Laying tiles in the bathroom do it yourself
Facing materials on the modern construction market are numerous, but tile is the most popular type of floor and bathroom wall decoration. The reason is water resistance, durability, resistance to damage, a variety of colors and textures. In favor of the tile in the bathroom says the relative ease of laying your own hands.
You can create your own modern interior design in the bathroom with your own hands.
Preparatory stage
The very first thing you need to do before starting repairs is to make the necessary measurements. It is necessary to calculate the area of the walls, depends on the amount of material that is purchased at the rate of 1 square. m. To put the tile on the floor or walls in the bathroom with their own hands, it will take 5-10% more material than calculated. It is important that there is a replacement on hand in the event of a marriage or breakdown.
First, you should divide the room into zones where tiles of a certain type will be placed.
Important! If you decide on a diagonal laying, the stock should be more - 15-20%.
In addition to the tile, decorative borders, sealant, plinth, etc. will be needed. If you are not going to coat the bath, you can use a plastic film to protect it from dirt and possible damage.
Plumbing is better to wrap a film to avoid dirt and clogged pipes
Criterias of choice
There are many types of ceramic tiles, it takes time to find a suitable option. To cover after laying their own hands served for a long time, it is necessary to consider a lot of factors.
Strength
One of the most important indicators when choosing tile for the bathroom. Tile coating is divided into 5 classes of wear resistance. The smaller the numerical value, the more fragile the tile. Therefore, in order to repair the bathroom please the eye longer, you should choose a coating of at least fifth grade. For walls, you can do with less durable ceramic tiles, since there is practically no load on them.
Classes of wear resistance of ceramic tiles
Moisture absorption
Moisture resistance is an important indicator for a coating intended for a bathroom. On the packaging of the tile you can find the designation in Roman numerals from I to IV, this is the water resistance class. For the bathroom it is better to choose the I or II option, the tile class below will not have sufficiently good resistance to moisture.
All information about the tile is on the package.
The size
Another important indicator of tile for laying in the bathroom. From the size depends not only the complexity of installation, but also the appearance of the walls with the floor. Too massive slabs in small rooms will look heavy. Also, the choice of tile size depends on the direction of installation, made by hand.
For spacious rooms suitable tile large sizes
The form
Square or rectangular tiles are the most popular and familiar option, easy to install. A novice can easily cope with simple tile installation, and the six- and octagonal variants require certain experience. Polygons are harder to fit, but they allow you to create a beautiful unusual bathroom design.
In order to avoid incidents with self-repair, it is better to select a tile from a single trackle
The selected shape can help change the proportions of the room. A rectangular tile laid vertically will visually make the ceiling higher, and horizontal masonry in the manner of brick will significantly expand the bathroom.
For laying relief tiles it is better to invite a specialist.
Texture
For laying tiles in the bathroom with their own hands is not necessary to use a smooth glossy tile. Moreover, such a choice is categorically not suitable for flooring. It is better to lay rough or ribbed tiles on the floor so as not to slip.
For the floor in the bathroom is better to choose a tile with a matte, rough surface
But the bathroom walls can be smooth, mirrored, glossy, whatever. If desired, you can combine different textures, for example, matte tile with glossy.
Color spectrum
There are a lot of bathroom tile colors. For interior decoration, you can select a monochromatic coating, ornaments or photo printing. There is a tile with imitation of mosaic, this option looks spectacular in the Mediterranean interiors.
For a small bathroom, a coating with a gradient from saturated on the floor to pale on the ceiling will do. This effect allows you to visually pull the space up.
The most popular for finishing the bathroom is the sea scale - shades of blue, blue, white, silver, pearl. It is not necessary to try to conform to the unspoken canon, bright colors are also relevant in the design.
Decor
To decorate the surfaces and give the interior dynamism, you can use decorative tiled borders with patterns. In this way, the upper part of the wall is usually separated from the lower part, as a rule, darker.
An interesting effect in the interior of the bathroom will create a tile with a mirror coating, with proper installation you can achieve visual expansion of the space. Also, the tile can be laid in a checkerboard pattern, put multicolored tiles with patterns, etc.
Important! For the decoration of the bathroom, you can use the grout in a contrasting color with tiles.
What tools you need for laying tile
When you choose the tile of the desired size, color and shape, and the furniture from the bathroom is removed, you can repair work. What you need to install tiles in the bathroom:
- Roulette;
- Level;
- Drill with a nozzle for mixing the solution;
- Several sponges;
- Tine spatula;
- Clean cloths;
- Bulgarian;
- Crosses for alignment of the line of seams;
- Grout;
- Tile adhesive;
- Sealant;
- Putty.
Also, before you start laying tile you will need to cover the bathroom with a film so as not to get dirty.
Wall preparation
To install the tiles in the bathroom was done qualitatively, you need to prepare the base well. To do this, remove the old coating and level the base. Do-it-yourself tile installation work with the correct work sequence takes an average of 4 days.
Remove old cover
If the apartment is not new and the bathroom was previously renovated, before you lay the tile yourself you will need to remove the old finish. A new tile cannot be laid on top of the old one, otherwise both layers may fall off. It is better not to tempt fate and remove the finish. To do this, you can use a small crowbar or hammer with a chisel.
Surface leveling
The surface must be checked on the angle of inclination, the smallest deviations from 90 degrees can affect the appearance of the finish. To check the perpendicularity of the base, it is better to use the building level or the usual weight on a plumb line, for example, a nut.
If deviations are found, the base must be leveled with plaster. After that, you should wait at least 14 days until the base is completely dry. But drywall, which usually line the walls, is not suitable for the bathroom, because it will not withstand the constant effects of moisture. The only exception is a waterproof coating.
Surface primer
This is one of the most important steps in preparing the foundation for laying tiles in a bathroom. If the surface is poorly primed, it will weaken the adhesion of the adhesive to the wall, as a result, the tile may fall off under its own weight. For priming before laying the tiles with your own hands in the bathroom it is necessary to use only special moisture-resistant solutions.
Assembly process
The technology of laying wall tiles in the bathroom differs little from an identical process in other rooms. To hold the coating firmly, you need to choose the right tile adhesive. Most often, such mixtures are sold in the form of powder, which must be diluted to the desired consistency. When mixing the glue, you must strictly follow the attached instructions, without changing the proportion of water and powder. The mixture should not be too liquid or too thick.
Important! It is very difficult to stir the glue by hand until it is of a uniform creamy mass, therefore it is better to use a drill with a nozzle.
Further, for further repair work in the bathroom will need to build a line level. It is necessary for smooth masonry, it is from this ideally even feature that work will be conducted. Of course, for marking you should not rely on the eye, you need to use a level. The line must be flawless, the slightest deviation from the ideal straight line will spoil all the work.
Features laying tiles around the bath
If it is necessary to lay the tile on the bath itself, in order to close the gap under it, it will be necessary to build a skeleton. Material for it must be selected only with high resistance to water. For example, it may be foam. Further, the same manipulations are carried out as with the installation of the tile on the bathroom walls.
Instead of foam to hide the gap under the bathroom, you can install sliding screens. Next, the tile adhesive is also applied to the surface with a spatula, and then the tile is mounted.
Installation of tiles on the floor
Like walls, the floor must be pre-leveled using a screed. Before laying the tile on the bathroom floor with your own hands, the base will need to be covered with a layer of primer, only after that you can start to work.
On the bathroom floor installation of tiles is carried out from the center of the room. At the same time, it is necessary to accurately calculate the dimensions of each tile, so that later it would not be necessary to cut it against the walls into thin strips.
Glue for laying tile is selected based on the type of tile and base material. Based on these parameters, you can use a classic, flexible glue or mortar made according to individual characteristics.
Final work
When tile installation in the bathroom is complete, the final touches remain. To prevent water from entering the gaps between the tiles, and the laying itself to look more aesthetically pleasing, you need to use a grout.
Grouting
When the masonry is completely dry, you can proceed to the treatment of joints. Before grouting, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the tile from residual glue and only then proceed to work. For grouting, special blends of white or any other color are used. Also in their composition may be pearl particles or glitter. The choice of grout depends on the tasks.
Important! For better protection from mold and mildew, the joints should be pre-treated with an antiseptic.
For applying grout used soft spatula. However, it is much more convenient for some to use a special construction syringe, which is similar in principle to the confectionary one. The easiest cul can be made from the usual package, cutting off a corner from it. Such a tool is especially convenient if the grout is based on epoxy resins - it turns out to be thicker, so applying it with a spatula is much more difficult.
Finished joints should be treated with sealant. The same method handles the corners of the walls and chips, if any. Small defects, for example, slightly uneven seams or small chips, can be hidden with mastic. And if there is a crack between the floor and the wall, it is recommended to hide it with a plinth or curb. No glue is needed for installation, it is enough to use sealant.
Final stage
As soon as tile installation in the bathroom is completed and the seams are finished, the walls and the floor should be cleaned of residual glue and grouting. To do this, you can use a microfiber cloth or a sponge. To polish the surface to shine, use a glass cleaner.
Useful tips
Here are a few rules that will help in tile installation during bathroom renovation:
- Laying the tile on the wall in the bathroom is necessary from the second row strictly along the marked line, the first row is laid last.
- Glue should be applied immediately to the base, and not on the tile.
- The adhesive mixture is much more convenient to apply with a notched trowel.
- It is necessary to lay the tile in the bathroom without pressing it too hard. Unnecessary efforts will lead to the fact that the tile will break or crack.
- Excess glue is easily removed with a regular sponge.
- The optimum seam width is 3-5 mm. Plastic crosses are used to maintain this distance.
- After installation of each new series it is necessary to check for horizontal position. If there are even the slightest deviations of 1-2 mm, the masonry line will gradually twist up or down.
- If there are niches, projections or pipes, the tile will have to be cut into pieces for convenience. This is done with the help of the grinder.
- If there is a need to make a semicircular recess under the pipe, it is better to use pliers, they are convenient to gradually break off the pieces of tile until the desired result is achieved.
Guided by these tips, you can greatly simplify your work on laying tiles in the bathroom with your own hands.
So, installing a tile in the bathroom with their own hands is not that complicated. The main thing is to choose good materials, to follow the sequence of actions and responsibly to work.
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