums.

Most often, Cotto is used as a floor covering indoors. When laying the tiles is finished, they are coated with special protective hydrophobic agents so that stains do not appear on the porous surface of the products.

Porcelain tiles

Such tiles are resistant to mechanical damage and are easy to clean from dirt. In order to obtain a variety of shades, various dyes are added to the raw material during the production process.
Such tiles are usually used for finishing floors that are actively used and require special resistance to frost and chemical compounds.

Low porosity tiles

These types of tiles are characterized by good strength and resistance to frost, making them excellent for finishing floors.

Highly porous tiles

During the manufacture of such tiles, special components are added to the raw materials, which reduce the weight of the tiles. This type of tile is less resistant to mechanical stress, which is why it is not recommended for use when finishing the floor.

This type of tile is made by pressing and covered with an opaque glaze. The products undergo double annealing, due to which they are characterized by good moisture resistance, strength and resistance to chemical influences. Typically, majolica is used for wall decoration.

Terral

Such tiles also undergo double annealing, but more expensive types of clay are used for their production. The tile turns out white, which makes it possible to apply an ornament or design directly to its surface and then cover it with just one layer of glass glaze.

Materials and tools

In order for the tile laying work to be completed to the highest possible quality, it is necessary to have high-quality tools that can significantly facilitate this process. We list the main equipment that will be needed for this.

Rubber hammer. It is desirable that its weight is about 1 kg. This hammer will be needed to tap the tiles during the laying process in order to eliminate the presence of voids.
Notched trowel. For tiles whose sides are larger than 30 cm, you need a trowel with 10 mm teeth; for tiles with smaller dimensions, a trowel with 4-5 mm teeth is used.
Trowel-trowel.
Shaulsky's ladle. This ladle is convenient when you need to quickly spread plaster or glue.
A set of special plastic crosses. The thickness of such crosses is selected individually; as a rule, the larger the tile, the narrower the seams are made.
Scraper. It will be needed to clean the screed from glue. In addition, it is convenient for dismantling old tiles.
Carrying. There are cases when the socket is located far from the installation site, in which case it may be necessary to carry it with a tee. Carrying two light bulbs may also be useful - when good lighting All the unevenness of the installation is visible in the beam.
Construction knife.
Construction markers and pencils.
A brush or roller for applying primer.

We will also highlight auxiliary tool, which you also can’t do without:

Squares (it is better to have two of them - small and large).
Bubble level and tape measure.
Cord release device. It works as follows - you mark two points on the wall and stretch a colored thread between these points, then pull it back a little and it, springing along the wall, leaves an even marking line.
Laser or water level. There is a big difference in price between these tools, but there is practically no difference in speed. Therefore, if you are engaged in laying tiles one-time, for example, doing renovations at home, then you do not have to purchase a laser, but if you are going to do this professionally, then you should think about buying a laser
Aluminum rules. It is best to have two rules - 1.5 and 2.5 meters. They will be useful both for leveling the base and for checking the result.

Mixer

If you do not plan to constantly do masonry, then you can get by with a hammer drill and a whisk attachment, or even stir the composition by hand. But to perform large volumes of work at a professional level, you will need a mixer. Russian models of mixers are no worse than many in their characteristics foreign analogues, but their cost is an order of magnitude lower. Another advantage of the mixer is that it can also be used for drilling tiles. For this purpose, a special chuck with a drill is installed on the mixer.

A tile cutter is required to cut tiles. We can roughly distinguish between professional and amateur manual tile cutters. Amateur models have the following disadvantages:

The maximum width of tiles they can cut is 40 cm.
When cutting thick tiles, the weak structure bends and cannot always be broken.
The cutting wheel may have quite a lot of play (up to 4 mm), which makes it impossible to cut two absolutely identical tiles.

An important part in a tile cutter is the cutting wheel; on average, its operating limit is 800 square meters tiles This indicator applies to high-quality branded models; in Chinese analogues, this wheel fails much faster.

Bulgarian

The grinder is one of the most important tools when laying tiles. In order to cut tiles, you can purchase a Makita 9554 grinder, which costs about three thousand rubles. To work with tiles, special diamond-coated wheels are used. Often, inexperienced sellers try to sell discs for concrete or stone instead of such discs. For cutting tiles, completely smooth discs without holes are used in order to minimize the number of chips.

Wire cutters

Another tool that may be required when laying tiles is nippers. They may be needed when the tile cannot be broken off along the cut.

Nippers can be divided into two types:

Wire cutters with pobedite surfacing. However, they do not necessarily have to have a hard cutting part, since the tile can be broken off along the cut line.
Parrot nippers. These cutters will help you create round cuts, for example for a pipe or socket. If you made the hole incorrectly, you can correct it using pliers.

Now let's list what tools may be required when grouting joints?

Plastic container (preferably 2 liters).
Grouting spatula. Small rubber spatulas are suitable only for one-time work.
Scrub grater. It will be needed to quickly remove half-dried grout.
Felt mitten. With its help it is convenient to remove plaque that appears the next day after grouting.

How to cut tiles

When laying tiles, it is very common to trim tiles. Let's talk about how to cut tiles at home, and what methods exist for this.

Cutting tiles with a portable electric tile cutter

This method is one of the highest quality and most productive. If you cut with such a tool, using a diamond cutting wheel and water supply, the cut will be high-quality and clean. Another advantage of this method is that it does not generate dust and does not require any physical effort.

But since the cost of such tile cutters starts from approximately $700, the use of such equipment is advisable for large volumes of work.

Application of manual tile cutter

This tile cutter is much cheaper than an electric one and is quite suitable for medium and small volumes of work. Working with such a tile cutter is very simple, you just need to mark the tiles and make the cut in the direction away from you. The cost of such tile cutters ranges from $40 to $300.

Cutting tiles at home using a grinder

You can also cut tiles with your own hands using a grinder. This does not require any special skills, the principle is very simple - we connect the tool to the network, turn it on and when the disk reaches the desired speed, we cut the tiles in the direction “away from us”, according to the previously applied markings. For cutting tiles, it is most convenient to use a grinder with the ability to adjust the speed. It is recommended to operate at a speed of no more than 3,500 rpm. If you cut tiles at a higher speed, the ceramic will crack.

The disadvantages of using a grinder are that a large amount of dust is generated during the cutting process, and also that the edges of the tiles in this case are not very neat. In this case, the edges often have to be refined using nippers and a file. When using an angle grinder, you must use safety glasses, a respirator and gloves.

Preparing the base

Preparing the base for tiles deserves a separate discussion. The quality of installation depends very much on this. Usually, in articles about the correct laying of tiles, it is assumed that the surface of the wall or floor is ideally prepared for it. It must be borne in mind that it is almost impossible to lay even the most good material on an uneven or otherwise non-compliant surface.

It should be taken into account that the tiles have quite a lot of weight, so they need to be glued to durable materials that can withstand it. There should not be any irregularities on the surface. In order for the tile to be securely attached to the wall, it is necessary to ensure maximum adhesion between its surface and the base. To do this, the wall or floor must be cleaned of dirt and dust, dried and degreased.

A rule should be used to check the surface of the walls. A layer of plaster can be used to correct deficiencies if they are identified and turn out to be significant. If we are talking about finishing the floor, it is advisable to first make a screed using self-leveling cement mixtures before laying the tiles.

Walls made of brick and concrete are pre-plastered, puttied and coated with primer. It is always recommended to use a deep penetration primer during preparatory work for laying tiles, regardless of what surface material we are talking about. This treatment will give the base water-repellent characteristics and make the adhesion between the materials more reliable.

On top paint and varnish materials You should not lay tiles, as they may fall along with it, peeling off from the base. Paint and other similar coatings should be removed with a spatula to ensure a higher level of adhesion. Cleaners old paint in liquid form will help to carry out this work more efficiently and quickly. If you cannot remove the paint with a spatula, you can take an ax or chisel and make frequent notches on it.

It is not allowed to glue tiles on top of wallpaper. They must be removed and then the base must be primed. Paper wallpaper It will be much easier to remove from the wall if you wet them first. You can use a spray bottle for this. Afterwards you can take a spatula and easily remove the soaked material. When it comes to vinyl wallpaper, the outer vinyl layer is first removed. The paper backing is removed with water in the manner described above. You can, of course, use chemicals designed specifically for this purpose, but water is a more environmentally friendly option.

If there are water supply pipes, ventilation pipes and other utility networks in the room, they can be covered with drywall. This material is excellent for this use.

Finishing wooden walls with tiles usually causes a lot of difficulties. There is nothing impossible about this, but you need to take into account that, depending on the surrounding temperature and humidity, wood can “play”, so the walls must first be covered with plasterboard. Thus, they will become perfectly even, and you can safely continue finishing. The task of covering wooden walls with ceramic tiles has recently faced builders and finishers more and more often, since ceramics are used for finishing in bathrooms and toilets. wooden buildings, for finishing baths and in other similar situations.

Inexperienced people often have a question about the need to use before laying tiles. gypsum mixture for plaster. When carrying out interior finishing, it is usually much faster and more convenient to work with this mixture.

You can also plaster it before the tiles, but in this case the surface will need to be additionally primed with concrete contact soil. So that it lies securely and does not peel off afterwards and is not peeled off in some places like a skin, it is better to treat the surface in front of it with a deep penetration primer.

If you need to lay tiles over oil paint, it is certainly better to delete it first. You can often come across recommendations to make notches on it, but it is not always possible to obtain the desired result with their help. If the paint sits tightly and cannot be removed, you should use Benton Contact primer.

This soil is generally very versatile. With its help, you can even apply plaster and glue a new layer of tile on top of the old one. You can also use it on glass surfaces.

When preparing the surface, polymer putty and whitewash are mandatory for removal. You can, of course, try to stick the tiles on top of them, but they will definitely fall off after a while.

Before installing the tiles, you need to prepare stops for the first row and make markings. To lay the first row, it is necessary to secure a wooden or plastic corner for emphasis. Vertical laying is controlled using drawn lines. A plumb line will help make them even. If you need to make a mosaic installation or decorate the wall with multi-colored tiles, it is better to mark the places where each type is installed on the wall with signs.

When forming a certain pattern on the wall, marks are applied to locations that differ from other tiles. Laying tiles on the floor should begin from the far corner. But at the same time, the first rows from the walls will need to be positioned in such a way that the tiles that fall into place next to the entrance do not need to be cut, that is, they should remain intact. It is necessary not to forget in the calculations about the gaps between individual tiles.

Tile laying methods

This is one of the most popular and easiest methods. Tiles in the shape of a square or rectangle are suitable for it. Sometimes it can be slightly elongated. Each of the tiles is carefully laid out in an even row.

If we talk about finishing the walls in the room, the tiled side edge should create a parallel with the walls, and the lower and upper edges with the floor surface. If you are interested correct installation tiles onto the floor surface, in this case the tile ribs should be parallel to the planes of the walls in the room.

This installation takes very little effort and time. But if you want to extend the life of the tiles and maintain its presentable appearance for a long time. Pay attention to the following tips:

Start laying tiles from the central part of the floor. This way you will create symmetry: if one of the elements needs to be reduced in size on one side, then the same will have to be done on the other side.
Begin laying the new floor elements from the second row, as the first row may require cutting of tiles. This technology is developed based on the existing problem of uneven surfaces. If you start laying tiles from the first row, the entire tile sheet may go down the slope.

The basic method became the basis for the origin of various variations of flooring. Diagonal laying did not stand aside. This method requires time and effort, but the result is guaranteed to exceed all expectations.

This pattern can be assembled only from square tile elements. Each of the pieces is laid out strictly at an angle of 45 degrees in relation to the line of the walls. Typically, for this method of laying floors, choose tiles made in one shade. The difficulties with this method lie in the need to trim the tiles along the wall line. Also on this type installation takes a lot of time, and working materials are consumed at a high speed.

But by using this method, you have the opportunity to visually make the room much wider, additionally hiding all the errors and unevenness on the floor.
In many design solutions This method is used in a combination of two colors, where dark tiles are usually intertwined with light tiles.

Before installation, you need to prepare in advance all the necessary consumables and floor surface. It must be completely freed from the old coating, as well as washed from dust, dirt and preferably degreased. After following these recommendations, the surface is leveled and primed; this step is necessary for any type of floor installation.

If you are laying tiles using the diagonal method, the first row should be laid in the same way as for the basic installation. Rectangular tiles are best, but their length should not differ from a square sample. Then pre-cut triangular pieces of tiles are placed on the floor.

The tile row lies at an angle.
The tile row should be laid horizontally.

The first method requires professionalism, so specialists work with it, but the second method is suitable for use by beginners.
The only thing is that you need to carefully ensure that the opposite corners form a vertical or horizontal line between each other, while at the same time forming a parallel with the walls in the room.

This method is no less popular than the previous two. In this case, the tiled elements are laid out on the floor in the same way as laying bricks.

This installation is especially suitable for kitchen area or corridor.
If you select and arrange consumables correctly, the end result can be a very unusual and interesting appearance.

Tiles must be laid in such a way that tile joints were located exactly in the middle relative to the tiles from the next row. This method is almost no different from the basic laying method, however, in this case, rows can only be laid horizontally.

You also need to carefully monitor the thickness of the seams; it should be the same everywhere. If it is different, the pattern will begin to shift, the rows will be unequal in comparison with each other. For high-quality execution work, it is necessary to use a mooring cord.

If you want to use mastic, make the floor surface as smooth as possible in advance.
To do this, beacon tiles are placed in each corner, thereby determining the surface level. The floor screed is sprayed with water, you can moisten it with a roller, then the fixing mixture is spread over the floor, on which the tiles themselves are placed. They are laid out according to a guideline with lighthouse tiles in the corners. Next, the surface is leveled, and after finishing the work, the beacons are removed from the corners.
The mixture will completely harden within 72 hours, after which the tile joints are covered with mortar or diluted cement.

This method of laying flooring looks quite unusual. The tile elements are laid in the same way as when installing a parquet floor. Therefore for this method materials that look like wood are ideal.
To lay tiles using this method, you need to stock up on rectangular tile elements.
There are two types of this method: a regular “herringbone” and a “herringbone” with an additional attachment.

This method of laying tiles is ideal for irregularly shaped rooms.
There are different types of this method: “herringbone” and “herringbone with attachment”.
This pattern looks very good in irregularly shaped rooms.
For this type of installation, any single-color samples are suitable; you should not choose tiled elements stylized as stone.

Speaking directly about the technological side, it is recommended to lay the material diagonally. If you imagine a wind rose in your mind, then the first piece of tile is laid in the northwest direction, the other in the north-east direction, alternating them with each other. This method can also be used in different ways for walls, and each new option will look very unusual.

This method does not leave behind a large number of tile scraps.

Even non-professionals can master this method; here you can completely surrender to your imagination and express your “I” in finishing the floor.

To work, you must definitely make a harness; usually it is made of tile material, which creates a contrast with the main color of the materials. First of all, the tiles are placed in the central part, and the ornament can be absolutely anything, it all depends on your taste. Using this method, you can highlight interesting things on the floor. dining area or any space indoors.

How to lay tiles on a wall with your own hands

Before starting work, prepare a solution or adhesive composition. For this purpose, the prepared mixture is poured into the water in small portions and stirred with a drill and mixer. You should not add a large volume of the mixture right away. As a result, the solution should not be too liquid, because it will float off the wall. At the same time, the solution should not be too thick, in which case it will be problematic to lay tiles on the wall.

Which row should I start laying tiles from: 1st or 2nd?

In the first case, the tiles begin to be laid from the bottom up, so the first row is laid first, then all subsequent ones. To ensure that the rows of tiles are formed evenly, before starting laying, a lath is laid on the floor in a horizontal position, for which a level is used. The bottom row is placed strictly along the rail.

In the second case, laying tiles on the wall begins from the bottom from the second row. For this purpose, a wide metal profile for plasterboard CD-60 is fixed to the wall in advance. The profile is leveled using a level and mounted on the wall. Its top shelf should be on the bottom line of the 2nd row of tiles.

To determine where the second row of tiles will be located, you need to measure the height of the tiles from the floor surface, adding the thickness of the seams, and mark the mark. If the floor surface is uneven (non-horizontal), this distance is relative to the highest place. The profile is mounted relative to the set mark. At the same time, it is attached in a strictly horizontal position so that the tiles are laid properly on the wall.

In each of the corners of the wall, a lath is nailed in a vertical position, plumb. Nails are driven into the corner slats, starting from the level of the second and subsequent rows. A nylon cord is pulled between the nails. It is used to control the horizontality of the rows.

When the entire surface is tiled, the slats are removed and tiles are laid in their place. In the case when laying tiles begins from the 2nd row using a metal profile, when the top rows of tiles are laid, metal profile is deleted. The first row of tiles is laid out at this point.

How to apply mortar or adhesive to a wall

During operation, the solution can be applied to the wall or tiles. In the latter case, using a notched trowel, the solution is applied to the bottom of the tile, after which it is applied to the wall. This method is used most often when the tiles are laid on a cement-sand mortar.

In the first case, the mortar is applied to the wall with a standard spatula, after which it is leveled with a notched trowel and tiles are laid on top. The method is used in most cases if the tiles are laid on an adhesive base.

Laying tiles on the wall with your own hands

The tile is pressed with slight force onto the wall surface so that the adhesive base is evenly distributed over the entire surface. The operation is repeated for all tile segments. Plastic crosses are inserted between the tiles to adjust the thickness of the seam between the outer tiles. The seam has a thickness of 2 to 4 mm. If you do not make a gap between the tiles, then when the temperature rises, the tiles will crack and peel off from the wall.

The laying of tiles horizontally or vertically is continuously controlled by a level. If ceramic tiles are laid on cement mortar, it is soaked in water in advance. To prevent instant absorption of water from the solution, due to which it will lose its plasticity, installation will become impossible or very difficult. There is no need to soak the tiles if an adhesive solution is used.

How to cut tiles with your own hands

Situations arise when tiles need to be cut, for example, if a whole number of tiles do not fit in a row. Used special tile cutter If it is missing, use a grinder - a special cutting wheel for ceramic tiles is used. The first step is to measure which part of the tile needs to be cut. They mark a line along which they then cut, taking into account the thickness of the slot; it depends on the thickness of the circle. To get an even cut, use a homemade ruler made of hard wood.

There are several placement methods:

Seam to seam.
At a run.
Diagonally.

The last method is the most labor-intensive and requires significant investment - all tiles adjacent to the corners are cut, including the tiles of the bottom and top rows.
By bandaging the seams, in a checkerboard pattern (staggered), it is much easier to lay the tiles; only the tiles adjacent to the wall in the corners are cut off.

Seam to seam, tiles can be laid asymmetrically or symmetrically. In the latter case, the tiles are placed in the center of the row, from this place the cladding is carried out to the right and left. In the case of asymmetrical placement, the first tile is laid in one of the corners, and a horizontal row begins from it to the corner opposite. In such a situation, the tile adjacent to one of the corners is cut. In this case, waste is minimal and the method is much simpler.

The tiles are laid in a similar sequence. Placed in the direction of the door from the far corner. To control the correctness of the masonry, pull the thread. The rows turn out to be even, parallel to each other, and do not shift. Using a level, the horizontalness of the row and each individual tile is controlled. If the room is large, use a large level or place it on a rule attached to the floor surface.

Using a notched trowel, apply an adhesive solution to the surface of the tile. The tile is shrunk with a rubber or wooden hammer until it is equal to the level of the thread. If the tile falls below this level, it is torn off and additional mortar is added.

When the tiles are laid on the insulation, a special mesh is first laid and fixed onto it. After which the surface is primed to ensure maximum adhesion of the solution or adhesive mixture.

How to choose the right grout

Very often, when they buy tiles during renovation, they do not pay the necessary attention to the choice of grout. Maybe this is explained by the fact that this is the last stage of the work, while the most difficult and large-scale work has been completed, but you want to complete it as soon as possible and see the result. Although, quite often, due to such small touches, the result of the work is not pleasing, the overall picture turns out to be spoiled. Therefore, on small details need to pay due attention. And the role of seams between tiles in creating a beautiful and reliable ceramic coating is not the least.

How to rub seams

What should be the width of the seam?

Once upon a time, determining the width of a seam was very simple. After all, for a very long time wall tiles were of much higher quality than floor tiles. The floor tiles had to withstand strong temperature changes and significant loads. All this could be compensated for with thick seams.

Cement grout

This is one of the most common and economical types of material. In most cases it is produced as a bulk substance. It must be diluted to the desired consistency with liquid latex or water. There is cement grout, which can consist only of Portland cement, or of sand and Portland cement. It also adds special means, which do not allow the appearance of dirt or mold.

Basically, simple cement grout is used for joints whose width is half a centimeter. If the seams are wider, then use a grout that contains sand. At the same time, we must not forget that it cannot be used for tiles lined with enamel. The coating can be scratched by grains of sand.

Epoxy grout

This material is characterized by more high cost, it is more difficult to apply. When applying, all proportions must be observed. The material has many advantages. For this grout, exposure to sunlight, washing chemicals. When dried, the color does not change under the influence of temperature changes and does not allow the formation of fungus.

Epoxy grout: this is what this material is commonly called. In fact, this mortar hardens much faster than ordinary cement mortar. The name “two-component” is more accurate because it consists of two parts. The first part is epoxy resin with silicon filler. The second part is a special hardener. When they are mixed, a mass is obtained with which you can perfectly seal tile joints.

Over time, this grout does not change its color, as it gives color quartz sand, not a dye. Thanks to this, you can get any desired shade, even sparkling or transparent grout in silver, gold or metallic.
Grout color range.

Tile is considered a standard finishing material for places where there is high humidity. Most people give it greater preference when it comes to renovations in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen. The latter, by the way, can be finished with other necessarily moisture-resistant materials, but tiles, nevertheless, are always present. For example, in the form of an apron (screen on the wall) in the sink area

The work of a tiler is highly valued. Professional craftsmen know what types of adhesives are best to use for laying tiles, how to lay tiles on walls so that they look beautiful, and how to calculate the material in order to buy everything you need without spending too much.

Possession of the skills of such a profession is both useful and interesting. Many people have long appreciated this fact, and if it is necessary to carry out tiling work in their home, they are in no hurry to invite craftsmen, using their own strength.

Installation of tiles on the floor and walls

Before laying tiles on the floor, it is necessary to prepare the base so that you do not have to deal with alterations later. A perfectly flat floor surface is considered high quality. Any differences must be eliminated.

The best way to get perfect surface- arrange a leveling screed. Calculation of the thickness of the screed layer should take into account the thickness of the tile. As a result, after finishing the work, opening and closing interior and entrance doors must be free and unobstructed.

Laying tiles on the floor with your own hands is a job carried out in several stages. Beginners in the business have to use various manuals and information contained on the Internet. Only later, having gotten the hang of it, as they say, they can do without tips, and before that, construction reference books and materials from construction sites become their assistants.

Particular interest is shown in the visual form of storytelling. Various videos and photos of do-it-yourself tile laying are popular. Such materials are viewed not only if you want to finish the floors, but also the walls.

As for the choice of wall surfaces as areas for cladding, the process of preparation for the main tiled covering looks similar to the floor.

The walls are cleared of old coatings and plastered to create an even layer for the tiles. Sometimes plaster seems useless and to obtain a smooth surface the walls are sheathed with sheets of plasterboard.

Laying tiles on drywall

Indeed, if the area of the room is large enough, and plastering work seems too labor-intensive, they resort to other, less complex preparatory techniques. For example, for sheathing with gypsum board sheets. The process is all the more attractive if you consider that the tiles can be attached to the surface using a special liquid glue.

Arranging the rows starts from the bottom. The properties of the glue allow the tile to quickly and firmly adhere to the surface. If tiles fall out on any part of the wall, this place can be easily restored to its original form.

Installation of tiles in bathrooms

When work is carried out independently and, moreover, for the first time, it is best not to just look for any information on the Internet or reference books, but to strive to obtain specific information. The best information would be step by step instructions laying tiles in relation to a certain type of surface base.

The most common bases are concrete, block, brick and wood. Each of them has its own instructions, which are somewhat similar to the others, but at the same time have certain differences.

Laying tiles in the bathroom is especially difficult. When renovating such a room, you need to take into account the increased number of pipes on the walls and floor, as well as plumbing equipment (bathtub, shower, and so on). The same is true when renovating a toilet.

Sometimes people don't resort to tiling back wall so as not to dismantle the toilet. The tiles are replaced with imitation screens. The same technique is used in the bathroom.

To create a beautiful appearance and avoid removing the bathtub itself, it is covered with moisture-resistant gypsum plasterboard, followed by painting or tiling, or special roller screens are installed.

In addition, in order to lay out rows evenly and avoid pressure from the next row on the previous one, plastic crosses are used, which are installed along the lines of vertical and horizontal seams.

Different types of crosses are selected for the floor and walls. For vertical laying of tiles, thinner types are used. The thicker ones go to the floor. The use of such elements helps to create clear geometric lines. In addition, after grouting the seams, the tiles have a truly finished look.

Photo of the process of laying tiles with your own hands

An instructional article for those who decided to lay tiles in the bathroom without any construction experience. The work process is described in detail: preparing the room, leveling the walls, tiling the walls with ceramic tiles. Recommendations from experienced tilers are given.

High-quality bathroom tile installation involves using the most practical finishing material that meets increased moisture resistance requirements. Bathrooms are traditionally tiled with ceramic tiles, which are highly durable, impervious to moisture and easy to clean.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with step by step instructions, and watch the video “Laying tiles on the wall with your own hands in the bathroom” so that you can complete all the work yourself at a high level and avoid possible mistakes.

List of required tools:

building level, square;
grinder and tile cutter;
metal and plastic spatulas;
mixer;
rule;
roller;
sponge for removing excess glue;
gloves, protective mask or goggles;
construction garbage bags.

Before laying tiles in the bathroom, you need to prepare all the necessary materials, choose the appropriate tile size, and most importantly, correctly calculate its quantity. If your budget allows, preference should be given to AA grade tiles, which are of the highest quality and have a minimum number of pores into which moisture can penetrate, forming mold.

Important! Tiles intended for placement on bathroom walls are marked with special hand icons, while floor tiles are marked with a foot icon.

Of course, laying large tiles is easier and faster, and the number of seams is reduced, but this option is not suitable for a small room, as it will visually make it even smaller. A medium-sized rectangular tile will “raise” the ceiling slightly.

Ceramic tiles are laid using a special cement-based adhesive or adhesive mastic. For this, a special powder tile adhesive is used, previously diluted in water.

If the cladding involves the use of small-sized tiles, then you can take a special glue without additives, but if you are laying large-sized porcelain tiles, you will need reinforced glue.

Laying tiles is more convenient and faster when using special plastic crosses, which should definitely be purchased at a hardware store - they will help make the seams even.

(As a last resort, you can use matches, but they will give a certain error, unlike plastic crosses.)

How to calculate the required number of tiles

To avoid unnecessary expenses and not to buy unnecessary material, or vice versa, in urgently Don’t run to the store for the missing quantity, you need to correctly calculate the number of tiles.

To do this, it is mandatory to take measurements of the room, taking into account the location of the washbasin, bathtub and other plumbing fixtures: it is advisable to draw a plan in compliance with the exact scale of each individual wall, and then draw on it the contours of the future tiles and calculate their exact quantity.

Advice! Buy tiles from the same batch to avoid texture differences and color mismatches.

You should take the material in reserve - laying tiles in the bathroom is not complete without trimming, in any case there will be a certain percentage of waste.

You should carry out calculations especially responsibly if you have chosen tiles with a pattern. 10% should be added to the planned amount of material (and for those who are performing work for the first time, you can safely add the entire 15%).

Stage I. Preparing a room for renovation

All furniture, mirrors and other objects that will interfere with the work are removed. The water supply is cut off; it is advisable to dismantle the plumbing, if possible;
The old covering (tiles, plastic panels, paint, etc.) is removed from the walls, which is packed into bags and taken out as construction waste;
The walls must be leveled - you can determine how smooth the wall is using a square and a level or using a plumb line. You can easily handle the application of plaster with your own hands;
The walls are primed using a roller, and after drying, beacons are attached to them leveled with wet glue (the beacons must be on the same vertical plane). After this, you need to let the surface dry completely;
The surface of the walls is re-primed, after which the solution is prepared and the tiles are laid in the bathroom.

Another option for leveling the walls is possible - laying tiles on drywall. In this case, sheets of plasterboard (moisture-resistant) are attached to the profiles, and then the tiles are directly laid on the plasterboard using an adhesive solution.

This option is much simpler and allows you to achieve the most even surface of the wall, which is necessary for the tiles to hold well and lie flat.

Stage II. Preparation of the solution

It is better to use special glue, but if you don’t have it, you can do without it.

Cement-based mortar can be easily prepared with your own hands:

take cement and sand in a ratio of 1:4;
constantly stirring the mixture with a mixer, add the required amount of water in a thin stream until a thick solution is obtained;
Construction mastic or bustylate is added to the solution, which enhances its adhesive properties.

A solution based on a dry mixture is even easier to prepare: just pour water into a container and gradually add the dry mixture until the slightest lumps disappear from the glue. It is also convenient to use a construction mixer for this.

Important! While the solution is being prepared, the tiles must be placed in water, since it reverse side instantly absorbs moisture contained in the solution. If you forget to do this, before laying the tiles in the bathroom, first wet them in a bucket of water. It is recommended to prime cheap tile products with a mixture of PVA and water in a ratio of 1:10.

Stage III. Laying tiles on the wall

Before gluing the tiles, the height is measured again, which is divided by the size of the tiles - using a tile cutter, the tiles are cut so that the cut pieces can be used below, that is, in places where they are less noticeable.
Attention! When working with a grinder or tile cutter, do not forget to wear safety glasses, a mask and gloves!
The solution is thrown onto the wall with sharp movements and leveled in a circular motion; the excess is removed by hand using a rule.

The rail is fixed at the bottom along the height of the cut tiles plus 3-5 mm for the seam, but the row itself will be laid out from a whole tile, and the trimmings will be laid at the very end, that is, after all the other rows have been laid.
Using a metal notched trowel, apply a small amount of adhesive to the tile, and then press it against the wall, turning it slightly along its axis.
Advice! After you lay the first row with your own hands, let the glue set - this will allow you not to be afraid of displacement when laying the next rows.
To achieve equal gaps between the products, plastic crosses are used - after gluing the tiles is finished, the solution is allowed to dry, and then the crosses are carefully removed.

After the bottom layer is ready, planks should be installed on its sides, checking their correct location using a level. In order not to check the level on each row, you can use a thread stretched horizontally along the height of the tiles above the row - it will become an excellent guide and will significantly speed up the laying process.

Important! If there is a break between laying rows, you should make sure that there is no mortar left on the wall - when it dries, removing it will be problematic, and the tiles will lie less firmly and risk falling off in the future.

Stage IV. Grouting tile joints

After all work is completed, the tiles are carefully cleaned of any remaining adhesive and mortar. Since the solution is still wet, you need to remove the residue very carefully, or it is better to wait until it dries and wash the surface of the tiles without risking moving the rows.

In order for the cladding to have a complete look, final stage After the mixture has completely dried, seams are necessary. It's better to give preference

Most often, laying tiles on the floor is entrusted to professional tilers and they do it for good reason. After all, the durability and beauty of the coating greatly depend on the quality of installation, and the work process itself is very complex. However, even a beginner can lay even tiles on a fairly level base with his own hands using the standard “seam to seam” pattern. The main thing is to choose the right mounting solutions and strictly follow the technology. Our step-by-step instructions with photos and a selection of useful videos will help you with this. This theory on laying tiles will also be useful to those who need to monitor and accept the work of tilers.

Materials, tools and equipment

Here is a list of materials and tools you will need during the process of laying, cutting and grouting floor tiles.

Tools and equipment:

Tape measure, metal ruler and corner;
Construction pencil for marking;
Construction level and rule;
Construction mixer or drill with a stirrer attachment;
Tile cutter or electric cutter on tiles;
Core or glass cutter (needed for curvilinear cutting of tiles);
Tile nippers (for cutting curved);
File (for sanding cut edges);
Spatula;
Notched trowel (6-8 mm);
Trowel;
Rubber spatula for grouting joints;
Rubber mallet;
Bucket with sponge and rag;
Knee pads and household items gloves.

Materials

In addition to the tile itself with a 10% margin, you will need:

Tile adhesive that matches the base material (concrete, wood, old tiles, etc.), as well as the characteristics of the tile itself;
Crosses of the desired size;
Grout the desired color;
Primer.

Step 1. Preparing the base

First you need to prepare the base so that it is level, clean and dry. It is preferable to lay tiles on concrete screed, but if desired, you can also put it on old tiles or wood, chipboard (or other similar material). However, keep in mind that installing tiles over old cladding will increase the height of the final floor.

To lay tiles on a concrete screed you need: remove possible roughness with a scraper, vacuum the floor, wash with an alkaline cleaner, then cover with a layer of primer (preferably) and wait 2-4 hours until the floor is completely dry. Further, if the concrete base is uneven (deviations of more than 5 mm per 2 linear meters), then it must be filled with some kind of leveling compound and wait until it dries.

To lay tiles on old tiles you need:

To improve the adhesion of old tiles to glue, walk over them sandpaper or a grinder;
Then the coating is vacuumed and washed, if necessary treated with a primer (drying takes 2-4 hours) and covered with a self-leveling mixture.

Attention! Laying tiles on the system heated floors, turn off the heating 1-2 days before starting work. Turn on heating or underfloor heating it is possible only 2-3 days after grouting the joints. To lay ceramic tiles on a “warm floor,” you need to use an adhesive with a high content of elastic polymers, which will prevent thermal deformation of the base.

Step 2: Drawing the Markup

Once the floor is dry, you can start drawing markings. There are many ways to draw markings, but they all have the same goal:

The floor must be marked so that, firstly, the cut tiles are not placed in plain sight; and secondly, as little pruning as possible was required. Ideally, the tiles should be cut by a third or a maximum of half.

So, for example, the markings can be constructed in such a way that entire tiles are placed at the entrance, along the axes of the window opening or, say, at the threshold balcony door. In our article we will look at one of the most popular ways of laying tiles on the floor - along two perpendicular axes from the center of the doorway.

So, draw a line from the center of the threshold to the center of the opposite wall using a cord or laser level. Further along this line, begin laying a row of tiles with crosses “dry”. After placing the last intact tile, draw a line along its outer edge so that you have two strictly perpendicular vertical lines as in the diagram below. It is advisable to use a square to make sure that the corners are right at 90 degrees.

In the corner of the perpendicular we will glue the first tile, and from it we will lay the first row (along the horizontal line).

Step 3. Laying the first tile and first row

Dilute the glue in a bucket according to the manufacturer's instructions, apply it with a spatula to one of the corners of the intersection and at the same time to the area of several tiles of the future first row, slightly going beyond its limits. Then smooth out the glue with a notched trowel, holding it at a 60-degree angle. Try to always keep the comb at the same angle so that the glue is of the same thickness.

Attention! If the tile is larger than 30×30 cm or 20×30 cm, then glue must be applied to the tile itself thin layer(apply glue to the tile and immediately remove it almost completely with the same spatula). For very large formats, the layer of adhesive on the tile can be thicker and thinned out with a notched trowel as shown in the photo below.

Then glue the second tile in the same way and level it with the first using a mallet and a rule. Make sure the tiles are level by placing a level directly on two tiles at once as shown in the photo below.

Check the height of each laid tile with the previous one. If necessary, remove excess or, conversely, add glue

Only when both tiles are aligned, insert crosses along the corners of the tiles and into the seam.

Now continue gluing the tiles in the same way until the entire first row is complete. Go over it again using the rule and check the evenness with a level.

A few rules and useful tips on installation

The subfloor and tiles must always be dry.
Try to apply glue to no more than 1 linear meter facing area at a time.
Glue that has stood for more than 30-40 minutes becomes unsuitable for use (with the exception of adhesives from some manufacturers). Therefore, try to mix the glue a little at a time.
To prevent the glue from drying to the comb, constantly soak it in water.
The crosses must be removed before the glue dries.
Lean your knees on laid tiles not advisable, as this may disrupt its flatness.
The tiles should be taken from different boxes, so the slight difference in color will not be noticeable. Before starting work, be sure to check that the tone indicated on all boxes matches.
On the back of the tile there is always a manufacturer's logo, by which you can understand where the tile is top and bottom. Sometimes tiles have a special masonry orientation indicator, which, for convenience, can be additionally marked on the end of the tile with a pencil.
Make sure to remove excess glue before it dries. It is best to remove it from the surface of the tile with a cloth soaked in solvent.

An alternative way to mark and lay the first row

Don't want to bother with markup? Then proceed the old fashioned way - start laying tiles from the most visible corner. If you are laying tiles on the floor in the kitchen, then you can start laying from the corner of the wall opposite the set, then a row of cut tiles will fall exactly under it.

More useful information You can learn how to mark and lay tiles on the floor with your own hands from this video.

Step 4. Laying the remaining rows, cutting tiles

Hurray, the first row is ready and now, using it as a guide, we can lay the second row of cut tiles (see picture below), and then all the rest.

Attention! The first row is made up of only whole tiles, cut tiles are placed later (in the diagram the “cut” row is designated as row 2).

How to cut the last floor tile adjacent to the wall? The first step is to determine its cutting line: place it on the already glued penultimate tile, put another tile on it and move it towards the wall, but not reaching the wall at a distance of one seam. Along the outer edge of this tile, draw a line on the underlying tile. This line is the cutting line.

You can cut the tiles in different ways and devices. Ideally, you should use a manual tile cutter or electric tile cutter(see photo above), if there is no such tool, then use a grinder. However, if the floor tiles are ceramic and not very thick (up to 9 mm), then you can use the old construction trick and cut them... with a regular glass cutter as shown in this video.

How to cut tiles curved? Stick on the tile to be cut masking tape to prevent the decorative layer from becoming jagged. Then use a pencil to mark a rounded cutting line, say for a pipe. Next, drill several holes along the marked rounded line using a carbide drill bit (also suitable for porcelain tiles). Finally, using wire cutters, pliers, and special tile crimpers, carefully break off the unwanted portion. Sand the cut area with a file.

Once you have covered the entire floor, make sure all the crosses are removed and leave the covering to dry for 24 hours.

You can learn how to cut floor tiles with a grinder in an L-shape, for example, under the projection of a ventilation duct, from this video.

Step 5. Grouting the joints

After 24 hours, you can start grouting the joints. To do this, first lightly wet the seams with a spray bottle or just a wet rag to improve the adhesion of the grout, and then dilute the grout mixture.

Holding a rubber trowel at an angle, apply joint compound to approximately 1 square meter. meter of floor and distribute it so that all seams are completely filled. But be careful and do not try to force the grout into the seams too much.

After 15-30 minutes, remove excess grout with a damp sponge. In the same way, continue to grout the seams on other areas of the floor, with the exception of the joints along the walls. An hour after grouting the entire floor surface, it can be washed clean using water or mild cleaning agents.