From the first thought of purchasing tiles to the last part of grouting and cleaning your tiles for use there can be many mistakes made along the way. Even the simplistic part of being caught short of tiles because you didn’t purchase enough can be the first mistake that someone can make at the point of purchase. From the start many home owners make insufficient plans and make more mistakes along the way due in part to improper planning or not properly setting a plan in motion from the beginning to the end.
One of the first mistakes made in laying tile is not making a dry run, as many call it. Making a dry run to properly lay out in pattern or preparing the surface is very important. It is the most important to make sure that the surface in which you are going to lay your tile on is properly cleaned and very smooth. Without having both of these factors in place your tiles can easily become uneven, unstable and worse off they can crack or dislodge after a period of time. Making that dry run a priority is also a factor in this step as once the surface is prepared making a layout of the pattern or noted colors can and will make your project much easier to move forward with. When trying to understand this process you may find much more help when searching your Houston granite outlet or any other local outlet with helpful faces to better prepare a project.
Another major mistake comes to many when it is time to lay down the grout. Grouting for tiles should be done at least 24 hours after putting the tiles down in place with an adhesive or mortar. Many mistakes of properly grouting tiles is to make sure that it is not uneven or done too quickly. When putting grout in its place it is best to spread it out evenly and slowly with a squeegee. Improperly or hastily putting grout in its place can lead to drying out of spots or areas and may also cause your tiles to become uneven in areas. In this process it is also very important to remove any excess grout immediately after laying your tiles due in fact that once it dries it will be much harder to remove.
A major mistake by many is in choosing the wrong adhesive to lay your tiles down to the surface with. In choosing it is most important to know that there are many types from your basic adhesive to types for humid areas like bathrooms, swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. In many of these cases a waterproof type of adhesive is your only option. Even good fitting tiles can take in water through the adhesive which can cause it to break down and not bond with the non-waterproof type adhesives should you have to change course. In choosing the proper adhesive many homeowners also tend to spread this bonding agent to smoothly causing yet more issues with proper setting of your tiles.
Two things that many people make a mistake with when laying tiles is not using battens and on the opposite side, many try to use the dotting corners affect, which can be a problematic thing for some. Battens are usually thin long wood slats in horizontal and vertical positions helping many lay tiles in straight lines. These battens many times do not have to be wooden and some experts use metal rods as well. Trying to set tiles without such a proper helping tool can often result in offset tiles or a strange look that can appear with the tile surface or pattern. Dotting corners can be a mistake that has many issues for some people. This process is the use of adding dots of adhesive to the corners of the tiles so as to create a stronger bonding. In reality this actually increases the chance of cracking due in fact that when the adhesive shrinks upon drying it will add pressure to the tile due to the uneven bonding to its underside. When understanding or wanting to know more you may spend time looking in for a Houston granite outlet or other local outlets to secure the correct procedure and layout of this noted issue.
There are several other kinds of mistakes that can be made in laying tiles but one of the most is not discovering and fixing any kind of mistake quickly enough. When setting tiles you may have awkward spots here and there and without a person not involved in the project itself it can go undetected until it’s too late. It is ideal to bring in a fresh eye to the project within the first 12 hours of the end of a project as the faster you spot problems the easier they are to fix. Anything past 12 hours can make it extremely difficult to repair since the grout will be hardening within another 12 hour span of time. As noted prior, proper planning and understanding of the project you are about to take on when laying tiles can often be the key to a successful and rewarding outcome.
Tim Love has spent many an hour removing bad tiles through lack of planning ahead.