Tiles are water-resistant, easy to clean and therefore ideal for the kitchen. They are available in many designs, colors, and motifs, so you can always find matching tiles. After you have chosen the right tiles, you can have the wall or floor tile by a professional, but you can also choose to do this yourself. We give you a number of tips for installing the tiles in your new kitchen interior design.
Choosing the right tiles
When choosing tiles, it is important that you like them. But in addition, tiles can be very different. Consider the following points:
- Dark tiles are less likely to look dirty
- With matte and light tiles you will not see the scratches as quickly
- Wall tiles can only be placed on the wall
- Floor tiles can be used both for the floor or on the wall
- A space where a lot of water is used? Then use non-slip or rough floor tiles-
Calculate area
It does not matter where you are going to tile, it is important to prepare well before you start working. It is important to calculate in advance how many tiles you need. This way you prevent unexpected surprises. Work on the following steps:
- Calculate the surface of the wall and/or floor to be tiled. The surface is the length times the width or height. Add up the areas.
- Have you calculated the area? Then add a few extra. When cutting, you always have some breakage or cutting loss. A margin of 10% of the total quantity is generally used. Add this to it.
- Divide the total by the package contents. This can be found on the information card of the package. Then round up the number of suits. For example you need 35 meters2 of tiles and the package contains 1.2 m2. Then divide 35 by 1.2 and arrive at 29.17. Rounded up, this means that you must have 30 suits.
Start making tiles
Never just start tiling a wall somewhere. It requires attention and precision, otherwise, the tile work will be skewed. This will be a waste of the new kitchen interior designing. Make a drawing beforehand. To straighten them, you first have to attach a framework of wooden Spiers to the wall. Then explain the wall tiles row by row. There must be a gap of at least 6 millimeters between the last tiles and the corner of the wall. This is to prevent the tiles from jumping. Place spacers or joint crosses between the tiles. This way you create equal joint spaces. These are available in various sizes. It also prevents sagging of the tile work.
Whole and half tiles
A wall almost never consists of just whole tiles. The best thing is to use the same tiles on both the left and right sides that are half a tile wide. You can calculate this by the distances between the last whole that is placed and the angle of the wall minus two joint widths.
Apply auxiliary slats
The vertical auxiliary slats must be leveled. Apply this at the place of the tiles. Then you can put it all against it. Take into account the space for the joints around the tiles. Secure the slats with screws. Do this in a concrete surface with plugs. The heads of the screws should protrude slightly. Then you can remove them more easily later. Also apply a horizontal bar. You do this between the vertical auxiliary slats. Attach this where the bottom row of pastile tile ends.
Apply
Use the instructions for use to create the tile adhesive. Then spread the glue evenly on the tiling wall with a blue comb. Start from the right or left corner. Check after each row whether it is straight. Do this using a spirit level. Has the tile adhesive hardened? Then the slats can be removed. You must cut the tiles for the last rows to size. Do this with a special tile cutter. Carefully break them down. Optionally, they can be updated with a tile tong. Place the last tiles to complete it. The tile adhesive is cured after around 24 hours. Only then can you start adding and cleaning. It is advisable to seal the corners of wet areas with silicone sealant. First make it free from grease, moisture and dust, before going kitten.
Choose tile adhesive
It is important to purchase suitable tile adhesive. If necessary, get advice on this. Hereby some tips:
- Powder glue is used for floor and wall tiles. It is a bit more flexible in texture. The glue must first be prepared before it can be used. You can choose the quantity to create yourself.
- Marble or natural stone? Then use white glue. This prevents shine through.
- Ready-made pasta glue is only used for wall tiles that have a smooth surface. The advantage of this glue is that it can be used immediately. It can be saved afterward.
- For areas with a lot of walking, there is a special grout that is dirt-resistant and waterproof. The best thing is to adjust the color joint to the color of the tiles.
Other tips for choosing tiles
- Create peace in a room? Then choose larger tiles. When applying it is important that there is a smooth surface. They must also be completely put in the glue.
- Smaller tiles give a more luxurious feeling. They are often supplied on mats, making them easy to install.
- You can also choose a combination of large and smaller tiles. This gives a room a personal, creative and exclusive look.
Other tips for tiling
- First check them for dimensions and shade number. This prevents color differences. It is advisable to use tiles of the same color number or production date. Also mix the tiles of different packages together.
- Floor tiles that are laid diagonally make the room wider.
- Save a package afterwards, in case one or more tiles are damaged.
- Take the drying time of the adhesive and jointing into account.
We hope that with these tips you can now tile the kitchen yourself. Are you in doubt? Then hire a professional. If you are looking for cheap tiles, take a look at the Tile Competitor website, where you will find many tiles for little money. Do you have experience with tiling yourself? Then share it with the other readers by posting a comment under the article.
