How To Install Flooring

For home improvements, hiring a contractor just to install tiles for flooring is inappropriate if you consider yourself a handy person and are adept at following instructions or tutorials. It also is true when you are dealing with small rooms. So before wasting more money than your actual remodeling needs here is my guide on how to install tiles:

PREPARE THE FLOOR
1. Clean the base floor. Make sure that the floor is free of dirt, grease, or oil. Clean it with environmentally safe chemicals or alternatively we can use detergents.
2. Flatten the floor. Remove any unnecessary spots that can appear through the floor tile thus ruin its appearance.

LOCATE THE CENTER OF THE ROOM
1. To locate the center of the room, first mark the center of the walls. Disregard any offsets or irregularities.
2. Locate the center of the east wall and west wall, then make a line starting from the center of the east wall until it reaches on the west wall. Do the same for the north and south walls.
3. The intersection of the 2 lines that you have just created is the center of the room.

CHECK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
1. Begin by laying loose tiles on the guide that you just created.
2. Start from the center of the room then follow your trail until you reach the walls.
3. The distance between the tile and the wall must not be less than 2 inches nor more than 8 inches. If this happens, readjust the center line that is parallel to the wall by 4-1/2 inches.

OPEN YOUR BOXED TILES
1. Open all the cartons of tiles to use.
2. Create a pattern by laying 4x7 tiles, in this way you will get the whole idea of the floor. You can choose whatever pattern you prefer.
3. If tiles are in one color, plan the pattern by the grain. If there are more than 2 colors, carefully design your pattern to prevent similar colors lying next to each tile.

APPLY THE TILE CEMENT
1. Follow the instructions of your tile cement product. Spread a coat of the cement or adhesive on one-fourth of the floor. Use a notched trowel,brush, or roller for this step.
2. Most cement will dry for about 15 minutes but it still varies depending on the temperature and humidity in the room that you are applying the tile.
3. After 15 minutes, feel the cement by placing your thumb onto it. If it is tacky and not sticky, the cement is ready.

LAY DOWN THE TILES
1. Begin to lay the tiles at the center of your markings. The first tile must be exactly square with the lines. All other tiles will line up incorrectly if the first tile is wrong.
2. Do not slide tiles into place. Make sure that tiles are butted firmly and does not have any gaps.
3. Lay the tiles according to your pattern. Lay it alternatively toward each wall.
4. For a border tile, place a loose tile on top of the last tile. Add another tile and place it against the wall. Mark the tile. Cut the marked line.
5. For Obstructions: Create a paper pattern that will fit around obstructions then trace the pattern on the tiles. Cut the traced pattern.

Installing flooring tiles is easy, just follow the instructions listed above and you'll get a tiled floor in no time. So you see, not all your remodeling needs require contracted work.

At Your Door Floors flooring store
http://www.atyourdoorfloors.com
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