Start by removing all wax, grease or oil with a good,
environmentally safe chemical or cleaner. Remember that adhesives
will not adhere where oil or grease is a part of the base.
Next, plane down high spots and re-nail any
loose boards on wood floors (Fig. 1). Any rough spots will
gradually show through the floor tiles and may ruin the
appearance.
FIG. 1 - Plane down high spots and re-nail loose
boards.
If the original floor is in poor condition,
it may be necessary to cover it with sturdy plywood or un-tempered
hardboard (Fig. 2).
FIG. 2 - Cover original floor with plywood if
necessary, stagger the joints and nail every 4".
When laying a new floor, nail every 4" along
the edge and 4" apart in all directions. Stagger the panels so you
don't have four corners together. Start in the center of the panel
and work toward the edges. Use coated or ring-shanked nails, and
be sure heads of the nails are even with board level.
FIG. 3
START FROM THE EXACT CENTER OF THE
ROOM
The first run of floor tile should be started
from the exact center of the floor, so use these steps to locate the
center of the room:
Locate the exact center on each wall and mark
that center spot.
In rooms with offsets or irregularities,
ignore the irregularities in the measuring process (Fig.
3).
Hold a chalk line at the center position on
facing walls, as marked and snap it on the floor. The exact center
will be marked at the point where the two lines cross. The example
in Fig. 3 shows a room 15'10" x 14' with a slight
offset.
To check for accuracy, measure 3' in one
direction and 4' in the opposite (90°) direction. When measured
from true center, the distance from the 3' marking to the 4' point
will be exactly 5'. If this is not the case, remeasure and rechalk
each wall to find the true center. This is essential for a quality
finish.
FIG. 4 - Lay loose tiles along chalk
lines.
MAKE A FINAL CHECK WITH LOOSE
TILE
Start at the center point and lay loose tiles
along marked lines from center, as shown in Fig. 4. This procedure
provides an opportunity to make adjustments if the center is not
correctly marked.
After you have laid a full run of loose tiles
along the chalk lines toward each wall (Fig. 4), measure the
remaining distance between the edge of the last tile and the wall
on each run.
FIG. 5 - If distance is more than 8" or less than
2", remark.
If the distance between the last tile and the
wall is less than two inches or more than eight inches, you will
end up with an extremely narrow cut of tile (Fig.
5).
FIG. 6 - Move center line 4 -1/2" closer to
parallel wall and remark.
To correct, adjust the center
line that is parallel to the wall by 4-1/2" (half a tile) closer to the wall
and remark (Fig. 6).
FIG. 7 - Examine pattern or grain when planning
layout.
PREPARE THE PLAN FOR TILE
APPLICATION
Open all cartons of tiles that are to be
used. Conveniently arrange them so you select tiles out of each
carton on an alternating basis. This will help to prevent any
noticeable color variation in tiles boxed together.
Next, study the tile patterns and plan your
laying pattern. If the tiles are all one color, plan the pattern
according to the grain (Fig. 7).
FIG. 8 - Many designs can be created
with tiles.
You may choose to alternate the run of the
patterns (as shown), or you may decide to lay patterns in one
direction. Whichever pattern you choose, it is critical to plan in
advance.
For tiles of varying colors, plan your design
carefully before applying the first tile (Fig. 8). This will
influence your selection of starting tiles.
FIG. 9 - Apply adhesive to one-quarter of the
floor.
APPLY THE TILE CEMENT
The next step–now that you have correctly
marked the center of the room and selected the tile designs and
patterns–is applying the adhesive for the tile. If you are using
self-sticking tile, skip this section.
Read all instructions for the product and
follow carefully. Begin by spreading an even coat of adhesive over
one-fourth of the floor. Most adhesives are applied with a notched
trowel (Fig. 9), but some are still applied with a brush or
roller.
FIG. 10 - Let dry until tacky. Cement should dry a
little longer if it sticks to your thumb.
In most cases, floor tile cement will dry to
the proper consistency in about 15 minutes. However, your exact
time may vary depending on humidity, temperature, etc., in the
room where you are applying the tile.
After about 15 minutes, place your thumb onto
the cement (Fig. 10). The cement should feel tacky but should not
actually stick to your thumb. If it does stick, allow a little
longer for proper drying.
When tacky but not sticky, the cement is
ready for the application.
FIG. 11 - Start at center. Lay tiles row by row to
one wall.
LAY THE FLOOR TILES
Start laying the tile at your markings in the
center of the floor (Fig. 11). It is important that the first tile
is exactly square with the lines. If the first tile is started
wrong, all other tiles will also line up
incorrectly.
Be sure each tile is butted firmly against
the previous one, leaving no gaps.
Do not attempt to slide tiles into place. Lay
each tile firmly into position on the cement.
FIG. 12 - Lay tiles alternately toward each wall to
enhance the appearance.
Proceed by laying tiles alternately,
according to your plan, toward each wall as illustrated in Fig.
12. This helps to counteract expansion and contraction of the
tiles while enhancing the appearance.
FIG. 13 - After field tiles are down, measure, cut
and lay edge tiles.
To cut the border tile easily and accurately,
place a loose tile squarely over the last field tile in the row
(Fig. 13). Then take another tile, butt it against the wall and
mark, as illustrated. Cut the tile along the marked line using
ordinary scissors. In a cold room, you should warm tiles slightly
before cutting.
FIG. 14 - Border tile will fit exactly into
place.
The cut tile will now fit securely into the
border space. Be sure this tile is placed face-up and at right
angles to the grain of the tile below it. This ensures the correct
pattern when it is laid (Fig. 14).
FIG. 15 - Make paper pattern for cuts around
pipes.
When it becomes necessary to fit tiles around
pipes or other obstructions, simply cut a paper pattern that fits
around such obstructions and trace the pattern on the tiles. Then
cut with ordinary scissors (Fig. 15) and place around
obstruction.
FIG. 16 - Vinyl cove base is sometimes
added.
You may want to consider adding a vinyl cove
base of matching or contrasting color (Fig. 16) to add to the
appearance and to make the floor easier to clean.
Do not
wash your new tile floor for at least one week after
installation.
