5 easy steps to laying floor tiles

You may have purchased porcelain or ceramic floor tiles in Perth at a discounted price, but hiring a professional tiler can cost quite some money. If you’re up for it, laying tiles yourself is not as difficult as you may think. All you need are some tools, time and patience. And if you haven’t purchased floor tiles in Perth yet, head to our store at Ross’s and come see me. As the head of purchasing, I’ll offer you a great deal on tile prices!

Before you continue reading, be sure you read last month’s post “5 easy steps to master DIY tiling”, as this post picks up where I left off. Today, I put forth 5 easy steps to laying floor tiles. By following these steps, you’ll lay out your floor tiles just like a professional would!

1. Prepare and clean the floor surface

First things first; when laying tiles yourself, you must remember that your tiling job will only be good if you prepare and clean the floor surface thoroughly. No matter what type of floor surface you’re laying tiles on, the surface should be level, sound and clean of any dust or debris. When you remove existing flooring, make sure to scrape off all mortar and adhesives. To keep the surface flat, fill low spots with concrete patching. If you have wooden flooring, make sure that the floor is rigid, dry and attached securely to joists. Once you’ve prepared the floor, you can proceed to laying out your floor tiles.

2. Cut tiles according to the floor layout

Customers that come into our showroom in Perth, often ask for tips on how to cut tiles properly. If you have decent equipment, cutting tiles is a fairly straightforward task. Tools such as wet saws and scoring cutters can be used to cut away tiles in different shapes. Before you proceed to cutting floor tiles, make sure to take careful measurements according to your floor plan. Measure distances from the wall and remember to keep space for grouting. Mark out the measurements on the floor and on tiles before you cut them into shape. If you’re cutting tiles for the first time, I recommend that you practice on a couple of tiles before taking up the entire job.

3. Lay the tiles

Once you’ve prepared the floor and cut your floor tiles, most of the difficult work is done. Laying floor tiles is quite simple, provided you have proper measurements in place. You will need to prepare a mortar mix which will hold the tiles down. Use a paddle to create mortar mix of uniform consistency. Remember – this mix dries up in about 15 to 20 minutes, so you need to prepare only enough mix for laying tiles in this period. Make sure to spread out the mix evenly and press tiles into place. Keep some space between the tiles for grouting by making use of plastic spacers. As you go along, check the alignment to make sure that the tiles are straight and level.

4. Grout the tiles

Grouting is not a difficult task, but I always tell my customers that good grouting makes a huge difference to the finish of tiles. For this reason, it’s a good idea to look at the range we offer here at Ross’s. Once the floor tiles have been laid in place, fill in the joins with grout. Remember to clean the joints of any dust and debris before filling in grout. Use unsanded grout on smaller joints (less than 1/8 inch) and sanded grout on the larger joints. Make use of a rubber float to apply the grout, dragging it at a 45 degree angle. Allow the grout to set and wipe off excess grout with a wet sponge. After the grout hardens, seal the grout with a foam brush or an applicator bottle.

5. Clean the floor thoroughly and you’re done!

After you’ve followed all the steps I’ve listed above, you’re basically done with your tiling. All you have to do is to clean the finished floor thoroughly, removing dirt, smears, residue cement and silicon leaching. It is advisable to do the cleaning 5 to 7 days after laying the tiles as this time will allow the grout and tiles to set in properly. You only need a wet sponge or a mop to clean the floor and you’re done! You will have laid your floor tiles like a professional tiler!

Conclusion:

Floor tiles in Perth can be costly, which is why many of our customers opt to lay their own tiles. Laying tiles is not as difficult as you think. All you need is some patience, time and tools on hand and you can do a professional grade tiling job on your own. To start off with, you must prepare and clean the floor surface before laying out the tiles. Make sure to remove all dirt and debris and ensure that your floor surface is level at all points. Once you’re done cleaning, cut out the tiles according to the floor layout. Use a wet saw or a scoring cutter for cutting tiles accurately. After the tiles have been cut, proceed to preparing a mortar mix and lay the tiles on them. Remember to use plastic spacers between tiles to keep space for grouting. Allow the tiles to set in and then grout the joints between tiles. Use sanded or unsanded grout and apply it with a rubber float uniformly across all the joints. Let the grout and the tiles set in for 5 to 7 days and then clean the floor thoroughly with a wet sponge or a mop. With this, you will have laid out tiles just like a professional would!

For high quality floor tiles in Perth at discounted prices, head to our store at Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We have an extensive selection of tiles and grout for you to choose from. If you have any doubts or queries regarding tiles or how to lay them properly, do not hesitate to give us a call. Our expert staff will offer you all the help and advice you need.