Grout Joints and Caulking If your grout is moldy, use a soft-bristle plastic brush to scrub the joints either with household cleaner, a weak bleach solution, or a tile-specific cleaner like Homax® Grout and Tile Cleaner. Wear rubber gloves and goggles, and always brush such solutions away from your face. If the mold returns, try […]
Рубрика: RENOVATION 3
Laying Out a Tub Back Wall
Almost all tubs slope slightly, so use a spirit level to locate the lowest point. From that lowest point, measure up the height of one tile, plus ‘I in., and mark the wall. Draw a level control line through that mark, as shown in the illustration at right, and extend that level line to all […]
MOSAIC TILE After you’ve set paper-backed sheets of mosaic tile in adhesive, the paper will start to soften, allowing you to reposition the tiles slightly. To move a row of tiles, place the straight edge of a trowel against them, as shown, and tap the trowel lightly with a hammer handle. Countertop Front and Back Edges Use a grout float to seat mosaic tile in the thinset adhesive. Be sure to don knee pads that are comfortable enough to wear all the time. Flash the front edge of a counter, as shown, to prevent the exposed edges of the plywood from wicking moisture from the thinset adhesives and then swelling. Because the back edges of the countertops are also vulnerable to water damage, caulk and flash them, too. through those marks, perpendicular to the control line, to the back of the counter. L-SHAPED COUNTER On an L-shaped counter you have, in effect, two counters at right angles to each other, so you will need two control lines, perpendicular to each other, running along the front edge of each section. Any other layout considerations are subordinate to these two control lines, for they determine how the two oncoming tile fields will align. STRAIGHT COUNTER, WITH SINK To tile a straight counter with a sink, the layout is much the same as a counter without a sink, except that here, your main concern is making symmetrical tile cuts (if necessary) on either side of the sink. If you need to cut tiles, move the story pole side to side until the tile joints are equidistant on each side of the sink’s rough opening. Then transfer those two marks to the control line. Finally, use a framing square to run lines  
Use your framing square and a straightedge to establish control lines and to keep the tiles aligned once you’ve turned the corner. After setting V-cap trim tiles, start tiling where the two control lines intersect. As with straight counters, put full tiles along the front of the counters and work back, relegating cut tiles to […]
STRAIGHT COUNTER, NO SINK
The simplest surface to lay out is a straight counter with no sink because it has only one control line. Begin by using a framing square and a story pole to survey the countertop. “Counter Layout,” on p. 398, assumes that the counter edges are finished with V-cap trim, a I Counter Layout A straight […]
Thinset Adhesive
Once you’ve snapped layout lines and vacuumed the setting bed one last time, use the straight edge of a notched trowel to spread thinset adhesive. Then, using the notched edge of the trowel, comb ridges into the adhesive. As you apply and comb adhesive, try to stop just short of the layout lines, so you […]
ESTIMATING TILE
If you’re installing a popular tile that a local supplier has in stock, wait till you’ve installed the setting bed before estimating tiles. If you order too many, most local suppliers will take back extras, as long as they aren’t damaged or returned too long after purchase. Ordering tiles is not complicated unless surfaces to […]
ODD OR PROBLEMATIC SETTING BEDS
The beds described next may require special techniques and materials. Plastic laminate countertops are acceptable setting beds if they’re solidly attached. Scuff the surface with 80-grit sandpaper, wipe with a rag dampened with solvent to remove grit and grease, and fill any voids. Then use an epoxybased thinset to bond the tiles. Alternatively, you can […]
Getting Ready to Tile
If the substructure beneath the tile isn’t sturdy and stable, the job won’t last. Likewise, if walls aren’t plumb or floors aren’t level, tiles may adhere, but they may not look good. Start by assessing the existing surfaces. And that will inform your next steps, which can range from merely sanding finish surfaces to tearing […]
SETTING BEDS
Tile can be set on a variety of setting beds. Keep in mind that the substrate below the setting bed must be securely attached to the framing members. That assembly must be thick and stable enough to support loads with minimal deflection (J4(> of the span). And when used in damp or wet areas, it […]
SETTING AND GROUTING
Setting means positioning and adhering tile to a substrate. Grouting means sealing the joints between tiles with a special mortar. A notched trowel spreads adhesive. Two edges of the tool are flat, designed to spread the adhesive initially. Then on subsequent passes, use the notched edges to comb a series of parallel ridges, which will […]