|
Replacing Damaged
Kitchen Tile
How do you know when it's time to re-tile your kitchen?
There are two good times: If the floor you have has
sustained some serious, or if you just want to create a
brand new look for the room, you might consider laying some
new tile. In either case, a new tile floor will bring
new life and a different personality to your kitchen.
You can have your tile installed the easy way -- hiring
someone else to do it -- or you can have it done the chap
way -- doing it yourself. The rest of this article
assumes you've decided to install the tile yourself.
First
let's discuss what you'll need for this project. In order
of important, you must have:
- Tile.
There are many styles and colors to choose from. Remember
you should buy about 15% more tile that what it will take
to lay the entire floor. This is because there will be
breakage, and plus you will probably need filler for those
last couple inches at the end of the project that aren't
big enough for another entire tile.
- Mastic,
or tile adhesive. There are different mastics for
different rooms, so make sure the one you're buying is
suitable for kitchen tile, otherwise you stand the chance
of water from the sink ruining your new tile job.
- One
notched trowel for everyone who is helping with the project.
- A
tile saw
- If
you'll be cutting out any radiator pipes or similar holes,
you'll need diamond-hole.
- Grout
to fill in the crevices between the tiles.
- A
rubber or rubberized float. In case you're wondering,
this is a rubber rectangle that has a wooden handle
and metal backing for applying the grout. (This is much
better to use than a putty knife, which could scratch
the tile faces.)
- A
tape measure that is long enough to reach from one corner
to the opposite corner.
- A
bucket or pan full of warm (not hot) water.
- A
good-quality level.
- A
chalk-line.
- An
adequate supply of tile spacers.
Once
you've got all the items you need, here's the process to follow.
- Measure
the width and length of the room with your tape measure.
Get your square footage by multiplying these numbers.
This will tell you how many tiles you need.
- Determine
where the center of the floor and wall is, then run your
chalk line from there to the center of the wall across
from it. Snap the chalk line. Then do it the other direction.
Where the lines cross is the room's center, and where
you'll start tiling.
- Remove
all baseboards, then check to make sure the entire floor
is clean and smooth.
- First,
do a test run with the tile, laying it out in the pattern
you want. See how many tiles you will required,
and put spacers between each tile to mark where they will
go. You will start from your center point and work
out toward the walls.
- Pick
up the tiles and spread your adhesive on the bare floor
with your trowel, starting from the center of the room.
Do only a small section at a time, raking with the trowell
so your grooves are not too shallow or deep. Once
you've got adhesive on a decent size section of the floor,
lay the tiles, pressing but now twisting them in. Set
your spacer and go to the next tile. Once you've
filled in the section of the floor with adhesive, you
may apply adhesive to another section, followed by placing
the tile.
- Use
your level constantly to make sure your laying a completely
level floor. If there are any tiles not completely
flat, level them out with a rubber mallet or a hammer.
- When
you reach the place where another full tile won't fit
before you run into the wall, measure the distance, and
cut parts of tiles to fill in those spaces.
- Now
mix your grout and apply it at a forty-five degree angle
with your rubber float. Work the grout in between
all tiles. With a sponge, wipe excess grout off
the tile tops as you go. It's important that you clean
it off before it dries. Let the grout set for a
week or more.
- Finally,
using a damp sponge or mop, clean any excess residue on
the floor. You now have your brand new kitchen.
|
|