Working on a home improvement project is the perfect way to fill your time and beautify your house. Stores like Simply Plastics are a great place to start your DIY project as they can provide you with a number of materials at great prices.
A great way to add value and to make your home even nicer is to install new tiles on your patio. The right set of outdoor tiles can freshen up any unpaved patio.
Still, tackling a huge undertaking like DIY home improvements can be daunting if it is your first time. Thankfully, you won’t have to go it alone, and you can take full advantage of a tile com promo code for your next project on your budget. Here We have collected some useful tips for your tile installation project.
Before You Start
While you might be excited to begin your tile installation project, you should take safety in your home and for yourself into consideration first. There are lots of factors to think of before taking on a huge project like this one.
Home Safety
First of all, find out how the pipes are laid out in your home. If you have piping running below your home, then it might be dangerous to use power tools to drill or hammer into the surface.
This can be remedied easily by investing in a pipe detector. You can use a pencil or something similar to mark out areas you find pipes so that you can avoid them as you work. Remember to turn off your power and water connection before you start work, as it can still be dangerous to work around active pipes and power connections.
Tools and Materials
If you have deemed your working area safe enough, then it’s time to start thinking about the tools you will need. The most important tool in tile laying is the trowel. A good rule of thumb is to choose a half-inch trowel that will work for tiles that go up to 16 inches.
You’ll also need an angle grinder, tile saw, a sponge, and some safety gear like rubber gloves and even goggles. If you feel unsure, consult a specialist at your local hardware store for exactly what materials you’ll need.
Tips on Installing Tiles
Feeling ready to start setting down tiles? Here are the tips you’re looking for.
1. Set Your Tiles against Guide Boards
Typically, chalk lines are good enough for other construction or renovation projects, but for tiling, you’ll need something that won’t get lost under thin-set, or will let tiles shift while you set the others.
Guide boards are a reliable way to set your tiles without risking them moving out of place as you work. Make sure to pick perfect, straight-cut boards or strips of plywood.
2. Take out Baseboards
While baseboards are usually an indoor installation, keep in mind to take out any baseboard or similar installations against your wall before you lay down tiles. You can choose to not do that, but your tileset might look unclean, jagged, or badly cut.
Taking out baseboards then installing them after you’re done with your tiles will help hide any imperfections against the edges of the work.
3. Keep a Wet Saw Handy
Even if you think you’ve chosen the best cut tiles, you never know when you’ll have to make an adjustment to your tiles by yourself. It’s a DIY project, after all. In case you do need to cut tile, it’s good to pick up a wet saw, which is relatively cheap and will save you a lot of frustration down the line.
4. Prep Your Surface
Laying down tiles on a jagged, wavy surface is a surefire way to never want to tile anything yourself again. You can avoid it by prepping your surface beforehand. Try to fill in any gaps or holes by caulking, and if you can, you should consider pouring over a perfect floor and then tile over that instead.
5. Save Any Extra Tiles
When you finish your project, you might find yourself with a few leftover tiles. Don’t throw them out, and keep them in storage instead. Even if you got the strongest tiles for yourself, they may still break in the future. Having spare tiles will save you some time in any future repairs.
