How to lay tiles on a wall: step-by-step debriefing from an experienced craftsman. How to lay tiles correctly: step-by-step instructions, photos and videos

Tiling of walls and floors has become an almost indispensable element in the arrangement of a home. Particularly demanding in this regard are auxiliary premises, such as a bathroom, a toilet, a kitchen. And it's not only the ease of maintenance of surfaces, but also the ability to arrange decorative trim using various patterns of paintings or mosaic panels. This design is always presentable and beautiful. In this article, we will tell you in detail how to lay tiles with your own hands.

Preparatory work

Even having thoroughly mastered the technology of facing, you can spoil any idea by choosing the wrong facing material.

In this article, we will try to draw attention to a number of features of this process in order to avoid a similar situation.

Like any construction operation, the installation of a topcoat on walls and floors requires a certain sequence of actions, on the precise implementation of which the final result depends. The technology describing how to lay tiles might look like this:

Preparing the walls

Before laying tiles on the wall, you must:

• remove the old wall covering, if it is the same material - it is alternately pryed with a spatula and torn off, the remnants of the old adhesive must be carefully removed. Old paint need to be treated with a special solution, after a few hours it will swell up and can be removed with a scraper. If the paint still remains on the walls, you need to heat it up with a construction hairdryer (up to 600 degrees) and remove;
• make an audit of the quality of the coating, cut the cracks, cover them with putty, along with the slaughter. When plaster mortar hardens, grind the repair places with an emery cloth;
• apply a layer of primer to the surface. It can be prepared from tile glue by diluting a glass of the mixture in 8 - 10 liters of water. Special attention need to be paid to the elimination of oil and greasy stains from the surface, if any;
• measure the deviations of the angles from the vertical, if possible, eliminate their curvature and deviations. To do this, you can use plaster, a popular way is to install a waterproof plasterboard.

Deleting old tiles can become a serious problem due to the high complexity of the process. Therefore, many consider the question, is it possible to lay tiles on tiles? With regard to wall decoration, one can say unequivocally - this method of cladding is not used. The reason for this is the low adhesion of adhesives to the glossy front surface of the old coating. Of course, you can choose an adhesive for such a case, but there is no guarantee that the tightening forces of such adhesives will not break the old adhesive layer and both layers will not fall off.

An option is possible when you can lay the tiles on the tiles on the floor, but at the same time the SNiP requirement must be observed, indicating that the floor level in the bathroom should be 10-15 mm lower than in the adjoining rooms. And the thickness of porcelain stoneware or tiled flooring of the 4th category of tile strength, together with the adhesive layer, will be about 20 mm.

Selection of tools and accessories

For wall cladding with tiles you will need:

• container for glue;
• a nozzle and a drill for stirring it;
• glass cutter and grinder - tile cutting;
• trowel - for applying glue to the wall, cladding;
• notched spatulas - for leveling the composition on surfaces;
• construction level;
• a set of crosses and wedges for positioning tiles at the installation site;
• rubber mallet - for aligning parts along the plane;
• rubber spatula - for leveling and removing excess grout;
• foam sponge - for cleaning tiles from glue residues, grouting during work;
• roulette;
• ruler and marker for marking parts before cutting;
• flat and round file (semicircular) - for processing break-off surfaces and holes for communications;
• core drills for making holes.

Other tools may be needed, such as wire cutters or pliers to break off thin sections.

Calculator of the required number of tiles

The article will help to independently master the art of wall and floor cladding with tiles of any person who is not even particularly versed in construction, will help him overcome all the difficulties that any novice tiler undoubtedly experiences.

Tiling work has always been quite expensive, and not everyone can afford to hire a good tiler, whose work will cost you about the same as buying a tile. Why not learn how to lay the tiles yourself, thus saving the precious family budget?

Laying tiles is painstaking work that requires high precision and scrupulousness. Any inaccuracy made at the initial stage of the work will affect later, and will be reflected throughout the work. Therefore, if you are a restless person, and are not used to doing everything carefully, then you better not tackle the laying of tiles, and use others. But if you feel a hidden potential in yourself, which only a lack of knowledge prevents you from realizing, then this article will help you fill this gap in the best way possible, and will tell you in detail how to lay the tiles yourself.

Required tool

To work on laying tiles, we need the following tool:

1. Construction mixer (electric drill with attachment);
2. Building level (preferably two: long and short);
3. Notched spatula (comb with a tooth height of about 8 - 12 cm);
4. Tile cutter (can be replaced with a glass cutter);
5. Small "grinder" with a smooth diamond circle;
6. Ballerina with carbide tips (for round holes).

Materials (edit)

Materials will be needed:

1. Tiled glue;
2. Grout for joints;
3. Tiled distance crosses and wedges (for forming expansion joints);
4. Tile.

Surface preparation

It is necessary to lay the tiles on the perfectly prepared flat surface... Such a surface can be a wall leveled (built) with plasterboard, or a wall plastered over lighthouses (a floor with even screed). How to properly plaster a wall is described in detail in the article "How to plaster walls yourself".

Before starting work, the surface must be cleaned of dust and thoroughly primed with a deep-penetrating primer. I deliberately miss the option with uneven walls or the floor, since in practice I have already made sure that it is much easier and cheaper to pre-plaster the wall and make a semi-dry screed on the floor than later spend large sums of money on glue overruns and try to "catch" the level with tiles.

If on the floor the tiles are normally laid on any layer of glue, then on the wall the tiles, laid on a thick layer, begin to "float", and it becomes very difficult to achieve an even surface. And the consumption of glue from one bag for about 8-10 square meters sometimes grows up to one bag per square meter.

Styling

So, the walls are even, primed twice - we start laying the tiles: I advise you to start from the walls, since in the process of work, the tiles laid primarily on the floor can get very dirty, and construction debris will get into the expansion joints. In addition, the possibility of falling heavy tools or materials should not be ruled out, which will lead to cracking of the tiles. Therefore, we retreat from the surface of the screed to a distance, equal to the sum thickness floor tiles, a layer of glue (it can be determined experimentally), and a deformation gap. It is best to use a rail for this. required thickness- it will not allow the tiles to slide down under load, the essence is that the entire row of tiles recedes from the floor at the same distance.

We knead the glue - for this we collect about two liters of water in a bucket, and gradually add the glue mixture, periodically stirring the solution with a mixer. It is necessary to achieve such a consistency so that the solution is both plastic and not liquid. Then let it "ripen" for about five minutes, and mix again - the glue is ready.

We take a tile in our hands and determine the direction in which it should be placed - most manufacturers draw an arrow on the back of the tile - and so, the arrows on the entire tile should "look" in one direction. Using the flat surface of a notched trowel, apply glue to the back of the tile, and then remove excess glue with the notched side of the trowel. In this case, the spatula should be held strictly perpendicular to the surface of the tile so that the height of the ridges is the same.

After that, the tiles are set in place and pressed against the wall. by easy tapping on the surface. In the same way, adjacent tiles are installed, and with the help of a level, their position relative to the vertical, horizontal, as well as the stay of the entire tile in one plane is controlled. Minor deviations from the plane can be corrected by pressing several tiles simultaneously against the wall long level... Distance plastic crosses are inserted between the tiles, and if some tile is not completely even, then you should use a wedge and set the tile so that it does not affect the subsequent ones.

Trimming

Of course, it is almost never possible to do without trimming. Smooth cutting is carried out using a tile cutter (or, in its absence, a glass cutter). The tiles are marked out, laid on the bed, drawn with a roller made of a hard-cutting alloy, and then easily broken into two parts with a special "foot". A glass cutter cuts tiles like ordinary glass. But, in addition to even cutting, it is necessary to carry out complex cutting: L-shaped, U-shaped, or even cut out a window in the tile.

This cutting is done with a grinder with an even diamond circle. If possible, it is best to cut tiles with a grinder outdoors, since the cutting process is accompanied by a lot of dust and noise. Also, in addition to the above cutting, it is very often necessary to cut round holes for sockets, pipes, various plumbing - then they use a ballerina - this is adjustable cutting tool with carbide taps, which is attached to a drill, and by rotation cuts holes of various diameters in the tile. When performing trimming work, you need to very carefully measure out all sizes, and cut very carefully, since the slightest deviation will inevitably lead to damage to expensive tiles.

But, no matter how carefully you cut, your cut still cannot be compared with the factory cut, and it must be hidden. The corner cut is hidden under the flat edge of the adjacent wall tile adjoining it, or under a special corner. It is advisable to hide the rest of the cut under various "cups", cashier and other accessories.

The tiles are laid on the floor in the same way, on a previously measured and marked surface. It is desirable to mark it so that in the most visible places the seams run parallel to the walls, and the entire oblique cut is hidden under furniture or in hard-to-reach places. With the floor tiles we "dive" under the cut of the wall tiles (for this we left a distance between wall tiles and a screed), and an even seam is obtained along the entire perimeter, which does not require the obligatory use of a plinth.

A couple of days after laying the tiles on the floor (no less than a day), you can start grouting expansion joints. The seams are pre-cleaned of dust and glue residues, the floor tiles are washed. The grout is diluted with water like glue, only in a much smaller amount, and rubbed into the seams with a rubber trowel.

Excess grout is removed from the tile surface with a slightly damp sponge, with light longitudinal and diagonal movements in relation to the joint. Carefully and correctly rubbed seams will help hide minor styling imperfections, and carelessly rubbed seams will reduce all your efforts to zero. Therefore, grouting is no less important than laying tiles.

In general, working with tiles is more difficult and painstaking than working with others, so each stage of work must be treated responsibly and with full dedication.

Well, that's, in general, that's all. The next day, all that remains is to wash the tiles, and bring in furniture, install plumbing, and use the results of your labor.

And this is nice, you must agree!

Titov Ignat - Progressive builder, specially for rmnt.ru

No matter how diverse the assortment of available finishing materials pleases today, ceramic tiles, although they belong to the veteran "veterans" of the construction market, are in no hurry to surrender their leading positions in popularity. It occupies a very specific "niche" - this material, due to its unique performance characteristics, is used for external and external work, for residential and technical premises, for finishing floors and walls, facades and hydraulic structures, outbuildings and even elements of garden design.

Tile has practically no competitors in the field of interior decoration with a pronounced high level of humidity - bathrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. The strength of ceramics allows it to withstand high loads, therefore, when facing floors in such rooms, preference is most often given to it, since, with all its positive qualities, it is still very affordable. And one more important advantage is the relative ease of installation: if you thoroughly understand the intricacies of how to lay the tiles on the floor, fill your hand a little, show diligence, then you can quite cope with such work on your own.

But before taking on the styling issues, it would be logical to consider the problems of its correct selection.

Going to the store for selection and purchase necessary material, the landlord should "arm" himself with the basic knowledge of what tiles are usually on sale.

Choosing a tile for a floor with an eye solely to its decorative qualities is an extremely frivolous approach. In a good salon-shop, trained sales consultants can be of great help, who will tell you which tile model is intended for what purposes. But it's still better to be able to navigate in icons and pictograms, which can tell a lot in themselves. Most widespread symbols that can occur are shown in the table:

1 - This is a tile with pronounced frost-resistant qualities. It is suitable for the floor of a porch, veranda, balcony or loggia. There is no point in spending money on purchasing such a tile for further flooring in a heated room.

2 - The foot on an inclined plane is a symbol of the anti-slip qualities of the fabric. For rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen) or for hallways, where moisture from the street is often brought in on shoes - very important criterion... Often such an icon is accompanied by a digital indicator - this is the coefficient of friction. For the mentioned premises the best choice will be slightly rough tiles with a specified coefficient of at least 0.75.

3 - A sign in the form of a diamond (sometimes it is found with the image of a drill) - the tiles have increased characteristics of surface strength, resistance to accented impacts. Good quality for the kitchen floor - accidentally dropped dishes will not cause serious damage to the coating.

4 - A similar pictogram is always accompanied numerical value Is the thickness of the ceramic tiles. For laying on the floor, material is usually purchased with a thickness of the order of 7 - 8 mm.

5 - Bending strength of a single tile. This parameter is determined based on the results of bench tests, and the higher it is, the higher the quality of the material (for example, porcelain stoneware has this indicator much higher than that of ordinary tiles). However, the tiles should be laid on the floor so that the bending load is minimal - tightly and evenly to the surface, without air bubbles, shells, etc.

6 - The palm-shaped icon indicates that this ceramic tile is intended exclusively for walls. No matter how beautiful and durable it may seem, you cannot purchase it for laying on the floor.

7 - But the image of the footprint from the shoe speaks for itself - this tile is designed specifically for the floor.

8 or 16 are indicators of the resistance of ceramic tiles to abrasive, abrasive load. In accordance with the international standard PE1 (EN ISO 105645.7), there are 5 wear resistance classes:

9 - This pictogram indicates that the ceramic tiles have passed the double firing procedure. Such a material usually has a glossy glazed surface, and is more suitable for installation on walls. In addition, the double firing technology assumes an increased porosity of ceramics - and this is a decrease in its mechanical strength and increased water absorption.

10 - The icon in the form of a chemical flask indicates the increased resistance of the tile surface to acids, alkalis, and other aggressive substances, including all types of household chemicals. The letter indicator of this material property is "AA".

11 - If you come across such an icon, then you need to be careful in choosing a tile - in one box there can be tiles of different shades.

12 – Notwhich expensive types of ceramic tiles can be produced with the inclusion of precious metals: silver (Ag), gold (Au) or even platinum (Pt).

Pictograms 13 ÷ 15 inform about the parameters of the factory packaging of ceramic tiles. So, in the given example, symbol 13 indicates that the gross weight of the box is 19.00 kilograms, icon 14 - that one package is enough for 1.42 m² of floor space, and symbol 16 - that the box contains 24 tiles.

Some of the specific properties of the material will be indicated by the pictograms indicated in the table under numbers from 17 to 21. Such ceramic tiles are designed for special operating conditions. It could be train stations and and airports, medical institutions, industrial enterprises, hotels, sports facilities. There is no point in purchasing such a tile for flooring in a private house or apartment.

What other points should not be overlooked:

• If the tiles are planned to be laid on the floor of a bathroom, shower room, kitchen or other room with high humidity, then a material with a minimum (no more than 3%) water absorption coefficient is required.
• The linear dimensions (length and width) of the tiles also matter. Of course, the larger the tile, the faster it can be laid. However, for rooms with a small area and complex floor shapes, too-dimensional tiles will not work - there will be a lot of waste. And large tiles in such rooms will look somewhat ridiculous. In addition, do not forget that neatly laying large tiles is much more difficult.
• If several packs of ceramic tiles are purchased, it is imperative to select the product of one batch.

This is necessary for two reasons:

- Firstly, even a completely identical tile model, but different batches may have slight deviations in shade. In a store environment, this may not even be noticeable. However, after laying such a covering on the floor and under normal lighting, such a difference can greatly spoil the intended interior appearance of the room.

Different parties may differ in calibration - linear dimensions of the tile

- Secondly, fluctuations in the linear dimensions of the tiles are not excluded. It is clear that the cutting of material in production is carried out under the control of precision electronics. But it still remains a ceramic, and there may be small errors, therefore, calibration is required. finished products... In one batch, there must always be tiles of the same size, and the difference between different batches can even be several millimeters. When laying such a tile on the floor, especially in rooms of a large area, discrepancies noticeable to the naked eye may occur.

• Be sure to check the packaging for broken ones, cracked tiles or chipped on the surface. Sellers may be convinced that marriage is inevitable and must be resigned to. No, you don't need to, you pay your money for a quality product.
• It is generally accepted that a certain reserve should be purchased, at 10% more area premises. This will be spent on "cuts" and in cases of compensation for any annoying misunderstandings. It must be remembered that it will not always be possible to buy additional tiles later in order to replenish the missing quantity - this was already mentioned when it came to batches.

By the way, if you plan to lay tiles, then the reserve can even be slightly increased - up to 15%. With this technology, it is more difficult to fit the material along the walls, there is more waste and, in addition, the likelihood of making some mistakes, but inexperience, is much higher.

How to lay tiles on a concrete floor

The process of tiling the floor with ceramic tiles can be roughly divided into four main stages:

• Surface preparation for laying.
• Carrying out the necessary markup, drawing up a work diagram.
• Laying ceramic tiles on glue solution.
• and finishing works.

Preparing the floor surface for laying tiles

The requirements for the base for laying the tiles, in principle, are not complicated - it must be strong, stable, and ensure good adhesion with the adhesive composition. How is this achieved?

Kohl it comes on the concrete base, then first it is necessary to make a thorough revision of the old screed, on which the tile is planned to be laid. Do not be lazy - you should tap every centimeter of the floor to make sure there are no unstable areas.

• First of all, its horizontalness is checked - if this condition is not met, then pouring a new screed simply cannot be avoided. If the evenness is satisfactory (differences are not more than 2-3 mm), then the old coating can still serve, provided, of course, it is stable.
• If during the control examination the places of screed detachment, concrete crumbling, deep oiling are revealed, it is necessary to remove them up to the “healthy” surface, both in width and depth. Wide cracks and crevices must be cut to a width of 10 - 15 mm.
• There should be no traces of paint, oil products, grease, remnants of the old coating on the surface - everything is cleaned off to clean concrete.
• All protrusions must be cut down - if you can sometimes look through the fingers at a slight depression, since it will still be filled with glue during the laying process, then even the smallest tubercle will make even laying simply impossible.
• After that, a thorough cleaning is carried out with dust removal of the surface. In order for the repair sucking to lay down well, it is necessary to prime all the places to be repaired and allow the primer to dry completely.
• A repair composition is being prepared - it may be a "classic" cement-sand mixture in a ratio of 1: 3, but it will dry for a long time.

The finished and completely solidified screed is also primed twice, after which you can proceed to further work.

Floor markings for laying ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles should become a decoration of the room, and this will be possible only if their location on the floor is planned correctly. A messy, obliquely laid tile can completely fulfill the interior

There are many techniques and methods for placing ceramic tiles on the floor - all of them cannot be considered on the scale of this article - this is a topic for a separate publication. But even the simplest, "classic" method requires precision and accuracy.

Starting to plan laying from the wall is very risky, since the slightest flaw will grow with each next row, and it will be very difficult to eliminate it. Therefore, the reference lines and the first rows of tiles are usually located approximately in the center of the room.

The first reference line is usually drawn along the room. To do this, in two places, at the beginning and at the end, carefully measure the distance between the opposite walls and apply midpoints. They are connected with a straight line (usually with a coated cord), and a longitudinal baseline is obtained.

Now you need to draw a second, perpendicular to the first, also approximately in the middle of the room. It is very important that the strictest perpendicularity is observed. In order to avoid mistakes, and this is quite possible when using a square and a ruler, you should definitely check the right angle using the formula of the famous "Egyptian triangle": 3² + 4² = 5². According to the Pythagorean theorem, this is a triangle with legs that are multiples of 3 and 4, and a hypotenuse that is multiple of 5.

For example, we measure from the point of intersection of the legs 900 and 1200 mm. We connect the marked points with a segment, and its length should be exactly 1500 mm - no more no less.

Once the lines have been drawn and their perpendicularity checked, you can think about how to place the rows of tiles and where to start laying out. Remember that the drawn reference lines are not at all a "dogma" for the beginning of laying - they will not make it difficult to carry out a parallel transfer in any direction.

For example, if the front door in a spacious room is located exactly in the center, then you can lay out the first rows of tiles in this way - along the laid reference lines. The principle is that a flat area, without gouges and fit, appears to the eye upon entering the room. (see pos. "a" in the figure).

But in a room small in area, with a displacement of the exit to the edge (pos. "B"), and even, possibly having a complex shape or stationary obstacles, the beginning of masonry can be smstee to a free "patch" - from here it will be much more convenient to work in all directions, but it is the entrance that will turn out to be "frontal".

In any case, you should never be lazy - you should conduct a control laying of the central longitudinal and transverse rows of ceramic tiles "dry", without using mortar, but leaving the planned gap between adjacent tiles.

Do not neglect the initial "dry" layout of the tiles - this will allow you to evaluate the options for its location

Such a simple procedure will allow you to visually assess the future picture, measure the distances, finally decide on the installation scheme, that is, focus on one of the principles:

1 - in a small room, for example, in a bathroom or kitchen, you can take two walls from the entrance (green arrows) as the "starting line", provided that they are exactly perpendicular. In this case, the entire visible part of the room will be lined with whole tiles, and the cut edges will be hidden under furniture or plumbing equipment.

2 - the laying is carried out from the center in such a way as to place the maximum possible number of whole tiles on the floor, leaving narrow areas for complementing fragments (brown arrows). Advantageous in terms of material savings. However, for reasons of the quality of the masonry, it is advisable to leave areas not narrower than ⅓ of the tile width near the walls.

3 - the arrangement looks a little more impressive with a minimum number of whole tiles in a row, but with extended fragments along the walls (blue arrows). Such a coating looks more complete, and from an operational point of view, it is more reliable than No. 2.

4 - diagonal laying - will help hide the curvature of the room. Among the disadvantages is a more complex design, especially in terms of preliminary marking and fitting of tile fragments, more material goes to waste.

If you have decided on this, then you should immediately outline what scheme will be work in progress- from the far corner to the entrance, or with dividing the space into several areas in straight stacked rows, with their subsequent filling.

You can also "fill" the space in different ways. So, some masters carry out the styling orderly. Others prefer the "ladder" scheme with a sequential increase in the number of simultaneously stacked rows.

"Filling" the space can be performed linearly, or as shown in the figure - stepwise

By the way, there are supporters and laying of ceramic tiles on the floor "at a run" or even chaotic - sometimes this is included in the design idea of ​​finishing the room. But in the conditions ordinary house nevertheless, they prefer to be limited to a straight pattern of laying, "seam to seam".

Laying tiles on the floor

• So, getting ready for styling necessary tool and materials.

- For work, you will need spatulas, ordinary, with a width of 100 to 250 mm, and notched, with a height of the created furrow of 8 - 10 mm. For grouting, it is a good idea to get an elastic rubber trowel.

- You will need a construction mixer or a drill with an attachment for mixing the tile, an appropriate container for the same purposes.

- Always have a building level at hand.

- In some cases it will be necessary to apply force to put the tiles in place. It is convenient to use a rubber mallet for this purpose.

- You should immediately think about how the tiles will be cut (more on this below).

- It is necessary to create a stock of calibration crosses required thickness, plastic wedges for height alignment.

- In order not to carry dirt, you need to have a supply of clean rags, a sponge for wiping off the solution from the front surface of the tile.

• Probably, in our time, no one thinks about self-production tile glue - you can always buy it in the store. When choosing, you need to check the purpose of the composition - except for the usual ones, intended for most interiors, there are specialized mixtures, intended for rooms with high humidity conditions, outdoor, especially resistant or for so-called "complex surfaces", for the system of "warm floors", etc.

The glue is diluted by gradually adding the dry mixture to the amount of water specified in the instructions, with constant stirring using a mixer or drill. The composition should turn out to be absolutely homogeneous, without lumps, of a sufficiently dense consistency - so that the ridges created by a notched trowel do not spread.

After obtaining the consistency of the composition necessary for work, it is left to "ripen" for 5 minutes, then stir again for 2 ÷ 3 minutes - and you can start laying.

Do not prepare too much mortar at once, especially if you have no experience with laying ceramic tiles. The term of his "life" is limited - this is necessarily indicated in his instructions. If the glue begins to thicken noticeably during work, then you will have to throw it away - you cannot dilute it with water again - it will lose its qualities.

• Novice craftsmen, apparently, after listening to old, irrelevant advice or having read somewhere about it, soak the tiles in water before laying them on the floor. By doing so, they are making a gross mistake.

A similar approach is possible if the tile is laid on an ordinary cement-sand mortar, and even then - not in all cases. And all modern building mixtures- adhesives for ceramic tiles, designed to be applied specifically to a dry surface. Excess water will significantly reduce the performance of the glue, and the tiles will begin to "dance" and fall off over time.

Therefore, before putting the first tile, read carefully the instructions for use of the purchased tile glue again - everything is probably indicated there.

• Where should the glue be applied - on the floor or on the tiles? There is no consensus on this issue. Someone likes to apply to tiles - the marking lines on the floor remain intact.

On the other hand, it is more convenient to immediately smear a large area of ​​the floor, and then concentrate on laying the tiles evenly (of course, if you have some experience, otherwise you may not be in time).

Another option is to pre-coat the floor surface with glue.

There is also a third advice - to coat both there and there, but lay the tiles in such a way that the direction of the ridges made with a notched trowel on the floor and on the tile is perpendicular - this is how all cavities are guaranteed to be filled, maximum adhesion is ensured.

• After being coated with glue, the tile is laid on the surface in the right place, pressed tightly to the floor, its location relative to the reference lines is controlled, as well as the horizontalness of its upper plane in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
• The work continues in the same order, with the obligatory installation of calibration crosses - they will allow you to clearly maintain the required gap between the tiles.

When fitting each tile, it is imperative to check its horizontalness using building level... The necessary adjustments are immediately made - adding or removing mortar, inserting a small wedge, etc.

• It is necessary to ensure that no excess glue remains in the inter-tile gap - this space will be needed to fill the joints. So it is better to remove the glue immediately, as it will be very difficult to do later. Together with that, from the front surface of the tile, immediately remove the stains of the solution with a rag or sponge, preventing them from drying out.
• Distance crosses are left between the tiles until the mortar has set for the first time. Then, when the tile has already found immobility, the crosses must be removed - you cannot leave them in the seams until the glue has completely solidified, since then there will be difficulties with extraction.

Video: a visual lesson on laying tiles on the floor

• Modern devices for quick laying of tiles - the so-called leveling systems - are very convenient to use. The kit includes racks, clamps (disposable elements) and wedges (can be reused).

- After the first tile is laid on the glue, well pressed and inserted at a level, two clips are installed on each of its sides, so that they go under the tile with their heels. The thickness of the clamp foot will determine the seam size. The clamps are installed at a distance of approximately 50 mm from the corner.

Installed racks-clamps ...

Then another tile is laid. The wide heel of the clamp is also underneath.

... then another tile is laid ...

A wedge is inserted and threaded to the limit into the clamp, where it will be fixed by the ribbed surface on the hooks. Very important - the wedges are always inserted from the side of the previously laid and leveled tile.

… The wedges are inserted all the way and fully engaged.

- Thus, the lower, even edge of the wedge "pulls" the surface of the next tile ideally into the plane of the already laid one. True, control with the help of a level is still not canceled.

- The wedges must remain in this position until the adhesive is completely dry. They are then removed with light side blows using a rubber mallet. The design of the polymer clamps is such that they can withstand the tensile load, but immediately break off when exposed to a fracture. Below, under the tiles, remain only broken heels.

- Wedges, as already mentioned, can be used further, and broken off hooks are disposed of.

Video: laying tiles using a tile leveling system

Tile cutting

Previously, it was exclusively about laying a whole tile, but in practice there are never cases when everything is limited to this. So now it's time to look at the tile-cutting problem.

• Installation of fragments is recommended not immediately, but a day after the main part of the floor. During this time, the glue will already set well, and it will be possible to accurately measure the required dimensions.
• When marking tiles for cutting positions, one must not forget about the inter-seam spacing - an amendment must be made to it.
• There are several ways to cut ceramic tiles:

1. The most convenient way is to use a tile cutter, a tabletop tool that gives an even and accurate cut. It is enough to put the tile with a marking line along the central ledge, draw the roller away from you with an effort along the surface of the tile, and then, resting the paws on the surface of the tile on both sides of the drawn line, press the lever down.

The most convenient tool is a tile cutter

With even a little experience of the work of the master, there is practically no marriage in such a cut.

2. A manual tile cutter is a fairly convenient tool, but already requires more dexterity from the worker.

First, the roller is drawn along the intended risk line. Then the tile is clamped so that the tile cutter is exactly on top along the axis of the line cut... Hand movement - and the tile should be divided into two parts.

Similarly, cutting is carried out using a conventional glass cutter, with the only difference that breaking is carried out on the edge of the workbench, or with the help of a line placed on the bottom of the workbench along the line cut metal rod (nail or wire).

With all the advantages of manual and tabletop tile cutters, they allow you to cut tiles exclusively in a straight line.

3. Grinder with a diamond disc - this approach is especially good when you need to cut tiles with an angle or create complex shapes. The main difficulty here is to ensure reliable fixation of the tile when working with a grinder, so that it does not fly out or crack.

Tiles can be precisely cut to size with a diamond grinder

Tiles can be cut right through - when complex configurations are required. If straight long sections are cut off, then you can only violate the integrity of the upper enamel layer - then the tile will be easy to break along the intended line.

Special attention to precautionary measures - eyes and face must be covered with a mask, so how is not excluded scattering of small hot fragments of ceramics.

4. Small areas of tiles can be removed with pliers.

In this case, in the area to be removed, it is advisable to apply a frequent mesh with a glass cutter roller. Then, with ticks, they carefully break out very small fragments, gradually bringing the tile to the desired size.

If necessary, any minor irregularities left after cutting can be removed with a coarse-wrapped bar (80) sandpaper... With large teeth, they can be "corrected" with ticks. If a pronounced sharp edge remains, then it is better to start with a round file.

The process of laying the cut fragments, in fact, is no different from what was described above.

Special care should be taken when cutting tiles and laying tiles. Ceramics can crack and not along the intended line, which means that there is a high probability of getting a cut injury to the hand when pressed. In addition, broken edges can have extremely sharp edges that can cause very deep cuts. All work should be carried out only with protective gloves.

Sealing of seams

After the entire floor area is covered with ceramic tiles, you can proceed to grouting.

• First of all, it is necessary to check the condition of the seams again - they must be cleaned to their full depth and width.
• Preparing jointing solution - grout... It can be cement-based or an epoxy two-component compound.

1. In domestic conditions, cement grouting is more often used (the so-called class WITHG 2 according to EN 13888).

Cement grout

They are sold in stores in the form of hermetically packaged dry mixes, they can have different tinting - there is always an opportunity to choose the color that best suits the overall design. Most often they are closed to the desired consistency with water. But for rooms with high humidity or for floors with a high level of stress, it is still recommended to use a special latex additive to dilute the composition - the floor surface will only benefit from this.

2. IN recent times epoxy-based grouting (class RG according to EN 13888) is rapidly gaining popularity. These are two-component compounds that are prepared immediately before starting the filling of the joints.

The "life" of such a composition is short, so it is prepared in small portions to ensure that it is worked out before it hardens.

Epoxy grouts are more durable, resistant to chemicals, they are much more ductile and will not crack over time. These compositions have a much wider assortment of shades (including bright, saturated colors), and in addition, many similar grouts are sold with special effects- sparkles, fluorescent glow, etc.

The only significant drawback of epoxy grouting (except for a certain difficulty with proper preparation workers) - this is still a very high price, very limiting the scope of their use.

• The finished compound is drawn on a rubber trowel or rubber float and applied with force to the seam area, usually 45 degrees from the seam line. Such a trajectory will provide the most complete and dense filling of the inter-seam space.

• After the joints are filled, it is necessary to immediately remove the excess mixture from the tile surface - later this will be much more difficult. Usually, this is started when a white bloom appears on the grout remaining on the surface of the tile - it begins to dry out (as a rule, after 20 - 30 minutes).

To do this, take a foam rubber sponge, well washed and wrung out, and remove the remains of the fugue with it. The movements are usually the same, and when grouting - 45 degrees to the seam line. In this case, one must try not to touch the seams so as not to wash the fugue out of there. The sponge should be rinsed thoroughly as often as possible, with a constant change of water. By the way, water plays a double role here - it washes away impurities and participates in hydration. cement composition grouting material.

After 3 — 4 hours, you can rinse the surface again with a foam sponge. Then, when the floor dries up after washing, the remaining light cement coating can be easily removed by wiping the tiles with a dry clean soft cloth.

After that, the ceramic tiles will already take on their "ceremonial" appearance, and it will be possible to say that the process of laying it is completed.

Video: an option for grouting joints on a tiled floor

However, if the cladding was carried out in a room with high humidity or with intense loads on the surface, then it is recommended to carry out another simple operation - to smear the seams water repellent.

This is done very simply - the composition is abundantly applied to the seams with a thin brush. Such processing will give the composition of the fugue water-repellent properties, which will significantly increase the service life. ceramic coating, will not allow moisture to accumulate in these places, will facilitate cleaning.

When the water repellent is absorbed and dries up, you can put the final order. You need to thoroughly rinse the floor with clean water - and we can assume that the whole multi-stage process of laying tiles on the floor is behind!

Tiling is a complex process that includes many sequential steps. If during marking, preparation or installation, the basic rules, such a coating will not last long. In addition, violations will affect the aesthetic component. Let's consider in detail how to lay the tiles correctly.

When facing, it is important to observe the technology of work

Installation steps

1. Procurement of materials. Here, the purchase of tiles is carried out and the availability of the necessary tools is checked.
2. Surface preparation. Take care of dismantling the old coating and leveling the rough base. Remove any other defects found during the repair process.
3. Markup. A layout scheme is selected, the coverage level is marked, control points are set.
4. Tile laying. A laborious process that requires care. During this stage, it may be necessary to trim individual elements.
5. Finishing. Excess mortar is removed, and after the glue dries, a trowel is applied. This also includes final cleaning work.

Given the features different surfaces, the issue of laying tiles must be considered in the context of each individual situation.

The whole process takes several days. Much depends on the original surface quality and the type of materials used.

Laying tiles requires knowledge of technology

Materials and tools

Let's divide the entire list into separate categories corresponding to each stage of facing work:

• Dismantling : perforator, chisel, chisel, grinder, grinding attachment.
• Surface preparation: primer, brushes and roller, concrete screed, starting and finishing putty, spatulas, as a rule, antiseptic solution, waterproofing, construction mixer.
• Layout: pencil, thread, beacons, layout scheme, tape measure.
• Cladding: tile, tile cutter, nippers, drill with various attachments, plastic crosses, level, tile glue, mallet, pure water, container for solution and mixer.
• Finishes: rubber trowel, grout, sealant, sponges and rags, clean water, joint corrector.

Tools

Let's take a closer look at what exactly can be glued tiles. As a rule, a special glue or an ordinary solution based on sand and cement is used.

The first option is more profitable, since it allows you to choose a mixture that is suitable for specific conditions. For example, drywall adhesive will not work with concrete surface... For interior work, they usually use compositions based on Portland cement with the addition of special modifiers or polymer mastics. Outdoor work is carried out using frost-resistant mixtures with specific characteristics. In the bathroom and kitchen, it is better to use a composition with a latex filler.

Tile adhesive is applied with a spatula. To flatten the layer and make it easier to work with, use a jagged model. The larger the tile and the thicker the layer of mortar, the larger the teeth should be.

The glue is applied to the tiles with a special spatula

Surface preparation and marking

First of all, remove the old coating. Most often we are talking about tiles. It uses a rock drill with a chisel attachment. If you need to do everything carefully, then it is better to apply hand tools and a grinder. The latter will be needed when cleaning the old mortar and jointing.

Before laying the tiles, treat the work area with an antiseptic against mold and mildew. Additional alignment is often required as well. The floors are adjusted with a self-leveling screed, and the walls are putty. The rough layer is applied with a starting mixture, and minor defects eliminated by the finish line. Considering that in the future it is planned to lay the tiles, you can get by with a coarser putty. Once dry, apply a primer to improve adhesion and protect against moisture.

Stages of preparing walls for tiling

When finishing surfaces in contact with water, waterproofing is a prerequisite. It is laid under the leveling layer and can be made in the form of a film flooring or a liquid waterproof mixture.

The next step is to decide on the layout of the ceramic tiles:

• straight seam in seam;
• with displacement "in a run";
• diagonal.

With the help of a properly selected scheme, you can visually expand the space and achieve a special decorative effect.

The most popular bathroom tile layouts

To facilitate further work, spread the tile over the surface without using glue. On the walls, marking is done using plumb lines and a level. Baselines are applied to the surface along the perimeter and along the boundaries of the rows. It is better to make a mesh taking into account the gaps on the seams. So you will be guided by the drawing.

Floor and wall cladding

Now let's look at the process of laying tiles on different types of surfaces. First of all, they proceed to flooring... To properly lay the tiles on the floor, start in one of two directions:

• From the center. Find the center point in the room and mark it with a cross. Each corner is the beginning of a new section. You need to work so that there is a path to the exit from the room. It is convenient to lay tiles in diagonal rows.
• From the far corner. The most visible angle should look perfect, so work starts from there. Ceramic tiles are laid in rows or diagonally.

Two ways of floor mounting: from the center or from the far corner

How to put tiles on glue:

1. The mortar is applied to the floor and leveled with a comb trowel.
2. The tiles are placed on top and pressed.
3. The position is corrected with a mallet, and crosses are installed in the seams.
4. The coverage level is checked each time.

If the floors are not even enough, glue is also applied to the tile itself.

Now let's look at how to properly glue the tiles on the walls. It is recommended to start from the second bottom row so that only solid elements remain on top, with the exception of the side ones. Unlike floor tiles, such products must be supported. To do this, a fixing strip is screwed to the wall at the level of the second row. There will be an emphasis on it from the upper tiers, which will prevent the cladding from sliding down until the mortar dries.

Ceramic tiles are laid in rows. You need to move from the visible angle. Try to position the tiles so that the number of cut elements is kept to a minimum. The adhesive can be applied both to the wall and to the cladding. Try not to make the mortar layer too thick.

First, lay the tiles over the support rail. Take your time, work in two or three passes so that the glue has time to set. After drying, the plank is unscrewed and the final installation of the lower row is performed. All slices can be moved here.

Stages of laying tiles on the wall

How to lay tiles on a flat surface is clear, now let's look at working with more complex areas:

• Corners. The best option- laying of tiles using moldings. Look for models with a 90 degree angle. A simple option is to join two adjacent tiles through a seam. For an inconspicuous connection, you can cut the chamfer at 45 degrees.
• Protrusions. Facing curbs and shelves is made from the outer edge.
• Rounding. Since it is very difficult to lay tiles on radial sections, it is better to use mosaic or even another material. Otherwise, you will have to cut the tiles into smaller pieces. At the same time, there is a risk that the finished coating will look rough and not aesthetically pleasing.

The final stage

After you glue the tiles and the layer of mortar has passed the stage of initial drying, which usually takes 1-2 days, proceed to the next stage.

To prevent the formation of fungus, re-treat with an antiseptic.

Finishing involves bringing the surface to the ideal. The main task is to apply grout to the joints. Dilute the puffer if it looks like a powder. Using a spatula, apply a small amount of mass to the joints between the elements and tamp it. The surplus is collected and used in the next section.

Seam finishing methods

To neatly lay epoxy or regular grout onto embossed tiles, it is best to use a syringe or pouch with a cut corner. To form the correct concave seam, take a special corrector (an alternative is a regular tube or a piece of cable suitable size). The joints of furniture and plumbing fixtures are also finished with a sealant.

If all the work is done correctly, the tile will be reliably glued, and the surface will be transformed for many years.

Tiling on a wall is one of the most popular types of bathroom or toilet finishing work. The surface of the tile is easy to maintain, does not lose its attractive appearance over time and provided high-quality cladding, subsequent renovations in the bathroom may be required after several decades. Little of given view finishing work can be done completely independently, if you first study how to properly lay tiles on the wall.

To work you will need tools:

• Tile cutter;
• Level;
• Roulette, marker, square;
• Marker thread;
• Small spatula and comb spatula;
• Rubber mallet;
• PVC crosses and matches;
• Masking tape;
• Edged board with a straight edge or unnecessary metal profile;
• Dowels and a regular hammer.

A laser level on a tripod will help to speed up and simplify the work. It differs from the usual level in that it can be installed motionlessly in the center of the room, and simultaneously create a projection with light rays at once on the entire area of ​​the walls.

Considering that the walls will be tiled with ceramic tiles, and not the floor, in the process of work it will be necessary to drill and cut holes in the tiles of various diameters for sockets, switches and communication pipes. You can find out how to cut and drill ceramic tiles and what tools are needed for this from another article on our website.

Wall surface preparation

The best option is preliminary plastering and profile beacons. A solution for plastering walls in a bathroom is made in proportions of 1 to 3 or 1 to 2.5. In rooms with lower humidity, for example, in a hallway or kitchen, a solution is used for plastering in proportions of 1 to 4. After plastering, the surface of the walls is additionally treated with a penetrating primer that strengthens the upper cement-sand layer and increases the adhesion of the surface with tile adhesive.

Plaster surface preparation

Preparation of walls for tiles in a bathroom made of gypsum tongue-and-groove blocks should be carried out with the lowest possible air humidity. Either a forced draft hood is installed temporarily, or it is necessary to refuse to carry out such work in neighboring rooms as: plastering, floor screed, wallpapering. Since when performing these works, the total air humidity in the apartment increases significantly.

Initially, they are thoroughly swept away from dust with a brush or broom. This is very important, otherwise crystallization forms on the surface of the walls - a glossy film, on the contrary, reducing or eliminating adhesion altogether. Further, the entire surface is primed with 1 layer of a penetrating primer, concrete primer or its analogue. When the penetrating primer is dry, a waterproofing layer is applied to the wall surface with a roller, for example Knauf Flechendicht or its equivalent. When the waterproofing layer is dry, the GWP walls can be considered ready for cladding.

Preparation of plasterboard surfaces

The seams between the drywall sheets are pasted over with a fiberglass tape mesh and putty with a moisture-resistant gypsum plaster fugenfüller-hydro putty. When the seams are dry, the surface moisture resistant drywall wipe well with a piece of slightly damp cloth to remove dust from the surface. Further, the entire surface of the gypsum plasterboard is primed with a roller with a moisture-insulating primer, for example, aquastop. After the primer layer has dried on the entire surface of the gypsum plasterboard walls using construction stapler grab a fiberglass mesh with a mesh of 5-7 mm with metal brackets. On top of the mesh, the entire surface of the drywall is putty with tiled moisture-resistant glue.

The process of tiling prepared walls

In the center of the room, an optical level is installed on a tripod and adjusted so that it reflects the projection of a horizontal beam on the wall surface. This horizontal ray is transferred to the very bottom of the wall and the highest point on the screed is found, in the area where the screed is connected to the wall. At this point, a tile is applied to the wall, after which the horizontal projection of the beam is raised to the level of the upper edge of the attached tile. At this height, an edged board with a flat edge or an unnecessary flat metal profile must be mounted to the wall strictly along the projection of the beam.

Optical laser levels appeared not so long ago, and even today, not everyone has them on the farm. Without a level, before placing the tiles on the wall, markings are performed using a long bubble level - a spirit level. With a spirit level, you need to walk along the perimeter of the floor in the room and determine the highest point where the transition between the wall and the floor is. From the screed along the wall, either the height of 1 tile is measured with a tape measure, or a tile is applied directly to the wall and a mark is made on the wall along the upper edge of the tile. Next, a level is leaned horizontally against the mark, it is set in a horizontal position and a solid line is drawn along the level, along which it will be necessary to mount an edged board on the wall with anchors in the future.

Before laying the tiles on the wall, a working adhesive is made. About 3-4 liters of water are poured into a container with high sides, for example, a basin or a wide bucket. Dry tile glue is slowly poured into the water so that it slightly covers the poured water. Further, all the contents in the bucket are mixed until homogeneous using a mixing nozzle installed in the cartridge powerful drill or a punch. Having received a homogeneous mass without lumps, it is left at rest for about 5-10 minutes, after which the tile glue is re-mixed with a mixer nozzle.

After mounting the board in the form of a board and making glue, they begin to directly glue the tiles to the wall. Initially, using a small spatula and a comb, the tile adhesive is applied to the wall surface from the board. Using a comb allows you to remove excess glue from the plane, while the same thickness of the adhesive is formed everywhere. In a similar way, a uniform layer of glue is applied and formed on the back of the tile.

Laying tiles on glue begins from the corner opposite from the entrance to the room on the wall. The tile attached to the glue is initially exposed exactly on the nailed board, after which a level is applied vertically to the tile and, slightly pressing or tapping on the tile rubber mallet, it is put in an even vertical position. After that, 1-2 more tiles are laid adjacent in a row, placing each on a vertical level and forming seams of the same thickness between the tiles using PVC crosses. Having laid out 3-4 tiles in a row on the board on the wall with your own hands, a level is applied horizontally to the surface of the entire tile with an edge, and, if necessary, a certain tile is brought with slight blows of a rubber mallet.

Having tiled the entire wall to the top with a whole tile according to the above scheme, the last row of tiles is cut to size with a tile cutter or a small angle grinder, so that the tile can be glued under the ceiling. At this stage, the tile joints are immediately cleaned from the glue with a knife. After that, it is necessary to pause for 1-2 days so that the glue between the tile and the wall grabs. After waiting a couple of days, the lower persistent edged board is dismantled from the wall. Before gluing the tiles of the lower row, you need to stock up on thin wood chips.

The technology for laying tiles on the wall in the lowest horizontal row is the same as for the previously produced cladding. The glue is applied and distributed on the wall and on the back of the tile with a comb, after which the tile applied to the wall is leveled and leveled. PVC crosses are placed in the seam between adjacent tiles. So that the tile from the bottom row does not slide down, wood chips are inserted under the lower edge of the tile, and the upper edge of the lower tile is temporarily fixed to the surface above the tile laid on the wall with paper masking tape.

A few days later, all unnecessary adhesive tape, wood chips and PVC crosses are removed from the lined wall and finally all seams are cleaned with a clerical knife. Cleaned no earlier than 7-8 days after laying the tiles, so that for some time the empty joints serve as a drain for humid air evaporating from the tile adhesive.