Tile Floor Installers Toronto: A Guide to Installing Tile Floors
Of course, it will take quite a bit of patience, time and energy to install a beautiful tile floor. Many people simply do not have the time it takes to complete a job like this and they prefer to hire a professional tile installation company. Precision Marble and Tile has been trusted in Toronto for over 20 years and has a stellar reputation for true craftsmanship and excellent customer service. We pride ourselves on creating spaces that you will love. We work with all types of tile and also install heated floors. Visit us online today to view images and videos of before and after jobs as well as read customer reviews. We always offer free estimates.
Installing a tile floor in your home is almost always a good decision; tile is beautiful, durable, and can increase the value of your home. Installing the tile floor yourself can prove to be difficult and time consuming, in which case you may choose to hire a professional company such as Precision Marble and Tile of Toronto.
If you do decide to install the tile floor yourself, the following is a quick reference guide to the steps of tile floor installation.
Remove all baseboards, moldings, and existing floor coverings on wood floors.
Ensure that the existing floor is both stable and level. If the floor is not stable and gives when you walk across it, the tiles will end up breaking when you walk on them. If the floor is not level to begin with the floor will need to be pulled up and re-laid.
For existing wood floors, stabilize your floor by setting and adding nails in the existing sub floor, sistering the floor joists underneath the floor and adding bridging between the joists. For floors that are uneven, watch this video to show how to level a concrete floor using dry pack cement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWYyWYLo3y8
On the stabilized floor you will attaché a cement backer board and fasten it with the manufacturer recommended glue. You will then nail the backer board into the floor joists with 2” galvanized nails.
Lay tiles down to test that all doors open with the new floor height prior to installing any tiles.
Determining the layout prior to installation is very important. Remember that you want as many full tiles as possible in the center of the room with the tiles along the walls as similar as possible in size and cut to give the room a balanced feel. To help with this you should make two chalk lines that intersect in the middle of the room, one running the length of the room and the other running the width.
Lay tiles along these lines to ensure that the floor will look balanced, and then work off these lines to lay the rest of the floor. Be sure to use spacers between tiles to leave enough room for the grout. Adjust the tiles until you are satisfied with the layout and appearance of the floor.
Mix your thin set cement to a consistency similar to peanut butter. Use a notched trowel to spread the cement for your first few tiles. Only do a few tiles at a time and work hard to have perfectly straight lines.
Install your ceramic tile into the thinset cement with firm downward pressure. Tap the tile into place with a rubber mallet at all four corners as well as in the center of the tile. Put spacers between the tiles to ensure you leave room for tile grout.
Start in the center of the room and work your way out to the walls. The cut tiles and border tiles should be the last to be installed.
Of course, it will take quite a bit of patience, time and energy to install a beautiful tile floor. Many people simply do not have the time it takes to complete a job like this and they prefer to hire a professional tile installation company. Precision Marble and Tile has been trusted in Toronto for over 20 years and has a stellar reputation for true craftsmanship and excellent customer service. We pride ourselves on creating spaces that you will love. We work with all types of tile and also install heated floors. Visit us online today to view images and videos of before and after jobs as well as read customer reviews. We always offer free estimates.
Tile Floor Installation
Ceramic Tile Floor Installation
Heated Tile Floor Installation
Bathroom Tile Floor Installation
Travertine Tile Floor Installation
Slate Tile Floor Installation
Stone Tile Floor Installation
Porcelain Tile Floor Installation
Marble Tile Floor Installation
Kitchen Tile Floor Installation
Understanding Tile Installation Methods
Home owners don’t understand when a contractor quotes a project what’s involved. The price per square foot between a Ceramic tile and a Granite tile varies, one of the reasons would be a Ceramic tile can be cut with a tile cutter which does not take much time to do. A Granite tile on the other hand needs to be cut with a water saw which takes a lot longer. Size is another difference in price.
Installing Granite or Stone on top of existing Ceramic tiles can be difficult, Granite and Stone are much heavier than Ceramic, and makes it difficult for the installer to even the tiles as they will begin to sink making it hard to level.
Wire mesh and Dry pack Leveling
This system is the number one floor preparation system in the world. By this I mean every floor in a house especially the basements are never straight. With bigger tiles (12”, 2’or 3’ feet) tiles, it’s extremely important to have a straight floor. Drypack is Portland cement and concrete sand mixed at a 1 to 4 or more with a little bit of water not making it to liquidy but damp. This is a very skilled application which an expert would be qualified to perform. If you are planning to install heated floors or need to raise your floors to ensure they are flush with you’re a joining rooms, this application is the best way to go. Contractors, Designers and Custom Home builders find this process to be a life saver as well as a money saver. In the long run Wire mesh and Dry pack Leveling makes your floors stronger and straighter.
Secret of Quality Showers and Tub surrounds
Before installing any tile whether it be Ceramic, Porcelain Natural Stone, Marble or Granite etc., it is important to pick a water proofing board, whether it be green or grey, water proofing material must be applied. Ask your professional installer for the different methods of water proofing. For a long lasting shower or tub make sure the boards are properly screwed tight to the studs, allowing no flexibility. This is very important for the long life of your tiles. Next is using high end wall glue and floor mixes. Ask your installer to pick the best of the best, do not go cheap. If the materials are not strong enough they will allow your walls to brake down sooner.
Installing Bathroom Wall and Floor Tiles
Squaring a floor or walls takes a certain skill, line need to be snapped with a choke line or draw a pencil line with a level. Apply your mortar or adhesive with the flat part of your trowel. Then with the notch end spread the mortar. The bigger the tile the bigger the notch should be, from one quarter to half an inch. Spread and follow your lines, once you have done one line, nice and straight you can start adding your spacers. This will allow each joint to be even, and consistent. Once you get to the end of your wall or floor, cut your tile, either with a tile cutter or a water saw. Follow these steps until you have finished your walls or floors. Allow 24 hours before grouting; make sure nobody walks on the floors.
Grouting Walls and Floors
Once you have picked the color of your grout, make sure you know where to put the sanded or unsanded grout. If you have a ceramic type tile, the grout joints tend to be one eighth or bigger, so you must use sanded grout. The reason for this is there is silica sand in the grout which allows your joint to remain fuller and higher between the tiles leaving you a better finish. We tend to use un sanded grout with tighter joints, like Granite, marble, travertine (the stone family of tiles). The joints are usually smaller. The un sanded grout is creamier which allows it to penetrate deeper in between the tiles. Sometimes we are forced to use un sanded grout because sanded grout might scratch the softer stone family of tiles. When grouting use a rubber flout only. Mix grout according to the manufactures instructions, making sure it is not to hard or to liquid. Spread on a forty five degree angle, leave for two or three minutes then with a sponge and a pale of luke warm water gently start washing the excess grout making sure your sponge stays flat. You will have to repeat these steps until all the excess grout is off the tiles. Allow 24 hours to dry before using any sealers.
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