Five Tips for Tiling Your Home
Tiling your home may be one of the most exciting yet challenging parts of the interior design. Tiling surfaces can be particularly tedious, for experts and amateurs alike. Thankfully, certain methods of tiling will garner better results with half the struggle. To facilitate your work, we have collected insightful tips that will make your tiling process less of a strain.
1. Assessing Your Tiles To avoid the common bad surprises that come with the bulk buying of tiles, it is advised you play around with them prior to tiling. You may want to pull random tiles out of all the boxes you have ordered (of the same tile) and place them next to each other on the floor. This way, you will notice even the slightest color variations, which can be fine to handle with early awareness (through pattern creation or simply product-returning) but can be a pain once the installation process has begun.
2. Acquiring The Right Tools It is imperative you do not underestimate how much your equipment may define the quality of your work, and your ease in performing it, so it’s important to obtain the correct tiling tools. You will need the following: - A wet tile saw - Superflex grout - A chalk line - A rubber mallet - Plastic buckets - A grout sponge - A tape measure - A hammer - Rubber gloves
3. Planning The Process Plan your ability to navigate through your space mid-work prior to mixing any mortar. You will need to pile up tiles next to your work-station to avoid having to go back and forth to the box after every tile placement. Also have a wet sponge by your side at all times to clean up any mess soon as it occurs to minimize any possible staining.
4. Grouting
It is essential you grout your tiles to make your work look clean and finished. You will require a grouting rubber float to smooth the Superflex grout into any cracks and crevices that may have formed during the installation. You may also use your gloved fingers, which can be just as effective in performing the task. Remember to repeatedly wash the sponge (after 2-3 uses) to avoid the forming of bumps and an uneven application.
5. Sealing The Tiles Your tiles will need protection after their application. While most tiles aren’t porous, water can be absorbed by grout and unless the tile is sealed, moisture will be absorbed and lead to staining. You will need to frequently seal your grout (every year) to ensure your tiles remain good as new. Manufacturer labels will guide you in choosing the right sealer to use for your texture of tiles. For more information about tiling your house or to view a large variety of tiles, visit http://www.uktilesales.co.uk/.