How to Tile a Border

 Laying a tile border around the outside perimeter of your tile floor is a job that is going to require some preparation and time. However, this is a job that you should be able to do if you have the proper knowledge and patience. Here are the basics of how to tile a border in a room.

What You'll Need:

• Tape measure
• Tile
• Wet saw
• Trowel
• Tile spacers
• Tile adhesive
• Grout
• Chalk line

Step 1 - Select the Proper Border

There are a number of different types of borders that you could potentially do. In order to choose the right one for your job, you are going to need to look at the different products that are available. You can look at magazines or pictures online in order to get an idea of what you want to do. You can completely customize your border to look like anything that you want. Therefore, you need to spend some time choosing the proper border for your room. You could use the same tile that you installed on the floor and just turn it diagonally or stagger it. You could use listello pieces to create a border. You could use small mosaic tiles to create a border. Your options are basically limitless. Choose the tile for your border and then order it.

Step 2 - Lay out the Pattern

Once you have chosen the tiles for your border, you are going to want to lay it out before installing it. This part of the process can take some time. You want to do a diagram on a piece of paper first so that you can see how you should lay it out. Take the tiles and lay them on the floor so that you can see what they will look like. Adjust the layout to fit your needs. If you are using listello pieces with corners, make sure that you have enough corners for each corner of the tile.

Step 3 - Lay the Tile

You are now ready to lay the border. Using your trowel, apply some tile adhesive to the floor. Then press your border pieces down into that adhesive. Make sure that the border pieces are firmly into the adhesive so that there are no gaps behind the tile. Put tile spacers on the edges of the tile so that you can space the tile appropriately.

Step 4--Allow it to Dry

You should then allow the tile border to dry thoroughly. In most cases, you will want to allow it to dry overnight before moving forward.

Step 5--Grout

At this point, you are ready to apply the grout. Using a grout float, spread the grout over the tops of the tiles and fill the grout joints. When you are done with this, you will want to clean up the mess. Use a sponge and water to wipe down the tiles. This is also going to help smooth out the joints. After you grout joints, you will want to let the grout dry overnight before walking on the tile.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

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