Hey guys, in today’s article, we’re going to talk about ceramic tile laying tips and tricks over a concrete floor. The concrete floor is a little different than other normal floors. That’s why we come with a full installing guide for laying ceramic tile over the concrete floor. Let’s jump to how to lay ceramic tiles over concrete floor. There are different methods to place ceramic tiles over concrete; we will discuss one below.
How to lay ceramic tiles over concrete floor?
- Preparation of concrete sealing and leveling the concrete
- Tile layout
- Mixing the mortar
- Installing the tiles
- Cleaning the area
- Application of grout
- Cleaning the tiles
- Applying to seal
Preparation of concrete for ceramic tile
You can use an acid-base cleaner or dip cleaner to clean the concrete. After cleaning, please place it in the sunlight to get dry completely. Check it carefully. If there are cracks in the floor that need to be fixed, use proper concrete to remove the cracks.
You can use an acid-base cleaner or a muriatic cleaner for this purpose. Both are perfect for cleaning the floor before installing ceramic tiles. Read more, how thick is ceramic tile?
Sealing and leveling the concrete
You can check if the repairs I have tried then take time to seal the concrete. You can use the sealer to level the concrete batch so that no defect is left on the concrete surface. There are some precautions you need to remember before installing concrete.
Complete the cleaning process before adding a floor-leveling compound. You can use sodium silicate or silicate as a sealer. Both of these compounds are waterproof and also strengthen the concrete. It is because silicates usually work below the surface and do not interfere with adhesion. Also, read how to seal the ceramic tile.
Tile layout
It is a good idea to lay your design before you go towards installing The tile. It would be best to decide how many tile pieces you have to cut and where the cut style will be. For better understanding, you can use the chalk line. Chalk lines will be very helpful in marking the tiles. Check here for the best ceramic tile paint.
Mixing the mortar
Soon after, you finalize where you want to start, follow the manufacturer’s precautions and instructions, and begin to mix the mortar. Remember, do not mix the more thought too much in advance. It will begin to set up and become hardened before you start. Take a group towel and spread the motor on different areas of tiles. Try to avoid spreading more than three or four tiles simultaneously.
There are different hours for different types of tiles. Ask the person from whom you bought the types that are best for these styles. Use a grooved towel to spread the motor. There are different types of grooved towels in the market. It would help if you were sure about purchasing the towel in the direction given by the motor on the package. Related content, best ceramic tile cutter.
Installing the ceramic tiles – How to lay ceramic tiles over concrete floor?
You can use a special way to put tiles into the mortar. Make sure that you are putting the tiles with the chalk line. Hence, it would help if you took special care to keep your pattern pet and square. Moreover, do not touch the toil again once the tile is set. Popular content, best ceramic tile floor cleaner.
Clean the laid ceramic tiles over concrete floor
To prevent the claims of the motor from the drawing surface, you should wash the tiles with a damp rag. Be sure that your cut pieces of tile fit properly in the corners when you reach the corner of the room.
After you have finished installing the tiles, leave more thought to dry. The different methods require different time lengths to get dry. You may like, How To Cut Ceramic Tile?
Application of grout
Now start mixing the grout as specified by the manufacturer. Start liberally spreading the grout over the tile with the help of a grout float. With the help of grout, you will find sure that there is no low spot left. After using grout, you can use a damp rag to remove any excess grout from the surface.
You don’t need to worry if your cloud appears a little cloudy. Once you see that your growth has been set up completely, you can repeat the process. Again you can remove the excess grout with the help of a damp rag.
The grout is available in different colors in the market as it has two varieties. The variety we will use depends directly upon the gap between the tiles. When the gap between the tiles is larger than 18 inches, we use sanded grout. The sand is also used to give additional strength to the grout. However, when the gap is less than 18 inches, we use an un-sanded grout.
The chances of using un-sanded grout are more because we found a lot of small gaps between the tires instead of larger ones. Using the sanded grout for small gaps can be frustrating. It is good to remember that we don’t use grout for marble tiles. It would help if you used un-sanded grout while dealing with 1/8 inches or less gap. The reason is that the sanded grout will scratch the surface of the marble. Eventually, The use of a standard crowd leaves the surface comparable. May you like how to clean ceramic tiles?
Cleaning up
You can leave the floor to dry completely, but If you are working in the summer season, the floor will dry automatically. It will take 3 to 4 hours to dry completely. In the printer, if the floor is not getting dry, try using a fan. It will enhance the speed of drying the floor.
Soon after it completely dries, you can take a wet rag and wash the entire floor effectively. Again it would help if you left the floor to dry. As the floor dries, you notice a haze forming over time.
The cleaning process is essential because it is the final touch on ceramic tiles. You can use a steam cleaning machine to clean the floor faster. Try using a slightly damp rag when the floor is completely dry. Use of this service pack will polish the has right off.
Seal the grout:
Sealing of the grout is very important because soon after you have applied to seal, you cannot change it. If you have applied the ceiling on the floor and the time is not fixed at its place, surely it will give a bad look even if you change the tile.
Additionally, it will distort the whole structure. Hence, it would be best to use the spinner after completing all the steps. Furthermore, The grout sealers are very helpful as it prevents stains and Mildew from ceramic tile.
