The article provides a sequence of operations when covering walls with tiles, and also discusses the principles of choosing materials for surface decoration. Wall tiling is a popular option for cladding interior and exterior partitions for a durable and aesthetically pleasing finish. We learn about the main stages of construction and repair work when laying material from this article.
Features of the choice of tiles for walls
There are many different types of wall tiles that differ in manufacturing technology, performance properties, and aesthetic characteristics. In order not to miscalculate with the choice, follow our recommendations:
- For bathroom finishes, choose tiles that resist chemicals. These include cleaning agents, cosmetics, hygiene products. Get low-porosity and acid-resistant tiles for the bathroom, the degree of wear resistance and strength characteristics are not important for this room. You can find out the degree of resistance to chemical attack by the letter marks on the package. Marking "AA" is applied to the packaging of material with a high degree of resistance, the presence of other letters - "B", "C", "D" - indicates a low resistance of the samples to chemicals.
- A kitchen covering should have the same characteristics as a bathroom, and additionally have a smooth surface for better cleaning.
- At the entrance to a house or apartment, cover the walls with unglazed tiles with a sufficiently high degree of wear resistance.
All information about the properties of the product is on its packaging, you just need to correctly decipher the symbols. The hand drawing notifies buyers that the tiles are wall tiles. Frost-resistant products are marked with snowflakes. The sign is repeated several times: the parameter level is very high.
Before buying, check the quality of the tiles, the simplest options for checking are given below:
- The front surface of the product must be flat. Place two tiles face-to-face and inspect the joint for gaps. In the absence of gaps, the tiles are suitable for use.
- High quality single-color samples are always stripe-free.
- There are no chips, pits or cracks on the gluing side.
- The ends of the tiles are straight, the workmanship is checked when the sample is applied to a flat surface.
- Give preference to tiles of the 1st grade. Products of grades 2 or 3 will differ in size and color shades.
- Buy tiles with the same calibration, its value is printed on the original packaging. The same marking on different tile packages means that they contain tiles of the same size, within the tolerance range.
When choosing products, pay attention to the color and texture of the material. Ill-considered decisions can cause irritable reactions:
- In small rooms, light elements look good, they visually increase the area.
- Colored fixtures can change the color of the coating. For example, a blue frosting looks green under yellow light.
- Glazed tiles are highly reflective.
- Scratches and chips are clearly visible on glossy black tiles, but dirt is not visible.
To determine the number of tiles, measure the dimensions of the wall and calculate the area of the site. Subtract the area of the door, window and other openings from the result. Divide the tile area by the area of one sample and round up to a larger number. When calculating, take into account the dimensions of the frieze, border, etc.
Buy 10% more tiles for the following cases: if defective elements are found in a batch of tiles; a certain number of elements will need to be cut or drilled; for a reserve for unforeseen repairs.
Rules for the selection of adhesive for tiles on walls
Peeling of tiles from the wall is the main defect of this type of coating. Consider the material and size of the coating elements to obtain a strong bond. The weight of the tile depends on these characteristics: the heavier it is, the higher the adhesive properties of the glue (adhesion to the wall) should be. The degree of adhesion is printed on the product packaging. The choice of glue is also influenced by the operating conditions: temperature range, permissible humidity, maximum mechanical load.
In order for the consumer to be guided in a variety of adhesives, manufacturers have introduced a classification of mixtures. The mixture marked C1 according to EN12004 is intended for outdoor use, as well as for use in dry and wet conditions. The amount of adhesion is 0.5 mPa.
C1 mixture according to EN12004 has an adhesion of 1 mPa and is used indoors. The adhesive solution has increased plasticity, is not afraid of temperature changes, does not crumble at high humidity.
The third group includes adhesives with special properties:
- Mixtures for operation at high temperatures.
- White adhesives for fixing light or transparent tiles.
- Frost-resistant - withstand low temperatures.
- Moisture resistant - used in bathrooms or showers.
Depending on the composition of the wall, all bases are divided into simple and complex, therefore adhesive solutions are selected individually for each case. Simple surfaces include concrete, brick, sand-cement screeds, etc. Complex surfaces - glass, wood, metal, etc. The packaging of the glue contains information about the recommended type of coating, with which the glue interacts perfectly.
The glue is also distinguished by the composition of the elements:
- Cement adhesives are considered to be the best means for fixing tiles. Divorced shortly before use.
- The paste-like glue is sold ready-to-use, but its fastening reliability is low.
- Epoxies have two components that are bonded before use. They are used in extreme conditions, for example, in damp rooms.
The consumption of glue depends on the skill of the tiler, the unevenness of the wall, the material of the base wall, the degree of absorbency of the tile. When determining the amount of glue, it is generally accepted that for a layer of 5 mm, 5-6 kg of glue per 1 m will be needed2 tiles, for a layer of 10 mm - twice as much.
Tile mounting technology on the wall
Consider the technology of laying tiles of the simplest option - seam in seam. The cladding is done in several stages.
Tools for fixing tiles to the wall
For high-quality wall cladding with a slab, you will need the following tools:
- Tile cutter, grinder - necessary for cutting tiles.
- The level is needed to control the quality of the installation. For work, you will need two tools: 30 cm long to control the position of one tile, 1 m - to control the coverage of the entire wall.
- Drill with a diamond core - with its help, holes are made for sockets, switches, pipes, etc.
- Spatulas: one wide for smoothing the mortar on the wall, the other narrow for applying the mixture to a wide instrument. Also stock up on a rubber trowel for grouting.
- A mixer is needed to prepare the glue.
Preparing walls for tiling
The flat base guarantees high-quality installation of the tiles on the wall. Even an inexperienced installer can handle the job if the surface is prepared in advance.
Modification of the walls includes the following operations:
- Cleaning the wall from the former cladding - wallpaper, paint, old tiles, glue. You will need a hammer and chisel to work, and gloves and glasses to protect your hands and eyes.
- Determination of the quality of the plaster is carried out visually. In the presence of blisters, or if the plaster crumbles after applying a load, it is knocked down to the brickwork.
- Measurement of the deviation of the surface from the vertical is carried out using a plumb line. When tilted by more than 3 mm, the wall is plastered. If the slope of the wall is not eliminated, then after laying the tiles, gaps in the corners will appear, which are difficult to eliminate.
- Checking the perpendicularity of the walls in the corners of the room is carried out using a square. In the absence of 90 degrees, finish the wall with plaster. The absence of a right angle will be revealed after the completion of construction work when arranging furniture.
- Controls the concavity and convexity of the base wall. Measurements are taken using a cord stretched along the wall surface or a long rule. If the wall deviates more than 3 mm over a length of 1 m, the surface should be reworked.
Based on the results of checking the condition of the wall, a decision is made on how to level the surface. The rework method depends on the scope of work.
When eliminating a small defect, you will need two spatulas: a large one up to 1 m long for applying on the wall and leveling the mortar, a small one 10-20 cm for placing the mortar on a large tool. Irregularities are eliminated with a solution of sand and cement. When processing small areas, the mixture is poured onto a large spatula and rubbed into the wall in a circular motion. The work is controlled by a cord that is pulled along the wall.
Large wall surfaces are processed along basic surfaces (beacons), in the form of T-shaped profiles. The slats are installed with the crossbar of the letter to the wall in a position in which the outer side of the profile is located in the vertical plane. Lighthouses are sold in heights from 5 to 10 mm. The length of the rail is standard - 3 m, before use, a piece of the required length is cut from it.
Modification of the wall is performed as follows:
- Mount the beacon vertically at the corner of the wall. To fix the lath, an alabaster solution is applied pointwise to the ceiling. This material hardens quickly and does not allow the profile to deviate from the intended position. The vertical distance between the rail attachment points is 500 mm.
- Press the profile to the mortar and set it in a vertical plane.
- Fix the second beacon in the same way in the opposite corner of the wall.
- Pull the cords between the profiles in a horizontal plane, with a step of 1000-1500 mm.
- Fasten the remaining beacons between the installed profiles in increments of 1-1.5 m. After the alabaster hardens, the beacons should touch the stretched cord.
- Remove the cords from the wall.
- Throw the solution on the wall in small portions and level it with a rule, leaning on the beacons with the tool. The work is carried out from the bottom up.
Before gluing the tiles to the wall, check the condition of the surface:
- Check the strength of the surface by tapping.
- The permissible deviation of the wall from the vertical is 2 mm / m. Control - using a level with two eyes.
- Flatness is checked using a long rule. After attaching the tool to the wall, a gap of up to 2 mm between the wall and the rule is allowed.
- If deviations from the standard values are found, finish the wall with putty.
- At the end of the test, prime the wall with a moisture-resistant compound.
Marking rows of tiles for walls
When decorating walls with tiles, it is necessary to constantly monitor the vertical, horizontal and flatness of the coating. Deviations will be minimal if there are base marks on the wall.
If the floor surface is finally formed and located in a horizontal plane, it is used as the reference surface for the first row of the covering. It is not always possible to lay the first row of tiles on the floor, often you have to start from the second or third row. There may be several reasons: at the very bottom of the wall there are sewer and water pipes, the final floor covering is not ready.
If a fractional number of tiles is placed in the vertical row of the coating (between the floor and the ceiling), it is necessary to determine empirically the level at which the first row of tiles should be located. To do this, count the number of whole tiles in a vertical row that provides a 3-5mm gap between the last tile and the ceiling. Raise and lower the level of the first row if necessary.
If this requirement is not adhered to, then a large gap can form between the ceiling and the tile, which is difficult to seal. Place a mark on the wall to line up the first row of tiles. Below it will be the bottom row of cut-in-place products. Transfer the level to all walls that you plan to cladding.
Attach a flat batten to the wall so that the top surface matches the line on the floor. Count how many whole items will fit in one horizontal row. Often one tile has to be cut. If a very narrow strip remains, move the tiles so that there is a gap of the same width on both sides. Mark on the wall the position of the vertical ends closest to the corners of the unfinished tiles, draw vertical lines through them.
The marks applied to the wall form a square of two vertical lines in the corners and one horizontal at the bottom of the wall, which will not allow the rows to deviate in the horizontal and vertical planes.
Fixing tiles to the wall
Wall cladding with tiles is done in different ways. The most common styling methods are:
- Seam to seam … Tiles are placed in rows vertically and horizontally using a plumb line and a horizontal level.
- In the dressing … The middle of the tile in the higher row should be above the stitch in the lower row.
- Diagonal laying … It is used when processing large areas. In this case, the seams of the tiles are at right angles.
First, the entire wall is divided into squares installed on one of the vertices, then the material is laid in the selected areas.
Apply with a notched trowel to the wall, three tiles wide, a layer of adhesive just above the sample. Cover the tiles with glue, and the marks on the mortar from the trowel should be at right angles to the marks on the wall. If cement-sand glue is used as an adhesive, then before laying the tiles on the wall, soak them in water so that the moisture from the solution is not absorbed into the material. Remember that after 30 minutes the glue will lose its properties.
Attach the tile to the wall supported on a horizontal batten, aligning the edge of the tile with the vertical line drawn on the wall. Press it gently against the wall and make sure that the glue is evenly distributed over the plane. Alternately apply a level to the upper end and to the plane of the tile and check the horizontal and verticality of the material.
Glue the next 2 tiles in the same way. Leave gaps of 2-4 mm between the elements, which are provided by crosses. Clearances are necessary to prevent tiles from peeling and cracking when heated. Check the flatness of the row by placing an edge on the surfaces of three tiles at once. If there are gaps between the level and the tiles, remove them by gently hammering in the elements with a rubber mallet or by pulling back the samples near the gap.
Repeat the operation and finish the wall with whole tiles to the end of the row. Measure the remaining gap between the tile and the wall and cut the required piece out of the blank. The tile is cut with a tile cutter; it is better to cut off sections of a tile in a 2 cm row with a grinder.
Proceed to the next row and repeat the tiling operations. After covering the wall to the ceiling, the bottom row can be finished. Remove the horizontal batten from the wall under the first row. Measure the dimensions between the tiles and the floor. Cut the tiles and number them to avoid confusion when laying. Use circular drills and core bits to make pipe holes. The bottom row is laid in the same way as on the main surface.
Grouting the joints between the tiles on the walls
Not earlier than a day after the end of laying the coating, perform the last stage of finishing the wall with tiles - grouting. For this purpose, a special putty with water-repellent, antifungal properties is used.
The seams are closed as follows:
- Clean seams from glue, dust and crosses.
- Fill the gaps with mortar using a rubber trowel. Wash off the rest of the mixture from the wall with a damp sponge. To make the seam look aesthetically pleasing, take a piece of wire that is slightly larger than the seam width and run through all the gaps. The putty will even out and look much prettier.
- After the grout has completely dried, wipe the tiles with a clean cloth. To give additional gloss, the products are coated with a special solution.
How to fix tiles to walls - watch the video:
[media = https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = 49aYz9HNW1U] Laying tiles on walls with your own hands requires concentration, attention and endurance. In order not to be disappointed with the results of the work done, carefully study the intricacies of laying tiles on the wall and do not violate the work technology.
