Rectangle and small square carrara marble mosaic tile assorted
natural color
A tiled kitchen, when done well, can be a real feature for your
home, so it's no wonder that it's a popular DIY project to carry
out. It's a satisfying project to do, but it's not something to
rush into, especially if you've never done it before. Take a look
at our step-by-step guide to make sure your next tiling job is a
success.
1. Work out how many tiles you need
If you need help with this, your best bet is to ask one of our
friendly staff members. But, if you want to work it out yourself
then you'll need to do a bit of maths. First work out the size of
the area you'll be covering by doing:
HEIGHT OF AREA (m) x WIDTH OF AREA (m) = AREA IN SQUARE METRES (m²)
You'll then need to work out how many tiles this equates to, which
depends on the size of your tiles. First convert the size of your
tiles from millimetres to metres by dividing it by 1000 and then do
this calculation:
AREA IN SQUARE METRES (m²) ÷ SIZE OF TILES (m²) = NUMBER OF TILES
Finally, add about 10% extra to that number to account for any
tiles that might get broken and any cutting you'll need to do for
the edges.
2. The batten
Nail down your batten using the hammer to provide a straight and
level guideline to sit your first row of tiles on. If your first
row of tiles is straight then your subsequent rows above should be,
too, so it is essential to get this right.
3. The adhesive
Apply the adhesive with your notched trowel all along the bottom of
your tiling area, with enough height to accommodate one layer of
tiles. Use the notches to draw grooves of equal depth all along the
line of adhesive, with the batten as your guideline.
4. Tile the first layer
Now you get to place your first tile. In order to make sure that it
goes in properly, twist it into the adhesive and make sure it sits
flush against the batten. Put tile spacers right next to the tile
and then place your next tile in next to those. Make sure the
spacers are pushed firmly in so they're sunk in between the tiles.
Keep going until you've filled up the entire bottom row of tiles.
We'll sort out any gaps at the edge later on.
5. Check your next tile layer and do the rest
Place down the next layer in the same way. Then check the tiles
you've put down already to see if they are all level with each
other, in terms of how far they protrude from the wall. If any
stick out too much or are sunk in, compared with the rest, then pry
them out and then remove or add some adhesive to ensure they're
level. Tile the rest of the main area. As you tile, it's good to
wipe away any excess adhesive while it's still wet.
6. Edges
For the gap you might have at the edges of your tiling, you'll need
to cut some tiles to fit. Measure the gap, making sure you take
into account the width of the tile spacers. Mark this measurement
on your tiles with the chalk and stick them in your tile cutter.
Apply the adhesive directly to the back of the tile edge sections
and place them down in the gap.
7. Leave to dry
The adhesive will take several hours to dry, so double check that
all of the tiles are even. Leave them overnight to give the
adhesive ample time to dry. Once you're sure it's dry, you can
remove the batten by prying out the nails with the hammer.
8. Fill in the batten gap
The batten will have left a gap in your tiling at the bottom, so
fill it in. Measure the gap and cut the tiles just like you did
with the edge tiles.
9. The grout
Mix your grout and put some on your grout float. Then use the float
to apply the grout to the gaps created by the tile spacers. Press
it firmly into the gaps, making sure to cover up the spacers
entirely. Make sure to regularly wipe away the excess grout while
it's still wet. When the grout begins to harden you can press it
with the grout finisher to create a neat finish.
10. Final clean
When you're finished grouting, give the whole surface a quick buff
with a dry cloth just to get rid of excess grout. That's it, you're
done and you can admire your tiling masterpiece.
About our factory
1. 80,000sqm site
2. ISO9001 system
3. Importing blocks from Italy
4. Major in Carrara tiles and Mosaics
Factory corner
Carrara marble mosaic detail
Carrara marble mosaic tile packing:
1 sheet / about 305*305*10mm
12 sheets / carton / 310*310*140mm
54 cartons / crate / 1.62 tons
16 crates / 1*20'FCL Maximum loading 27 tons (720-860sqm)
