Natural stone tiling is always going to make your home look fabulous in a way that manmade floor tiles cannot match, and even though they may cost more than synthetic tiles would you can save on costs by installing them yourself. You don’t generally need to have previous experience to do this either, just the time, patience, willingness to read up and learn where necessary and the right tools to do the job.
Here we have put together a basic guide for beginners looking to install natural stone tiling in their home, either on the floors or walls, or of course, both. From the first steps of selecting the right tiles for the job, through preparation, installation and aftercare, we have it covered. So enjoy the read and the project ahead; the end result will be well worth your time and effort.
Stage 1 – Choosing the right tiles
Way before you start doing anything physical it’s important to pick out the right kind of tiles you are going to work with. Apart from your personal preferences of color, design and general look you must always take care to choose tiles which can do the job you are asking of them.
Before choosing floor tiles the key questions to ask yourself are:
• How much traffic will the room get?
• Is there likely to be water spillage around?
• Do they need to be comfortable underfoot?
Spaces and rooms which get a lot of foot traffic, typically hallways and kitchens, need tough, hard wearing a durable natural stone tiles made from something like granite, a harder limestone, or travertine. When slip resistance is important, say in a bathroom or maybe a kitchen, the slightly rough, raised texture of slate helps prevent slips, and has the added advantage of being available in several colors. Basalt copes well with floors to and is naturally warm to the touch, so this is another good choice for a bathroom floor.
Before choosing wall tiles the key questions to ask yourself are:
• What is the total weight which can be added per square meter of wall?
• What function are the wall tiles expected to fulfil?
These are two vital questions, as if you pick natural stone tiles which are too heavy for the wall they’ll simply break away, which could be both inconvenient and dangerous, as well as being a waste of your time.
Weight limits
These are generally determined by the type of surface the tiles will be placed on. So, in general, a wall which is either plastered, or covered with skimmed plasterboard, can take a total weight load of 20kg for every square meter, plywood walls are okay with up to 30kg, and un-skimmed walls 32kg.
Rendered, blockwork and tile-backer board walls are fine with weights of up to 40-50kg per square meter. This makes it crucial that the tiles you want to use come in under the recommended weight limit (don’t forget to add a little extra for grouting too.) Natural stone tiles are often heavier than other types of tiles so you may need to look at changing surfaces at some point if things become awkward.
The tiles’ purpose
Tiles on the walls inside a shower cubicle obviously need to be completely waterproof, while those used for a splashback in either a bathroom or a kitchen need to be the same, and also stain resistant. Use these things to guide you when making a choice of tile materials.
Stage 2 – Preparing the wall or floor surface for tiling
Wipe or brush it clean to remove dust and debris, and if you are laying tiles on a remodeled floor add a layer of the backing board before you begin. Check the tiles are free of any loose materials.
Stage 3- Installation
Measuring
Start installing from the center of a wall, but first measure the length and mark the width of tiles with a small gap between for grout. This helps avoid cutting too many tiles to fit later.
Mix enough mortar to use in around 20 minutes in a bucket according to instructions and spread some evenly across the floor space to be tiled using a notched trowel. (Also prepare a bucket of clean water and a sponge so you can clean up any unwanted excess mortar.)
Laying
Place your tile according to your plan and press carefully until it is in the right place. Use a special plastic spacer to keep the right size space between the tile (for grouting later), and check as you go that the levels are uniform.
Do not step on these newly laid tiles for 24 hours, after that you can cut tiles down to size to fit the border space left. Measure the space left (minus grout space) and cut the tile either by using a scoring cutter or a wet saw. (These can be hired, ask at the store for a demonstration on how to use them properly, and also pick up eye and ear protection.) Use tile nippers or a handheld grinder (diamond blade) to make curved cuts.
Grouting
When the tiles are completely set wipe them over to remove dust then apply mixed up grout to the spaces between the tiles using a rubber float – at an angle of 45 degrees.
After a few minutes wipe the excess off with a sponge and clean water, and once the grout is totally set add sealer.
(The same process applies to tiling walls.)
Stage 4 – Post installation
Apply a special natural stone sealant to tiles you have wiped clean, to help them resist stains and scuffs.
Congratulations. You should now have a well-laid floor or wall space which shows off the floor tiles made from natural stone you chose perfectly. Don’t forget that there are lots of free to access useful videos on sites like YouTube which cover pretty much every aspect of DIY if you need some extra help at any point.