Tiling can be one of the most satisfying home DIY tasks you can carry out, but if you don’t have the right tools or prepare properly it can end up looking a little disastrous! Here are the steps we recommend you follow, with the tools you’ll need:
1. Gather the correct tools. For almost any tiling job you’ll need the same basic tools and supplies – tile adhesive, a trowel/spreader with notches, a tape measure, a spirit level, a tile cutter, tile file, tile spacers, sealant, clamp, gloves, pencil, some sponge and cloths for wiping and polishing. And – some tiles!
2. If you’ve never tiled before it’s a good idea to practice on a small area such as a washbasin splashback. It uses the same techniques but doesn’t require any tile cutting. The more obstacles in the room the more complicated the task will be.
3. Work out the best ‘centre point’ to avoid having to cut tiles too thinly in any area. Use a furring strip (a piece of timber around 1 metre long) to work this out.
4. With large areas, it’s vital that the tile rows must be exactly horizontal. If they are not then the errors will accumulate as the tiles extend across the wall and this will throw out the vertical alignment. Don’t assume that the skirting boards are perfectly horizontal.
5. Some people use a line of battens across the wall to give the tiles support while the adhesive sets. set them with partially inserted masonry nails about half a tile above the skirting board.
6. Once you’re confident everything is lined up and level, you can begin.
7. Using the notched spreader, scoop some adhesive onto the wall pressing the teeth against the wall to leave ridges.
8. Place the first tile.
9. Add a tile spacer in the corner and place the second tile. Add more tiles to complete the rows building them up.
10. To cut a tile, mark a line on tile with a pencil. You can clamp the tile and use the tile cutter to cut the tile – it’s a particularly good tool if you have to cut tiles to shape around pipes and curved lines. Use the tile file to help shape a tile if it needs it.
11. When tiling external corners, always set out the tiles so that the whole tile meets on the corner – overlapping the tiles.
12. When all the tiles are in place you can now fill in the joint lines with tile grout. Using a flexible spreader, force it into the gaps – over the tiles, smoothly and consistently. The grout lines can be smoothed using a small piece of wood.
13. Use a damp sponge or cloth to wipe the tiles before the grout dries out.
14. Allow the grout to harden completely then polish the tiles with a dry cloth.
We sell a huge range of tools that will assist your tiling job, as well as any other home DIY projects.