Tiling made easy

Press, 14 January 1982, Page 9

Tiling made easy

Thorough preparation will ensure a professional-looking finish to a tiling job.

The first task will be to decide on the pattern of tiles to be used. The wide selection of pamphlets and displays at tile stockists should make this.relatively easy. An approximate method to work out the number of tiles required is to measure the height and width of the wall surfaces to be covered (in centimetres) and divide each measurement by 11. Multiply the two figures to arrive at the number of tiles.

For instance, a shower cubicle wall where the wall area measures 220 cm by 110 cm would need 200 tiles. The 220 cm is divided by 11 giving 20. the 110 cm is divided by 11. giving 10 and the 10 is multiplied by 20. The spacer lugs on the modern tiles mean that they will always be the correct distance apart so that the grouting looks straight and even. Special tools such as spreaders, cutters and pincers are also available from tile stocjkists.

Some round-edge and border tiles will be needed to finish the job correctly. A drawing of the area to be worked on will enable the tile stockist to work out the quantity of these tiles required. Tile adhesive and grouting can be bought from, the tile supplier. About ,454 kg is required for every 36 tiles, while the same quantity of grouting will cover 144 tiles. Any surface that is firm and clean is suitable for tiliing. Any grease, dirt or flaking paint should be removed so that the adhesive can achieve a firm bond to the wall surface. The surface should be reasonably even and flat. Small imperfections in the surface

do not matter because they will be taken care of by the ridging of the adhesive. Spirit level Tiling demands a perfectly level base. Floors, skirting boards or bench surfaces may not be level and if this is the case an independent level will have to be set. This is easily achieved with a piece of straightedged timber and a spirit level. The most important tool in the early stage of tiling is a spirit level. In fact, a spirit level shquld be used right through the tiling job to check the lines at all stages. To ensure that you start from a level line find the lowest point of the'surface where you intend to begin. Mark one tile width up from this point and nail a straightedged lath to the wall, using the spirit level to ensure that it is perfectly horizontal. This lath will be the base line for tiling and this line should be repeated on all walls, either with further laths or with a carefullymarked pencil line. After completely tiling the rest of the wall, the lath can be removed and the tiles cut to fit the space that remains. Next, set out the area to be tiled so that the tiles can be used to the best advantage. The most professionallooking way is to ensure that the tiling is centralised, so that cut tiles at each edge are equal in size. The easiest method is to take another lath, mark it off in tile widths and use it as a measuring staff. Finally, check the vertical line by using a plumb bob or spirit level and mark lines at the centre point of the wall, and at the edge of the full tile nearest to each corner. Now the surface is ready to be tiled. Any surface that is flat, dry and clean can be tiled. If

the floor is to be tiled, any old floor surface, such as linoleum or vinyl tiles, must be removed. If the floor is timber, it is often a good idea to put down another layer of plywood or hard-

board to make it perfectly level and smooth. Start at the middle when tiling. All tiling jobs take at least two days, because the adhesive has to dry before the grouting can be added.