Advantages of Ceramic Tile

Ease of Maintenance. While no floor remains entirely maintenance free, ceramic tile comes about as close at it can to being service free. Short of the application of the occasional sealant, applied once every four years or so, tile requires only the regular cleaning that any flooring surface would require. With the installation of grout, tile becomes almost impervious to water damage, and can be virtually hosed off if necessary. Many specialty products are currently available that assist greatly in tile maintenance and upkeep, all of which can be found in nearly any home goods provider or supermarket.

Adaptability. There is a tile option for nearly any application, and your imagination and creativity are your only limitations when installing tile. From porticos in a dining room to a tiled hearth in front of a fireplace, you can adapt tile to nearly any surface, indoors or out.

Cost Effectiveness. Dollar for dollar, tile still remains one of the most cost effective flooring surfaces on the market today. When considering initial costs versus longevity, it becomes quite clear that ceramic tile overall offers the best "dollar per mile" of any flooring surface. Ceramic tile's limited upkeep and maintenance adds to its value even further. Square footage material costs stay in check with most other alternatives, and while the initial installation costs may be slightly higher, it's important to consider all the long term costs and value when judging overall cost effectiveness.

Installation Variety. While your installation options are only limited by your imagination, there are a number of ideas already in place to get your creative juices flowing. Although flooring has always been the number one usage of ceramic tile, you aren't limited to just floors. Backsplashes, porticos, murals and countertops can all be tiled in an artistic manner, subject to your décor. You can match your floor to your tile walls, or contrast the two to make your project stand out even more. Durability. Tile is great for high traffic situations thanks to its strength and resiliency to staining and wear. While not extremely impact resistant, the wear ability of tile is the reason for its durability.

Ease of Repair. Even though ceramic is strong, there is still the opportunity for breakage, as with any earthenware. When a breakage does occur, repairing tile is far simpler than fixing hardwood or plank flooring. Simply remove the broken pieces, clean the area, reinstall replacement tiles and regrout the repaired area. Completing tile repairs typically takes less time than repairing a wood floor, or even a composite flooring surface. It is important to keep several pieces of tile left over from your installation for these repair needs.

Style. As always, style counts, and tile is no exception to that rule. Tile has a finish and style to adapt to any décor; from southwest to cosmopolitan, there is a color and a texture to fit every need. There is an unlimited variety to tile, from bright vibrant colors to muted tones and everything in between, and a brief trip to any home improvement retailer will prove this point. While colors and textures can vary greatly between manufacturers, virtually any combination of color and texture can be found on today's market.

Easy Installation. The basic procedure involves prepping the area, gauging the space, installing the tile, and grouting finished the project. If done correctly,you should be able to effectively gauge and lay approximately 150 square feet of space in a day. While this should be used as a gauge for time budget reasons, everyone’s pace is different and it’s important to keep a realistic pace when tackling any potential projects.

Design Flexibility. Thanks to the variety of sizing options of ceramic tiles, design flexibility is drastically improved. You can opt for smaller 6" x 6" tiles, all the way up to the 24" x 24", as well as the squaring options, such as "brick and block" or "Flemish" style joints. All these choices add to the design characteristics that are perfect for your application.

Capital Improvement. In many cases, adding a tile floor to your home will increase its potential resale value tremendously. Potential buyers will certainly take notice of a well installed and designed tile floor. With its attractive style and impressive presentation, a good tile floor can add thousands of dollars in potential value to prospective customers.

 

TUTORIAL

1. The original flooring material should be removed before you install your new tile. The new tile installation is only as good as the underlying floor.The subfloor must be sound enough to support tile. Tile can be heavy and must be installed on a flat, rigid surface. Subfloors under tile should be no less than 1" thick. A flexing floor will cause cracks to show up in the grout later and may cause tiles to break. If your floor "bounces" when you walk over it, try adding rigidity by renailing the subfloor to the floor joists. Add bridging between the joists, and/or shim the subfloor with wooden shims driven between the top edge of the joists and the bottom face of the subfloor.
2. Uneven or damaged floors are best covered first with an underlayment as the tile base. Cement-fiber board is often recommended by tile manufacturers for use on floors in a moist environment.If the floor is concrete, repair any holes or cracks. You can sometimes lower high spots using a coarse-grit abrasive on a belt or disc sander. Any minor bumps can be removed with a cold chisel driven by a baby sledge hammer. (Be sure to wear safety glasses.)If you have linoleum flooring, you can place underlayment over the top of it.
3. Remove all trim and clean the floor thoroughly. The surface on which you are installing tile must be smooth and free from debris, grease or wax. Pull out any nails in the trim from the back side. This step keeps the trim from splitting so you can use it again.For areas subjected to moisture, the underlayment should be sealed with a waterproof membrane or other moisture-resistant product. Cement-fiber board makes an ideal underlayment for tile in wet locations. These boards are often referred to as "cement board". The product is composed of cement and fiber for strength and moisture resistance. It is available in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses depending on the application.
4. Choosing a Pattern for Your Tile - The pattern options available when laying tile are virtually endless. These are two common basic patterns: A "jack-on-jack" pattern is the most common. The pattern consists of tile laid like squares on a checkerboard. A "running bond" pattern has offset grout lines for each row.Either is fairly easy to set, although the running bond pattern is the more difficult of the two.If you are artistic and doing a project such as a table or countertop, you may want to create a mosaic of small tiles. Applied with artistic skill, tile mosaics can be stunning.
5. Mapping the Floor Area for Floor Tiles - Floor tiles should be centered in the room for the best visual appearance. Keep this in mind when you lay out the floor tile.Measure and find the center of two opposite walls. Use these points to snap a chalk line across the length of the room in the center of the floor, dividing the room in half. Then snap another chalk line perpendicular to the first so the two lines cross in the center of the room. Check where the lines cross with a carpenter's square to make absolutely sure the center point is square.
6. Dry-fit a row of tiles down both lines to the width and length of the room. Leave equal spacing for the grout joints. Most floor tiles do not come with spacers like wall tiles do, so you will need to approximate the appropriate spacing.By laying out the tiles in this way, you can get an idea of any adjustments that need to be made to your original reference lines. The goal is to work with as many full tiles as possible. Also, you should end up with at least half a tile width in the areas where the tiles meet the walls. A slight adjustment at the center point may save you lots of time and money. Adjust the reference lines as necessary to achieve a layout you are satisfied with.
7. Installing the Tiles - Begin laying the tile from the center of the floor where your two final reference lines cross. Start by laying a tile at the intersection of the lines, then use the lines as a guide as you work your way outward toward the walls in each quadrant.Spread the adhesive with the trowel's notched edge, combing it out in beaded ridges. Spaces between ridges of adhesive should be almost bare.If you wish, you may insert plastic spacers between the tiles to help maintain straight grout lines if the tiles do not have spacer lugs.
8. Remove these after placing the tile but before they become firmly set in the adhesive. If adhesive oozes up between the tiles, clean out the excess before it dries. Immediately wipe any adhesive from the face of the tiles with a solvent-soaked sponge or rag. (Consult the manufacturer's instructions to determine the appropriate solvent.)
9. Adhesives begin to set firmly in 20 to 30 minutes. After you have installed several rows of tile, set them into the adhesive with the tile leveler and a mallet.
10. After laying all the whole tiles that will fit, begin cutting and adhering tiles to fill around the perimeter of the room. Some adhesives emit toxic and flammable fumes. Provide good ventilation, especially in confined locations such as shower stalls. Always refer to the product label for safety precautions. Also exercise caution when using tile-cutting tools.
11. Cutting and Fitting the Tile - Nearly every tiling job requires trimming tiles to fit around borders or obstructions such as window frames, electrical fixtures, pipes, basins, toilets or countertops. Straight cuts are relatively simple. Shaping tiles to fit curves is more difficult and requires practice and patience
12. For small jobs, use a glass cutter or a simple tile cutter. Larger projects may warrant using a wet saw. Do-it-yourself wet saw models are relatively inexpensive (in relation to renting). They make clean cuts with little waste.Apply even pressure when using tools designed to score, cut and drill tiles. Pressing too hard can cause tiles to crack and break. Drilling tile requires a special bit.To make cuts at a true right angle, use a combination square as your straightedge when scoring with a glass cutter.When using a glass cutter or tile cutter, score the tile in one stroke to achieve smooth and even breaks. Repeated scoring will cause the tile to chip or crack.Always wear safety glasses when working with tiles.
13. Snapping Tile by Hand - With the scored line facing up, position the tile over a nail or a stiff piece of wire.Place your fingers flat on either side of the tile and apply firm, even pressure until the tile snaps.
14. Using Tile Nippers - Center the cutting blade on the scored line and exert pressure by squeezing the handles together.Use your free hand to hold the side of the tile you will be using.
15. Using a Tile Cutter - Measure and mark the cutting line on the tile. Align this mark with the cutting guide on the tile cutter. Supporting the tile to keep it level, lower the cutting wheel onto the edge of the tile. Push it away from you with firm pressure.When you've rolled the cutting wheel to the far end, push down on the handle to split the tile.
16. Using a Wet Saw - Measure and mark the cutting line on the tile. Align this mark with the cutting guide on the tile cutter. Supporting the tile to keep it level, move it towards the blade. Move the tile slowly to avoid overheating and cracking. Let the saw do the work.
17. Fitting Around Obstructions - Using a pencil, draw the shape that needs to be removed on the tile. A compass may help you draw neater curves. Score the outline of the shape you drew with the glass cutter. Then score several crisscross lines within the outlined area.Using tile nippers (or pliers), begin taking tiny bites from the area to be removed. The idea is to "nibble" off chips, not chunks.An alternate method is to make several parallel cuts with a wet saw. The adjacent cuts will create several small strips of waste tile. Snap these off with tile nippers and smooth the surface.
18. Smoothing Breaks Jagged edges - Use tile nippers or pliers to nibble off the uneven edge of a broken tile.
19. Rough edges - Use a round file to smooth rough edges of areas that have been nibbled away.
20. Cut edges - If a straight-cut edge shows, rub it against a sheet of 80-grit aluminum oxide sandpaper to round and smooth the edge.
21. Grouting the Joints - Mix grout to the consistency of a thick paste and apply it by forcing the grout between tiles with a rubber float held at a 45 degree angle.Hold the float almost perpendicular to the floor. Wipe away excess grout from the surface of the tiles. Take care to pack all joints.
22. Use a toothbrush to shape the grout.
    
23. After 20 minutes, wipe away all excess grout with a damp sponge. Keep your sponge clean by rinsing it often. Follow the grout manufacturer's instructions for curing and cleaning the grout.
24. After the grout has cured for a week, silicone grout sealer may be applied with a small paintbrush to help prevent grout discoloration.
    

Sources Include: www.doityourself.com and www.lowes.com