Renovation is always accompanied by the anticipation of joy and change for the better. What can cheer you up like a refreshed interior, especially when it comes to the bathroom? New sparkling plumbing fixtures, trendy lighting fixtures, stylish cabinets, brightly tiled walls - after visiting such a room, you can feel an unprecedented surge of energy. However, initial enthusiasm does not always mean a great result.
Many, trying to save money, decide to lay the tiles in the bathroom on their own. Nevertheless, there are so many nuances in this work that even after reading various instructions and guides for working with tiles or consulting with professionals, it is very difficult to cope with "excellent". The result of this amateur performance can be very deplorable: crooked rows, uneven or too wide seams, or even worse - obvious inconsistencies at the corners and tiles crumbling after a month or two. And the worst thing is that you can fix it only by knocking down the entire tile and putting it down again. To prevent this from happening, you can hire professionals - or take into account how to properly lay the tiles in the bathroom. First of all, you need to understand what mistakes can be made at various stages of installation and try to avoid them.
The most common mistakes
Laying tiles in the toilet and in the bathroom is quite difficult: the work can go to waste due to the slightest error. If the tile is uneven, crumbling or not joining, it may be due to the following errors:
Attention. Another common mistake is trying to start the installation by measuring from the tiles already laid on the floor. If the floor has not been pre-leveled, the curvature will go to the walls.
It is actually not difficult to avoid the errors listed above: it is enough to conscientiously treat the repair and take into account every little thing.
Working by the rules: important points when tiling a bathroom
Despite the apparent complexity, it is quite possible to lay the tiles in the bathroom yourself, and it is not forbidden to use step-by-step instructions for this. However, no matter what walls and materials you have to work with, you should definitely follow fairly simple rules.
Rule # 1 Quality materials are the key to success
Saving on tiles or glue is not a good idea. Let the tiles and building materials cost a little more, but the beauty and strength will remain for many years.
Rule # 2 Thorough surface preparation - do not ignore!
Need a flawless result? It is only possible on a flat wall. Therefore, you should take your time and properly prime, and, if necessary, spat the walls or even make a concrete floor screed. You can start working only after all materials applied to the floor and walls have dried.
Rule number 3 Level, level and again level
Precision is the most important prerequisite when working with tiles. In order for the tile to lay down perfectly, you need to use a level. It will be required constantly when:
- Angle checks between wall and floor;
- Surface flatness estimates;
- Laying quality checks to prevent "wall collapse";
- Perfect fit when cutting and joining corners.
A laser level capable of making measurements in two planes will significantly save time, but a regular bubble level is quite suitable for a single work. The main thing is to take measurements regularly.
Rule # 4 Only up
Professional craftsmen have no questions about whether to start laying tiles from above or from below: they do an excellent job in both cases. Those who are far from the title of guru do not have to choose: the tiles should be laid strictly from the bottom up, and in the following sequence:
- Measure the angle between the wall and the floor according to the level;
- Measure between the wall and the floor a distance equal to about half of the tile;
- Mark this gap along the entire wall by drawing a line with a marker or attaching a wooden batten to the selected level;
- Lay out a row of tiles with the bottom edge along the marked line;
- Lay out the lowest row of tiles, trimming them according to the curvature of the floor.
With this method of installation, the visible rows of tiles will look flawlessly even, and the possible unevenness of the bottom row will easily disappear behind the baseboard or plumbing.
Advice. To maintain an even seam, use plastic crosses. They come in different sizes - millimeter ones are suitable for thin seams, wide ones will be obtained using 2.5 mm crosses.
Rule # 5 Angle - Any. Gender - perfect
As mentioned above, the floor under the tiles must be perfectly level. When all the work on leveling the surface has been done, it remains to determine how to properly lay the tiles on the floor: if for professionals the reference angle does not play a special role, then when laying with your own hands it is important to do the following:
- Carefully measure the perpendicularity of the walls and floor;
- Draw the floor into squares and calculate the sequence of laying the tiles;
- Start laying out the tiles from the most visible corner, gradually moving towards the center of the room;
- When the floor is fully tiled, mask the small gaps between the wall and the floor by inserting cut tiles.
Thus, a beautiful pattern will be obtained on the visible part of the floor, and the corners will be carefully masked.
Rule # 6 An even angle is good, but an uneven one is bad!
To avoid ugly joints that can ruin the whole look of the bathroom, adjust the tiles in the corners as follows:
- Start laying from the most visible wall;
- Lay out the corners of the adjoining walls with cut tiles;
- Carefully remove the seam under the profile or grout.
If the installation started from a side wall, it is best to trim the tiles symmetrically on both sides to meet the visible corners.
Rule # 7 Clay - don't be sorry!
In order for the tile to stand as firmly as possible, it is advisable to apply the glue with a notched trowel around the entire perimeter of the tile and properly coat the center. When laying on a wooden floor, it is also advisable to apply a layer of glue to its surface.
Attention. The amount of adhesive applied must be carefully controlled: too thin will create voids, too thick will not allow the tile to firmly adhere to the surface.
Rule number 8 One, two, three - three, three, three!
Beautiful seams will make the wall decoration neat and attractive. But for this it is important to take into account the following nuances:
- Grout will fit better on slightly damp tile edges;
- The tiles must be perfectly clean before grouting;
- You can work with diluted material only for the first 20 minutes;
- When grouting, the trowel or float is kept at an angle of 90 °;
- Seams should be filled as tightly as possible;
- Best of all, excess grout is washed off 5-7 minutes after application.
The main thing is not to try to grasp the immensity. Tiles should be rubbed slowly, in small areas - in this case, the result will be much better.
It is obvious that the correct installation of tiles in the bathroom is not so much difficult as painstaking work. However, all efforts will certainly be rewarded: evenly laid tiles will delight the eye with a bright pattern, neat seams and exceptional strength for more than one year.
We offer you to watch the video of Anatoly Aristov: