11 Important Tips for Installing Tile Floor in Bathroom
If the floor of your old bathroom has worn out or you are planning the floor of a new bathroom, tiles prove to be the ideal flooring material to use. We have been using tiles to design floors for years. Today, the tiles industry has come a long way and you have hundreds of design options to choose from. The best thing about tiles is that you can use them in multiple creative ways. Installing the tile floor doesn’t just give an attractive finished look, but the floor also lasts for a long time. The only condition is to install the tile floor in a correct and accurate manner.
Given below are eleven important tips that you should follow to successfully install a tile floor in your bathroom.
1. Measure the Floor Area
Before the process of installation begins, you should measure how much square foot is there in the bathroom. It is a simple task and can be performed using a measuring tape. If it is hard to take the measurement of the entire area at once, you can divide the floor into small sections to make the measurement easy. Once you have measured all the areas, calculate the total area.
The best practice is to add an additional 10% to the total area of the bathroom floor before purchasing the tiles.
2. Have the Right Tools
Laying tiles in a bathroom is hard work. For successful installation, it is crucial to have the right set of tools. Not having the required tools will lead to a botched up job and the tiling will not have the desired look or quality. Some of the tools that the installer must have in his toolkit include 4-inch diamond saw blade, angle grinder, caulk gun, drywall saw, cordless drill, offset saw, drill mixer, grout float, tile cutter, scoring knife etc. Apart from having all the necessary tools, the installer will also need to use the safety gear to avoid injuries during the installation.
3. Inspect the Subfloor
When tiling a bathroom, one of the most important tips is to evaluate the quality of your existing subfloor. A professional technician will be able to take a closer look at the kind of subfloor you have and then give you the best recommendations. The subfloor needs to be hard so that it can provide adequate support to the tiles. A strong subfloor means that you can lay the tiles over it without any worry and the floor will not contract or stretch when you walk over it. Before tiling can begin, the floor of your bathroom needs to be prepared to receive the tiles. It is a good idea to use cement boards to create a thick and strong subfloor for the tiles to be laid on.
Depending on the condition and the quality of your subfloor, you may need to tear it off or install other material over it for thickness and stiffness. Make sure you seek the help of expert flooring technicians to conduct a good assessment of the subfloor before the installation of tiles begins.
Proper underlayment is essential for a solid base and to prepare the bathroom floor for tiling. For advice on the use of tile underlayment materials, feel free to reach out to Minuteman Floors in Manchester, NH.
4. Clean the Concrete Floor
Getting the concrete floor free from all the dust and debris is an essential part of the bathroom floor preparation.
The bathroom floor is not ready for laying tiles unless it is fully clean and dry. Though a concrete floor provides a solid base for laying tiles, it needs to be prepared effectively for successful installation. If the floor isn’t thoroughly cleaned, you can be sure to face multiple issues later. Avoid such issues by sweeping the concrete floor first and then wet-mopping it with plain water. Scrub the floor with warm water to remove all tiny dust particles. After cleaning has been done, give the concrete floor enough time to dry up and the moisture to evaporate.
5. Get Some Samples
You would like to know what the tiles in the bathroom will look like after the installation has been completed. Therefore, you should get a couple of sample tiles and lay it on the floor to find out how they will look.
Tiles can be arranged and laid in a wide variety of patterns. Know exactly what kind of look you are planning to achieve. You can also take help from flooring technicians to get some creative design ideas. When checking the samples out, don’t forget to check the grout also. Grouts can be used in various colors to fill out the gaps between the tiles as well as hide the imperfections.
6. Use Larger Tiles
When it comes to installing a tile floor in a bathroom, it is a good practice to go with larger tiles. You can find both large and small tiles. However, smaller tiles are hard to install. On the other hand, larger tiles take less time for installation and they are ideal for having a great finish. Therefore, choose a design pattern which can be created easily with floor tiles of larger size.
7. Work in a Small Area First
Installing tiles in a bathroom requires a lot of effort and a remarkable eye for detail. It is important to get started right. Don’t start laying tiles on the entire bathroom floor at once. If you hurry with the installation, you’ll likely end up with a poor quality installation and there will be issues later on.
Professional technicians have experience laying tile floors in all sizes of bathrooms. They will take the time to start in the right way. To perfectly achieve the planned floor layout, they’ll first lay out the tiles in a small area or small section of the bathroom floor. Even when installing the very first tiles, they’ll work with a lot of patience and make sure each tile gets laid correctly. Then, they’ll move on to other areas and complete the tile floor installation of the entire floor in a professional manner. So, always choose to work with an experienced floor installer.
8. Ensure Symmetry in the Layout
When in a rush, it is always easy to ignore symmetry in a layout. When laying tiles on the bathroom floor, don’t forget to have a symmetrical tile layout. A symmetrical layout is a true feast for the eyes.
Here is an example: if you are laying tiles around the bathtub, make sure all the tiles used are of the same size. If some tiles are full size and others are half size, the layout will end up being an asymmetrical one. In every area of the floor, the tiles should be installed in a symmetrical fashion. Having a symmetrical tile floor layout will enhance the overall appearance of the bathroom.
9. Avoid Tile Cutting
There will be spaces where tile cutting can’t be avoided. However, it takes a lot of time to cut tiles. Also, if the number of small, cut tiles is large in a space, the design will look disorganized and chaotic. So, the best advice is to use the original size of tiles – as much as you can. Having the maximum number of full tiles will not only save time, but it will also enhance the look.
Use cut tiles only in those areas that are less prominent or mostly remain hidden from the view. Installing a cut tile in a prominent area of the bathroom floor is a poor practice and it will ruin the design.
10. Don’t Purchase Cheap, Poor-Quality Tiles
When looking for tiles, don’t fall for cheap or low-quality tiles. Getting tile floor installed is a strenuous task. It is not easy to replace tiles on a frequent basis. If the tiles you buy are of poor quality, they will start to crack soon and this will put you in a tough spot. It will be a big headache seeing tiles crack one after another. Most importantly, you’ll end up wasting a lot of money in this way.
Therefore, buy floor tiles only from a well-known tile store. Bathroom Tiles made from reputed manufacturers may cost a little more, but they will last for years in a row with proper maintenance and care.
11. Save Some Extra Tiles
In any case, don’t forget to save a couple of your selected tiles for future use. Since ceramic tiles are brittle, they can break due to the impact of a heavy object. If you happen to drop a heavy or sharp object on the bathroom floor, the broken tile will need to be replaced. This is exactly where the saved tiles will come in handy. Using these tiles will mean there will be no mismatch in terms of design, color or texture after the damage has been fixed.
Talk to a Professional Tile Floor Installer
If you are planning to install eye-catching, durable tile floors in your bathroom, you should head straight to Minuteman Floors. Based in Manchester, NH, we specialize in a wide variety of expert flooring installations. Give us a phone call to discuss your specific installation needs with an expert.