You are tickled pink when you get to have the satisfactorily modernized look for the home you have been dreaming of; merely by the aesthetically pleasing tile work in the outdoor and indoor areas. However, a small mistake while laying tiles either on the floor, the wall, or on the existing tiles can land you down in the dumps. Working to stop something from happening is easier and better than having to try to resolve it later.
Fortune smiles on you; as we here, with the help of this blog will be helping you out to avoid these 5 tiling mistakes while installation so that you are left with the right knowledge to a professional finish.
1. Not preparing the surface
Prior to tiling, you might be requiring a lot of time and patience to be invested for the right preparations of the underlying surface; but the same can crucially cut back the risk of adhesive application failure. This can be done by cleaning and smoothening the surface and removing any contaminants such as grease, dirt, etc. The removal of any coatings before the installation of tiles and leveling of the surface is also essential as the unprepared surfaces will not allow the adhesive to stick, thereby leading to failure while installation.
2. Using inappropriate adhesives
You can find a miscellany of adhesives in the market; mass-produced by various tile adhesive manufacturers in India, proving to be promising but every type serves a specific role. The costly adhesive you are using for your small tile might not turn out to be beneficial for sticking large tiles to the underlying surface. Moreover, the bathroom tiles which are oft-time exposed to more dampness might get loosened and hence, require a special kind of adhesive i.e.
one which is waterproofing to avoid water damage. Therefore, it is very important to have a better knowledge of the use of a variety of adhesives. Depending upon the area where the tile working is to be done, different adhesives can be discovered to be waterproofing, heat resistant, rapid setting, ready-mix, flexible adhesives, etc. It is simply misleading to say that one can be used in place of another, as this will be wrongdoing leading to the deterioration of the tiled area.
3. Miscalculations while ordering tiles
Not ordering enough tiles is a common boo-boo. It is sensible to always order a few tiles more or simply 10% of what is exactly required in numbers to be laid over the respective surface; taking into account the mistakes while cutting the tiles, wastage, breakages, unforeseen mishaps, or replacement of cracked tiles, if any, in the future. To overcome tile shortfall, proper planning and accurate measurements are of utmost importance.
4. Dotting and Dabbing the corners
It is a common misconception that applying adhesives by adding dots to the corners and the middle of the tile will save you a lot of time and money, but the thought is like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, as this will lead to a weaker bond between the tile and the surface. Also, the gaps left in between will allow the water to seep in, thereby, emerging out as the biggest mistake leading to the popping off of tiles from the surface which will, in turn, cause you a huge loss. The time and cost incurred then for repairing and replacements of tiles will be far beyond the savings you thought of. It is advisable to apply the adhesive evenly on the backside of the tiles with a smooth finish which will not only avoid any water damage but also provide a stronger bond that will help the tile to stay intact and leveled.
5. Bad grouting
Grouting should be done in a proper manner without any haste to fill the gaps in between the tiles to ensure that they stay intact. Don’t let improper grouting ruin your till-date efforts. Allow enough time for the adhesive to set by carrying out the grouting process in a systemized manner. The grout lines should be clean and even avoid cracks. Take your time with grouting as grouting too quickly will give rise to voids between tiles, thusly, leaving the tiles unprotected and not fully sealed. There should be a provision of at least 3 hours for the wet grout to dry before cleaning the tiles, as by not doing so you will ultimately require reapplication due to wiping away the grout residue while it is still wet. The protruding grout should also be fixed immediately.
Diversity in aesthetics makes a home interesting and so does the vogue of the stylish tiles. With the understanding of erasure of these common mistakes from your tiling procedure, you can now update your home and give it a fresh look.
Author Bio: Magicrete is the leading manufacturer & Supplier of AAC bricks, waterproofing products, concrete blocks, precast construction solutions, dry mix mortar products & green building construction materials in Gujarat. Contact us today.
