Large Tile Installation Tips

Below are three tips to maximize the advantages of large format tile.

Large tile installation tips.

Preventing large format tile from sagging or slipping during installation can be accomplished in several ways. Thin set mortar is the best bedding adhesive for most tile. Put the first test tile onto the thin set bed. Plus all the tips to avoid ending up with ugly cuts in the doorways.

Use a tile saw or wet saw both rentable if necessary for cutting numerous or thick tiles. Learn all the tricks to a beautiful tile floor that will never crack. Dos don ts large format tile installation requires particular attention to proper substrate preparation grout joint sizing trowel selection and mortar coverage. Holding a bubble level to a straight six or eight foot board make sure that both walls and the floor are plumb vertical and level.

Large format tile must be installed on a level substrate. Ensure a flat surface. Thus they need to be installed in a square space. For all of msi s rectangular tiles a minimum of a 1 3 or more off set with 1 8 grout joint size is recommended for rectified tiles and a 3 16 grout joint for non rectified.

For making curved cuts you can use tile nippers. Lay the tile flat and then with mild pressure slide the tile 1 4 inch back against the thin set ridges then slide it back into place. Substrate preparation for walls and floors that will be tiled with large format materials must be perfectly flat. The level of flatness dictated by the tile council of north america for large format installations is 1 8 over 10.

When installing large format tile there must be at least 90 mortar contact and a minimum grout joint of 3 16. As you near cabinets doorways walls and other flooring stops trim tiles as needed for installation. A common solution involves use of a special non sag thinset mortar that is designed to stone tile weighing up to 6 pounds per square foot. At the beginning of your tile floor installation always do a test to ensure the consistency of the mortar is appropriate.