Proper preparation – application

Success loves preparation

the preparation steps for the laying of our tiles are not very different from the common commercial tiles

but many craftsmen express questions about various issues related to their work with the tile and in these questions we will respond descriptively here but more directly by phone or email

we go first to see them step by step:

1. Substrate

the substrate is commonly used to be the common leveling cement, but it can also be old tiles or mosaic or marble
is a very critical part of the coating since since it is so easy to make it so difficult to impossible it is to be repaired or replaced
the purpose is to create a flat surface smoothing irregularities of the original floor by varying the thickness of the layer, here we have to pay attention to the thickness between 3cm – 8cm so that we do not risk being detached due to the thin layer or cracked strongly due to the large thickness
the use of propylene fibers and the correct dosage of cement are important elements of success of the layer
to calculate the level of the final surface (algebra), you should keep in mind that the tile has a thickness of 14 millimeters, so it will be necessary to calculate the cement mortar 18 millimeters lower than the desired final floor
the cement mortar must not have cracks and should not be rubbed smoothly on its surface
it is very important to predict and build expansion joints from the cement layer so that no cracks in the floor due to deformations and contractions –
2. Adhesive layer

the adhesive that is suitable is cementitious resins elastic and is a type that all branded building materials have in their range, you can ask us to recommend you brand or to advise you if it is appropriate what you already have
the tiles do not mind having a little moisture but we will not make damping or dampening we in order to increase their moisture
we use a trowel with wide teeth to give the necessary layer thickness
it is important to have our tiles stretched before welding so that they are placed quickly and do not spread glue on the floor that will risk getting a crust surface
the adhesive will also be spread in the tile with the toothed spatula to obtain adhesion to the surface but equally important is that there is no excess glue around the tile during the application pressure so that the joints are blocked with glue
Glue Consumption: Usual consumption is 4 kg / square meter

3. Placing the tiles

we do not strike the tiles with mason-mantraks to be altered because they can crack even non-obviously
clean the glues from the surface of the tile so that we do not need to be cleaned afterwards which is even more difficult
we select up to 2 mm joint because a thicker joint is likely to spoil the pattern but possibly leave exposed and the edges of the tiles
it is suggested that the tiles be selected from different boxes when laying them
the tiles must be carefully placed so that they do not wear locally and especially on their edges
cutting the tiles is done
(a) with a tile cutter for areas such as floor finishes where they are covered by the wardrobe

b) with diamond disk on wet cutting wheel for cuts in areas where the cuts are visible and we want a perfect finish

3. Preparing for stamping

after we have finished with the gluing of the tiles and all our tiles are firmly and correctly laid, we leave the floor 2-3 days to pull the glue and have developed strength
if we are able to clean the tiles well and apply a hand waterproofing to protect the tiles from the next process (usually this step is omitted and we prefer to take care of the work until the final waterproofing
select tile pavement colorless or if we want to choose a soft gray tint
we normally use the elastic spatula to fill the joints well and clean thoroughly and continuously to prevent the mortar from sticking to the tile
4. Finish

once all the previous steps have been completed, we successfully test the surface for stains or locally rough surfaces to be corrected
we can rub with fine sandpaper the surface (up to No 400)
dulls in colors or differences do not have to worry about us because they will be eliminated by the application of the waterproofing
the floor should be clean and dry before waterproofing and allow the moisture of the tiles and the underlying layers to be completely removed (it will be necessary to leave the floor 4-7 days free in the environment to avoid moisture trapping)