Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Subway Tile Installation Tips

The conventional wall tiles are often called subway tile because of their appearance. They often used in decorating houses. The most common size used is 3-by-6 inch tiles. Many designers recommend subway tiles on the walls and floors, and they tend to always be popular. The installation of subway tiles is simple. Here are a few important tips:

Preparing

The adhesive used on these tiles can stick to all types of surfaces. Before installing the tiles, the surface should be cleaned and made smooth and dry so that it can take the weight of the tiles. You can apply a backer board or cement-fiber board on the wall to be tiled so that the surface is level and flat. Use screws to fix the board.

Layout

It is better to plan the layout of tiles prior to fixing them. Begin attaching tiles from the middle of the area and then proceed outwards. Mark a horizontal line at the center of the area. Align the edges of the tiles with the line. This will help maintain the width of tiles on the corners equal to half the width of tiles on both sides. In the same way, draw the vertical line. Start fixing tiles closest to the intersection of both lines. Use the recommended adhesive. Keep the first row of tiles nearest to the middle of the area.

Symmetry

Maintaining the symmetry is very important. The look of tiling will depend on the way the first row is set. It is better to use a level for proper alignment. You can use a support strip fixed at the base of the horizontal line to support the tiles and put plastic spacers in between them to create straight grout lines until the adhesive gets set. Fill the gout lines and clean the tiles.