Walls:: tiled wall coverings. The cost of wall cladding with tiles depends on:
1. the surface of the walls.
Ideal option-the wall surface is flat, the permissible deviation of the surface is not more than 10 mm. for the entire height (length) of the room, and no more than two irregularities up to 3 mm deep or high.
2. tile quality.
Ideally, the deviation of the tile thickness is up to 0.5 mm, and the tiles should be the same in color shade and surface structure (for this purpose, the codes on the tile packages must match).
3. requirements for the quality of tile laying-see Appendix #2.
4. the adhesive composition must comply with the appropriate environmental conditions (dry room, wet room, wet room, room with a chemically active medium, room exposed to temperature changes from negative to positive values).
5. See the seam between the tiles. Appendix #2.
6. The cheapest option is a single – color drawing with a row arrangement of tiles.
7. installation of niches, shelves, hatches leads to an increase in the cost of work.
8. the urgency of work, without compromising the quality, increases the cost of laying tiles.
Preparing for work
After an agreement to perform wall tiling works, it is necessary to collect tools and work clothes. For a list of tools, see Appendix # 1. Work clothes should be comfortable, preferably with pockets and knee pads. When cutting tiles with electric tools (for example, a” grinder”), you must use a respirator. To protect your hands, use a cream. Check the tile codes (numbers and letters) located on the tile packaging. These codes, which indicate the color and shade of the tile, its roughness, etc., must match. Otherwise, you must either exchange the tile at the place of purchase, or sort the tile so that it is placed in certain places on the walls.
After that, you need to bring the tile to the room where it will be laid, put it in columns, about 50-60 pieces in height. It is necessary to place the columns as close as possible to the working surfaces, but so that there are no obstacles to work. Curbside, non-standard tiles are placed in the far corner to avoid their possible breakage. When laying tiles in columns, it is advisable to orient them equally-this saves a lot of time in the future.
Defective tiles should be folded separately and then used either for cutting or for laying in places where their defects are not so visible (in the corners behind furniture, behind the bathroom, behind the toilet, etc.).
If plumbing equipment is already located in the work area, it is necessary to cover it with plastic wrap, hardboard, cardboard, etc. The bath is usually covered with plywood 10-15 mm thick,or chipboard. This protects the tub from accidental debris falling into it and supports the installation of a bucket of adhesive solution, tools or tiles. If the floor in the work area is already tiled, it also needs to be closed. Knowing the thickness of the joints between the tiles, you need to prepare in advance crosses or special gaskets that will be inserted between the tiles. It is advisable to have a damp cloth on hand, in case you need to wipe dirty tiles or hands.
Surface preparation.
1. stone, brick and concrete surfaces should be well cleaned of whitewash, old paint, etc. If necessary, the wall surfaces should be plastered according to the permissible deviations. Appendix #3.
2. plaster or painted surfaces should be cut with an axe, chisel or other tool. Electric manual machines can be used. Notches are made so as to leave as many strokes on the surface as possible: about 500 pieces per square meter.
3. wooden surfaces require filling Shingles or strengthening metal mesh with subsequent plastering.
4. cover the walls of plasterboard sheets with plastic mesh.
5. joints of dissimilar surfaces (for example, a wooden partition is adjacent to a brick, stone, or concrete one) should be tightened with a strip, blocking the joint by 50 mm in both directions. At the same time, cracks will never appear at the joint.
6. break loose surfaces to a solid base, and then cover with cement mortar.
7. electrical wires are bricked up in the wall.
8. it is desirable that the door jamb is already inserted into the doorway.
Marking of surfaces.
I measure all the walls in length and height. I emphasize the corners from which the rows of tiles start. Cut tiles should be placed in corners that are not directly visible at the entrance to the room, or in corners that will be blocked by furniture. If the last tile in the horizontal row is less than 20 mm in size, it is better to cut the first tile in the row.
Make sure that the horizontal rows of tiles converge at the place that is least visible (for example, above the entrance door). If possible, arrange the tiles in horizontal rows so that whole tiles are found in the attachment points of faucets or internal electrical outlets. Tiles must be distributed in height so that the floor has a whole tile. If the tile is placed from the bathroom level, a whole row of tiles should start from the top level of the bathroom. If there is a tile apron around the tub, then the apron is laid out first, then a whole row of tiles. If you plan to install curbs on the wall, mark the rows of curbs. If there are supposed to be insert tiles on the wall, it is necessary to mark their locations, preferably on prominent walls and at the height of a person’s eyes. In places where the tile will be closed with door platbands, it is better to lay cut tiles.
Preparation of glue.
I usually use tile glue in the form of a dry mix (Eunice, ATLAS, etc.). In a 10-15 liter bucket, I pour about 3 liters of water, then pour the glue to the mark of about 2/3 of the bucket, then scroll with a whisk held in an electric drill at low speed (about 800 revolutions per minute). It is advisable to use a powerful low-speed drill for this purpose and hold it more firmly in your hands. After mixing, gradually add water and mix until a smooth creamy mass is obtained. If the tile is laid in areas of the walls that are at risk of falling, it is necessary to add PVA glue to the adhesive solution at the rate of 0.5 liters per 10 liters of the finished PVA glue solution, preferably add to water, and then mix. In cases when the thickness of the adhesive composition on the wall exceeds 0.5 mm, you can add a dry cement mixture to the adhesive mass (2-3 kg of cement mixture per 10 liters of the finished adhesive composition). Adding a cement mix makes the adhesive solution more viscous, and also saves expensive tile glue. In any case, you can not add alabaster to the adhesive solution, this reduces the adhesive properties of the solution and makes it more susceptible to water vapor. It should be remembered that too thin adhesive solution causes leakage on the wall, which leads to curvature of the position, drowning of the tile, as well as contamination of the tile. This solution is much harder to work with. Too thick an adhesive solution leads to the fact that the tile does not fit well to the wall, and additional efforts are required to glue it. Due to poor spreading, voids appear between the tile and the adhesive solution, which reduces the strength of the tile’s adhesion to the wall. It is also necessary to remember that the finished adhesive solution must be periodically mixed (you can manually) and add water to it, since the solution becomes more viscous by coincidence. In order to save glue, you need to remove the remains of the adhesive solution that are not used from the walls, add water to them and mix, after which the solution is ready for use again. If the person who prepares the adhesive solution does not tolerate dust well, a respirator must be worn while mixing the mixture with an electric drill.
Laying tiles
After carrying out the preparatory work, you can start laying tiles directly.
To avoid cracking of the skin of the hands, it is necessary to lubricate them with cream (silicone hand cream is best suited for this).
The first option.
A bathtub is already installed.
On the basis of the bath, we set the rule (flat rail) by level. The ideal case is when the width of the rule coincides with the width of the border tile that is placed between the bathroom and the main array of tiles on the wall. Otherwise, gaskets are placed under the rail.
To better attach the rail to the wall, you can fix it with screws. After establishing the rule with a wide spatula, apply a layer of adhesive solution to the wall, then level the solution with a combed spatula. Lay out the first row of tiles. We also do it on the next wall.
When laying tiles, it is necessary to ensure that the tile is well attached to the wall, there are no distortions and drowning. During the laying process, you need to check the level of the plane of the laid out rows vertically and horizontally as often as possible. You should also monitor the thickness of the adhesive solution, i.e. that the thickness of the adhesive layer under the tile remains unchanged, there are no dips or bumps. To do this, I use a rule or level with a length of 120-150 cm. I don’t use beacons. In the seams between the tiles, they mostly put special crosses of different thicknesses, I use special gaskets that I cut out of cardboard of different thicknesses. Since most tiles are uneven both in size and in corners, and in order not to sort and use all the tiles, I change the thickness of the joints between the tiles in fractions of a millimeter by changing the thickness of the gaskets or their number. The use of gaskets gives a thin seam between tiles, and this is very important when covering the latter with sealant (I mainly cover the seams between tiles with sealant). I will not describe the process of laying tiles on crosses, I think that everyone knows about this for a long time. After laying out the first row of tiles, I put tiles in the corners of the walls, if necessary, I put a plastic corner. Then we move from the corners to the middle of the walls and so to the ceiling. When buying plastic corners, you need to choose them so that the size of the groove of the corner is slightly larger than the thickness of the tile. It is advisable not to spread the tile to the full height of the wall in one working day of the walls, in order to give the tile a stronger bond with the wall. Therefore, we set up a rule on the level of the bath, on the walls adjacent to the bath, and lay out tiles from the rule up as described earlier. The next day, we move the rules to other walls and move up from them. Where the rules were removed, we put tiles down the wall. This operation is complex, so it requires attention and a certain skill. Before laying, you need to calculate as accurately as possible the number of whole tiles from the laid out first layer to the floor (taking into account the thickness of the seams) and cut the first tile from the floor. Then we paste the first tile from the floor and the subsequent tiles above it to the already existing row. At the same time, use the rule or level to constantly check the horizontal and vertical lines, as well as the planes of new tiles. I usually lay out tiles from the bath in opposite directions so that the rows of tiles converge over the entrance door to the bathroom. This is an inconspicuous place in the bathroom, especially since sometimes a lamp is located above the door, which partially covers the joint of tiles.
Where plumbing pipes come out of the wall, you need to drill holes in the tile with a diameter of 40-60 mm. I do this with a special device (a ballerina on two legs) and a drill at high speeds without using a percussion mechanism. In places where tiles are connected to podrozetniki, plumbing pipes with a diameter of 100 mm. and much more. I bite off the tile with special wire cutters (electric wire cutters are not suitable). Roughness of the tile is sanded on a cutting machine or manually with a whetstone,or on an electric whetstone. For cutting tiles, I use a tile cutter (a bed with a lever attached to it with a cutting wheel). I work with a cutter with a powerful base, a lever on bearings and a 40 mm long bed. If it is impossible to cut the tile with a cutter, I use an angle grinder (grinder) with a power of 600-800 watts. with a diamond cutting disc, you need to take into account that when cutting tiles with a grinder, a lot of dust rises.
The second option.
There are no plumbing fixtures in the bathroom.
First, you need to calculate the tile according to the height of the room so that under the ceiling you do not get strips of cut tiles with a width of 30 mm. and less-it’s ugly and unreliable. Therefore, in this case, it is better to cut off the tile in the first row from the floor. We start laying tiles from the floor up using the technology described above.
Let no one be confused by the fact that the corners of the tile can sometimes be unfilled with glue, the role of glue will be played by the sealant that fills the tile joints. Moreover, according to GOST, it is allowed when the tile surface is filled with glue for at least 23 of its surface area.
Installation of niches, shelves, hatches, boxes, etc.
It is necessary to make frames and attach them to the walls. The frame is made of profiles for drywall or wooden bars. The frame is sheathed with moisture-resistant drywall (light green leaves) or asbestos-cement sheet, or moisture-resistant plywood. Self-tapping screws are screwed in secretly.
Glue the plastic wrap over the sheets. Niches, shelves, etc. should preferably be covered with whole tiles. Frame the corners with corners. Boxes for plumbing pipes should be made removable. The sunroof under the tub near the siphon must be at least 30×40 cm in size. For easy access in case of plumbing breakage or maintenance. The space under the bathroom is usually sealed off tightly. This is inconvenient because the feet rest on the tiles at floor level. At this level, I make a tile undercutting either blind or through-to somehow use the space under the bathroom. In places where it is difficult to glue tiles to the adhesive solution, it is better to use liquid nails (universal construction glue Titebond heavy duty).
Grouting of joints.
Before grouting the joints, remove the gaskets from the joints and clean the joints from the remaining adhesive solution. Lubricate your hands with silicone cream. Prepare a wet cloth. Take an acrylic-silicone sealant of any color (such as Allex plus), preferably a 300 ml tube. For the syringe. Unscrew the cap or cut off the spout obliquely at about 60 degrees. The inner diameter of the cut is approximately 2 mm. Insert the tube into the syringe and gently guide along the seams, constantly suppressing the syringe. It is desirable to drive the syringe with the same speed and the same pressure on it. I usually fill the joints with about 5 tiles, then use a damp cloth to remove any excess sealant. The sealant hardens in about 15-20 minutes, taking the form of rubber. It is advisable to wet the rag with water more often. It is also advisable to wash your hands with water more often. Filling tile joints with sealant gives veneered walls extra strength.
Attachment of plumbing fittings.
It is advisable not to disturb the tile during the day after gluing. It is better to leave marks on the tile with a felt-tip pen or wax pencil. It is better to drill the tile away from the edges because there is less glue at the edges of the tile, in addition, the edges of the tile can chip off. I drill the tile with an electric drill at high speeds (drilling without impact) with a 4 mm victory drill, then 6-10 mm. Once the drill bit has passed through the tile, you can switch the drill to impact mode (if the wall is concrete or brick).
Repair of tile coverings.
If the tile on the wall needs to be replaced carefully with a sharp knife or blade, cut through the sealant in the tile seams, then remove it. Carefully chisel off the diseased tile along the edge. After that, we split it into small pieces, which we remove. Next, we chip a layer of frozen glue with a chisel, apply new glue and glue a new tile, fixing it with gaskets. Sometimes the sealant is very absorbed into the joints, so you have to go through such places with the sealant again. Acrylic-silicone sealant does not change its color for more than 10 years, but in places of constant contact with water, it can darken over time, the old sealant can be removed with a knife and a new one applied. This operation will take a little time and effort.
Shutdown
After finishing the work, you must thoroughly wash your hands, wash the bucket, spatulas and whisk from the remaining adhesive solution. Wipe the tiles on the wall with a damp cloth.
Possible problems
If you are drilling a tile with a running tile surface, you need to change the angle of the drill bit sharpening.
If the sealant is not applied when the syringe is pressed, insert a long nail through the beak of the tube and pierce the membrane inside the tube.
Do not use silicone sealant as a tile joint filler. It adheres very strongly to tiles, hands, tools and is poorly washed off with water.
Keep in mind that for a sealant, the thinner the joint between tiles, the better, and for a grout for tiles – the opposite.
Appendix # 1 List of tools
- Bucket of 10-15l.
- Electric drill, Bulgarian, Electric grinder
- Mixing whisk, Comb spatula, Flat spatula
- Hammer, chisel, chisel, pliers, pliers, knife
- Ballerina girl
- Victory drills
- Nails, self-tapping screws, plastic dowels
- Level 120, 150cm., standard or wooden rail
- Grinding Stone
- Tile Cutter
- Felt-tip pen, tape measure, square
- Gaskets for tile joints
- Construction syringe
- Hacksaw for metal
- Respirator, hand cream
- Electric extension cable (if necessary)
Appendix No. 2 table of permissible deviations of surfaces during tiling
| Naming of geometric shapes of surfaces of linear dimensions | Facing area | ||
| External | Internal | ||
| Ceramic products | Ceramic products | Polystyrene tiles | |
| Deviation of the facing surface from the vertical by 1 m. | 2 | 1.5 | 1 |
| Deviation of the surface from the vertical by the height of the floor | 5 | 4 | – |
| Deviation of the joint arrangement from the vertical and horizontal by 1 m. | 2 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Deviation of the joint arrangement from the vertical and horizontal for the entire length of the row (within the architectural division) | 4 | 3 | – |
| Divergence of the profile at the joints of architectural details and seams | 1 | 0.5 | – |
| Unevenness of the surface under a two-meter rail | 2 | 1 | No more than two irregularities up to 1 mm |
| Joint thickness | 2.5+-0.5 | 2+-0.5 | 0.5 |
Appendix No. 3 – table of permissible deviations of surfaces during treatment with monolithic plaster
| Naming of surfaces and linear materials | Acceptable processing deviations | ||
| simple | improved | high-quality | |
| Unevenness of the surface (detected when a rule or template with a length of 2 meters is applied) | No more than three irregularities up to 5 mm deep or high | No more than two irregularities up to 3 mm deep or high | No more than two irregularities up to 2 mm deep or high |
| Deviation of the wall (ceiling) surface from the vertical (horizontal) | 15 mm for the entire height (length) of the room | 1 mm per 1 m of height (length), but not more than 10 mm for the entire height (length) of the room | 1 mm per 1 m of height (length), but not more than 5 mm for the entire height (length) of the room |
| Deflection of husks, moustaches, window and door slopes, pilasters, pillars | 10 mm for the entire element | 1 mm per 1 m of height or length, but not more than 5 mm per element | 1 mm per 1 m of height or length, but not more than 3 mm per element |
| Deviation of the radius of curved surfaces from the design value | 10 mm | 7 mm | 5 mm |
| Deviation of the plastered slope width from the design one | Not checked | 3 mm | 2 mm |
| Deviation of rods from a straight line within the limits between the angles of intersection of rods and release | 6 mm | 3 mm | 2 mm |