Tile Installation Mistakes

Published July 6, 2021 | By admin

avoid mistakes encountered on a regular basis during ceramic tile installations.

Get ready and prepare the surface

One of the most common reasons for failure is lack of proper surface preparation. For example, taking precautions to avoid contamination, cleaning the area and preparing the surface will take extra time, but will significantly reduce the chances of failure.

Like most things, good preparation is the key to doing a job well – and this definitely applies to installing tiles. Whether you’re tiling walls or floors, failing to do the right preparation to the surface before you begin tiling is one of the most common pitfalls and is guaranteed to leave you with a less than satisfactory finish.

When installing tiles, surfaces should be level and clean. This means spending time filling in any cracks or dents or sanding down any bumps that are bigger than 4-5mm. If the surface is particularly uneven, you can apply a new top surface such as plasterboard for walls or a self-levelling screed to floors. You should also remove any protruding features such as screws or nails.

In terms of cleaning, wipe up any grease, oil or other liquids and sweep (or vacuum) up loose dust and debris. If you skip the cleaning groundwork you could affect the performance of your tile adhesive in the long run.

Depending on the surface you’re tiling onto, you may need to do additional preparation with primer solutions to ensure your adhesive fully takes to the surface.

For freshly plastered drywall, allow the surface to dry for at least 4 weeks then apply a primer solution

For wooden surfaces, you should use a polyurethane-based paint to prime the area

For tiling existing tiled areas, you can either remove the tiles then re-skim the surface or simply tile directly onto them,

Use the right adhesive it is the best choice

Too often, adhesive products are purchased based on cost factors alone. Various types of adhesives are made for different applications. For example, one adhesive may work well on smaller tile but will not effectively adhere well to large tiles.

Protect the surface before start

Floors are often completed before other construction around them is finished. It is important to remember that the floor can be damaged and grout can stain. Take cautions to make sure that the floor is protected and that the finished product stays intact and in pristine condition.

Not ordering enough tiles

With any DIY project it can be difficult to calculate exactly how many materials you’ll need, but not ordering enough tiles is nothing short of a nightmare. It will cost you more in both time and labor to get the job done and tile colors and designs can vary batch to batch. This means you may not get an exact match even if you buy the same tiles at a later date. Or worse, they could be discontinued, leaving you high and dry for good.

One of the main reasons for a tile shortfall often comes down to inaccurate measurements or not allowing extra tiles for breakages, cuts or any other unforeseen mishaps along the way. To overcome this, the first place to start is to nail down the measurements of your area and calculate how many square meters you need.

To do this multiply the length by the width – using the largest measurements if the area isn’t a standard shape

You may end up with some tiles left over, but they’re always handy to have as replacements and could potentially be used for another DIY project elsewhere.

Not planning the layout

Another common tiling mistake people make is not planning the layout or pattern for their tiles before attaching them to the wall or floor. It may seem like extra work to layout your design mockup beforehand, but it is definitely worthwhile. For one, it will help you calculate how many tile cuts are needed (and whether you have ordered enough to offset these) and confirm you have the right size tiles for the area.

if you’re using the same, single color tiles or patterned versions, don’t let poor planning be your downfall. Take the time to lay out your designs before you apply any adhesive to make sure you’re happy with how it will look. This also gives you the opportunity to play around with the design or pattern before they’re permanently fixed to the wall.

Crooked Tiles

Unless the design calls for something else, such as a complex mosaic pattern, tiles should fall in line with each other. Crooked tiles can occur for a number of reasons.

The grout may have been spread unevenly, or tile guy may have neglected to use spacers, to hold the tiles in place as the grout cured. Wall tiles that sag in certain areas may lack sufficient support. Installing a board for support can solve the problem, but the tiling will have to be re-done.

In other cases, the angle of your tiles might have nothing to do with the way they were installed. Water damage from a leak, damage from insects or overall deterioration in the wall behind the tile can weaken the grout and allow the tiles to slip out of place.