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Contractor Tips: How to Install Tile Flawlessly
Before you pick up a single tile, pull from these tips for expert results
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com), a remodeling company based in Philadelphia, PA.
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com),... More »
A great-looking tile job takes more than just picking beautiful tile. Preparation, planning and using the right products for the job are what separate good installs from great installs. Remember, tile is for the long haul. These tips will help ensure that your installation looks great and stands the test of time.
Lingo to know:
Lingo to know:
- Thinset: Mortar used to set tiles
- Screed: A flat wood or metal board used to level mortar or concrete before it dries
- Grout: A mixture of water, sand and cement that seals the joints in tile work
- Cut: Tiles that must be trimmed to fit against a wall or other obstruction
- Square to: Lay tile parallel to
- Jolly trim: A finishing and edge-protection profile for the outside corners of tiled surfaces
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First things first. Where will you have cuts? Make sure they won't be too small. Is the room square? If not, choose the most prominent wall and lay the tile parallel to it.
Is there a pattern to the tile? Think about where the pattern will fall and whether you want to center any fixtures or accessories on a certain part of the pattern.
Is there a pattern to the tile? Think about where the pattern will fall and whether you want to center any fixtures or accessories on a certain part of the pattern.
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| Anyplace where tile ends on a wall or on an outside corner is where you'll need to deal with a transition. Stone tile can be polished for a finished edge. Many tiles have matching bullnose pieces. Figuring out how you will handle these transitions is part of the planning process, because you will need to order these pieces with your tile. |
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by Kenny Grono
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| For a modern look, use Schluter's Jolly trim to cap the edge of the tile. Coordinate with the other metals in the room and make sure to compare the thickness of the tile to the trim so that it fully covers the edge without hanging over. The L-shaped Jolly trim has a perforated flange that gets set in the thinset before laying the tile — no fasteners are necessary. |
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Tile is heavy. Make sure your floor joists can handle the weight and put down ¾-inch plywood with ½-inch cement board embedded in thinset on top.
If the floor is in a spot prone to movement (for instance, where an addition meets the original house) consider installing a crack isolation membrane as well.
If the floor is in a spot prone to movement (for instance, where an addition meets the original house) consider installing a crack isolation membrane as well.
by Amoroso Design
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The installation will look only as good as the surface below. Check that your walls and floors are flat with a long straight-edge and use a screed to get the thinset into low spots. Keep in mind that a floor doesn't necessarily need to be level if the transitions to adjoining rooms make this difficult, but it does need to be flat.
by Lindy Donnelly
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Your floor does need to be level if you are going to use a baseboard-style trim piece. Note the base in this picture: Unlike most field tile, which can be cut to accommodate an uneven floor, base trim can't be cut without losing its profile.
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| Glass tile expands and contracts at a higher rate than other tiles, and is more prone to stress fractures. For this reason, small glass tiles can be installed in many applications, but large-format glass tile should be installed only in areas that have been prepared to avoid movement and won't be subject to large temperature swings. |
by Mason Miller
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Wait until the thinset has cured before you grout — it usually takes about a day. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and don't clean the tile with anything but water until the grout has fully cured.
If the grout is a light color, consider sealing it to make it easier to clean. For dark colors, this is generally not necessary. Remember, even sealed grout will allow some water to pass through — this is why shower pans have liners. This also means that tile needs to be set on cement board, not drywall, anyplace where it will get wet.
If the grout is a light color, consider sealing it to make it easier to clean. For dark colors, this is generally not necessary. Remember, even sealed grout will allow some water to pass through — this is why shower pans have liners. This also means that tile needs to be set on cement board, not drywall, anyplace where it will get wet.
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by Shirley Meisels
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| Anyplace where tile meets a surface that may move — counters and tubs are good examples — you'll need to seal the joints with a flexible sealant instead of grout. For tubs, 100% silicone is best. For counters, get a caulk that is color matched to your grout, available from your tile dealer. More: How to Shop for Tile Straight from Spain: Amazing New Trends in Tile |
Ideabook updated on Feb. 19, 2012.
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I also wanted to add a tip for any non-professionals who may be considering a DIY tile installation: Spacers. They are small, flexible and "+" shaped and are used while laying the tile over the thinset/adhesive to keep the tile uniform and square. The first 2 tile installations I attempted were done without spacers and the unevenness of the tiles was definitely noticeable once the installation was complete. A very costly mistake that could have been avoided for about $5 for a small bag of them.
The images below show 1x1 mosaic glass tile with Starglass grout in Diamond (nearly clear so that it takes on the color of the surrounding tile).
For those complaining about their installation that is a major problem in the tile contracting business. I've seen my fair share of bad jobs and had to fix them or got the remainder of a remodel to complete!
I had a customer who selected a bid that was $3000 under my bid for a 2500 sq ft of flooring. I was called a month later after the installer did everything possible to screw up the job (e.g. hired day laborers with no experience, inconsistent groute joints, tile lippage, non-square to wall layout causing 3 inch offset in doorway. They also had ridiculously unlevel and wavy glass backsplash. And make matters worse they ruined the kitchen stainless steel sink where they had mixed and washed up. And the contractor was ready to put a lean on the customer for non payment of the balance due! I said the only thing I could do was rip it up and start over. Bottom line is you get what you pay for! Therefore my motto is, "Pay me now or pay me later!"
I am a tile contractor who specializes in kitchen and bath remodels and custom tile installations. My experience has been that the majority of people do not want to pay the price to have a quality installation done. They think anyone can do tile, including themselves and would rather go with the lowest bidder even though if you do the math there is on way that a person can make any money on what they bid or a person can justify the cost of their time and the tools required to set the tile. So now they expect a quality job, with quality setting materials and are suprised when they get a poor quality installation all the way around.
With a low price comes the cheapest non-modified or incorrect application thin-set, no spacers, no leveling clips for large tile, non-consistent groute joint size, tile lippage, etc. The problem with the majority of budget tile contractors / setters is that they don't pay their people what the job is worth or use the correct installaton materials and tools for the job. They are are more worried abouttheir bottom line with fast quanity results and on to the next job than efficient quality results and customer satisfaction.
The ability to set a floor does not qualify a tile installer to do backsplashes and tille / shower surrounds or any custom type of tile installation. With the complexity of today's tile product materials, sizes, shapes, layouts, etc. there a few tile contractors who can provide a quality instllation. Tile on walls, especially kitchen backsplashes, and tub / shower surrounds are way above the pay grade and skill of most tile setters.
So the next time you as a consumer decide to get some tile installed consider the skill, effort, time and materials required for a quality installation and pay accordingly or you will get what you pay for. And get references!
Venting off!
PLAN YOUR CUTS , especially with larger tiles.
Nothing annoys me more than arbitrary cuts in a perfect tile grid. I have seen great bathrooms (even on Houzz) where the shower niche is poorly placed to match the tile wall around it.
I am drawing my bath-in-progress in Illustrator, so I can plan the cuts, and then am going to transfer the grid to the wall with marker.