How to Tile a Floor - Laying Floor Tiles

Ceramic floor tiles look great and provide a hardwearing, waterproof surface for a kitchen, hall or bathroom or conservatory.

However, although it must be said laying floor tiles isn't a job for the complete novice a competent amateur do it yourself enthusiast should be able to tackle laying plain ceramic or quarry floor tiles.

Firstly take your time and work carefully and methodically remembering that the key is preparation and planning.

Make sure your surfaces are suitable; the surface must be smooth, level and dry. Any existing wooden floorboards should be covered with 12mm (1/2in) exterior grade plywood sheets screwed down to form a level working surface. Concrete floors are of course the perfect base but before you commence work check that there is a damp-proof course. If not you should have one installed before starting work. You will need to fill any rough, ragged or uneven areas in the concrete with a self-levelling compound.

Plan the layout of your tiles so you know where they will all go before you even think about laying the first one. It is best to lay them out in the room to see how it will look. Pay close attention to corners, fitted cabinets, baths and toilets etc. You must remember that the tiles need to be laid out so that any part tiles do not show up in highly visible areas. Laying floor tiles around those areas where cuts are necessary is the trickiest part of tiling but if you take your time, measure and cut carefully, you should be able to get excellent results.

As already stated the secret of successful diy tiling is to spend time working out the tile positions - this is called setting out. First mark the mid-points of the longest wall and that is most visible from all the others and repeat for the adjacent shorter wall. Make chalk lines from each of the marks you have made so that you have a pair of lines that cross. . These lines should be perpendicular to each other. A chalk snap line is an inexpensive way to "draw" a long line between two points, when a ruler is not feasible. First, shake up the chalk inside the snap line tool (or add chalk if it doe not have any). Then, hook one end of the chalk snap line to your beginning point. If you have a well-functioning chalk snap line, you can slowly play out the line without using the crank. If the line plays out with difficulty, then be sure to use the crank to reduce the strain on the line. The way to get an accurate chalk line is having the chalk line pulled very tight when you snap it, as the more tension is on the string when you pull it up the more precise the line will be when you let go. Make sure the line is firmly resting against the floor surface. If there is any gap between the line and the surface, then it will not work. Hold back the line one inch as if drawing back the string for a bow and arrow. Let go: that is your "snap." Once you have completed this, make two marks with a pencil outlining the most central tile where the two perpendicular reference lines intersect.

Once you have completed this task layout some of the tiles along the perpendicular lines and observe if they run out in a way that will limit cutting. Once this is completed, remove the tiles and prepare for the actual installation.

Laying floor tiles or any diy tiling can be quite a daunting prospect and it's quite easy to make a complete mess of it. For complete peace of mind if you do not feel confident about tackling the work yourself call in professional tiling contractors.

Calling in a professional to help with your tiling work might not be as expensive as you think. If you would like to get a better idea of the cost of professional to help with your tiling jobs visit http://www.lptiling.co.uk Having problems with Laying floor tiles? Why not contact us now, we can help.

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