How to Lay Ceramic Tiles

Now you have all of the materials and tools you can think about the tiling process to begin with you will need to buy your ceramic tiles now if you haven't already it would be a good idea to measure how much area you need to cover with your ceramic tiles and this will allow you to work out how many ceramic tiles you need to buy to cover all of the area.

A lot of ceramic tiles will come in packs of 5 or 6 so make sure you take this into account and also be aware you will likely have to cut some of your ceramic tiles so make sure you buy some extra just in case you do have to cut some of them this will ensure you still have enough tiles to cover all of the area and you do not have to go out and buy more ceramic tiles at a later date.

Once you have bought your ceramic tiles you can think about preparing your floor ready to lay your ceramic tiles this can be done in a range of ways. Of course the important thing is to remember you will need to ensure your floor is level failing to do this will result in your ceramic tiles been wonky.

Laying ceramic tiles onto a wooden flooring can also be very tricky and will also mean you have to do some work to your flooring before you can simply lay your ceramic tiles to begin with you will need to add some plywood on top of your floor boards this will likely need to be around 13mm depending on your floor surface.

Of course having to make the above adjustments will also mean you will need to make some changes to the type of tile adhesive you plan on using to stick your ceramic tiles down with. Have a good look around and ask for some advice when you go to buy your adhesive they will be able to advise you on the best adhesive for the type of floor surface you will be laying your ceramic tiles on to.

Now you have prepared your floor ready to lay your ceramic tiles you will need to position your ceramic tiles but make sure you do not add any adhesive just yet this is simply to see how your ceramic tiles will fit. The best idea is to start laying your ceramic tiles from the middle of the room and work outwards so to begin with place a tile in the middle and then add some tile spaces and then carry on adding ceramic tiles until you meet the edge and need to cut some of your ceramic tiles down.

You might think this is an odd way of laying your ceramic tiles but it actually helps keep your design symmetrical and will make the whole process a lot easier as you will not have half tiles in the middle of your floor they will be on the outside of the room this will also ensure you have the best chance of been able to lay your ceramic tiles quickly.

When you reach the edge of your room you will probably notice you will need to cut your tiles, to begin with simply mark your ceramic tiles on the back with a pencil and then draw a straight line down your tile. This will give you a better chance of been able to lay your floor all at the same time without having to keep stopping to cut all of your edging tiles.

Now you have done the above you can think about laying your ceramic tiles this should be a lot easier now considering you have marked all the tiles and also cut all the edges you should be able to simply lay them and wait for them to dry.

To begin simply apply some adhesive onto your flooring remembering you should have a special brand if you are laying your ceramic tiles onto plywood. Only apply adhesive onto a small area of your floor at any one time this will ensure you have the best chance of been able to lay your ceramic tiles without any issues.

Once you have laid the middle ceramic tile you will need to add some tile spacers around your tile and then you can lay the next tile and so on until you reach the edge of your room then you will need to use the pre-cut pieces which you marked early to lay onto your floor. As you are laying your ceramic tiles use a spirit level to keep your floor tiles level.

Before you lay your edge tiles you should try and let your other ceramic tiles dry for 24 hours this will give you a better chance of been able to tile the floor properly and will also ensure you do not move any of the other ceramic tiles when you are laying your edging tiles.
If you haven't as yet cut your edge tiles you will need to do this now as stated before mark your ceramic tiles with a pencil and then make a straight line and cut using your tile cutter, always remember not to cut your ceramic tile to the exact space you will be tiling as you will need to add adhesive and some sealant.

Again once you have laid your ceramic tiles around the edge of your room leave it all for 24 hours and then come back so you can lay the grout onto all of your ceramic tiles. Leaving your tiles to dry properly isn't 100% necessary but it will make the whole process a lot easier.

To grout all of your ceramic tiles you will need to mix up some grout and then spread it over all of your ceramic tiles using a grout spreader. You will need to stick around and go over all of your grout with a striking tool just as the grout is about to set and then you will need to wipe down all of your ceramic tiles to ensure you do not have grout all over your tiles.

As we will be laying the ceramic tiles within the bathroom or kitchen it will be a good idea to ensure you seal your ceramic tiles with some waterproof sealant, again make sure you leave your ceramic tiles to properly dry before you begin to walk on your tiles. That's it you now have a nice new ceramic tile floor.