The No Stress Guide to Laying Your New Floor Tiles

So you’ve followed The No Stress Guide To Taking Out Your Old Tiles, and now you have a completely clean, dry and level concrete floor to play with. Laying tiles isn’t as simple as you may think, but luckily we’re here to offer up some simple tips to laying your brand new floor yourself.

Clearing the Area

First and foremost your tiles aren’t going to sit straight if your floor has specks of tile, stone and dirt all over it. Take out a good old fashioned hard-bristled brush and sweep away the debris. Make sure your floor is perfectly clean by mixing detergent with water and giving it a good scrub.

Once your floor has dried and you’ve found the centre of your room to lay your key tile down in, you can start working.

Start at the Very Centre

Not all rooms are perfectly proportioned. The room you’re tiling may not be completely square so starting at the edge of the room can give you an uneven, messy finish. Starting at the centre of your room is a more accurate way of laying your tiles. To find the centre of your room, dry lay your tiles across the middle width and middle height of your floor. This way your tiles will meet at the centre of your room and this will be your starting point.

Pour an even layer of simple floor tile adhesive onto the centre of your floor and spread using a ribbed spreader for an even layer of adhesive.

How to Lay a Tile

Taking your key tile, lay it at your marked centre point. Gently push down and twist slightly to remove any air bubbles that may have gotten trapped beneath it. Your next step is to take your tile spacers (X spacers for square tiles and Y spacers for octagonal tiles) and place at the corners of your tile. Press these until they are just below your tile line, this way they won’t protrude through the grout.

Tile spacers are perfect for giving your overall finished design an evenly spaced, professional appearance. Every now and then, make sure your tiles are level with a spirit leveller, you don’t want to end up with a wonky floor after all.

It takes 24 hours before you can properly stand on your floor so be sure you’re prepared for a day without the use of the room you’re tiling. If you’re tiling your bathroom, you can always tile a section at a time, this way you will be able to keep using your room, without having to stand on your newly laid tiles!

If you’re looking for some new, quality tiles to deck out your kitchen or bathroom, we offer a wide range of porcelain, such as our stunning Porcelanosa tiles, ceramic and natural stone floor tiles for you to enjoy. Contact us today on 01539 741155 or get in touch with us via our Facebook and Twitter pages!