Floor Tiling Guide
Adhesive Recommentations
| Floor Made of | Internal | External |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete & Screeds | Fixall | FIxall |
| Superfixall | Superfixall | |
| Asaflex | Asaflex | |
| Conflex | Conflex | |
| Excelflex | Excelflex | |
| Fibrous Cement Sheeting | Asaflex | Asaflex |
| Conflex | Conflex | |
| Excelflex | ||
| FIx'n'fill | ||
| Timber Floors | Asaflex | Asaflex |
| Painted Surfaces | Asaflex | Asaflex |
| Existing Tiles | Asaflex | Asaflex |
| Conflex | Conflex |
Surface Preparation
All surfaces must be sound, clean and dry. Free from dust, oil, grease, wax, curing compounds, plaster droppings and other contaminants.
Concrete
Should be left with a wood float finish and allowed to be cured for at least 28 days prior to tiling. It is advisable to prime smooth concrete using two parts Megalastic mixed with 3 parts neat cement. This mixture should be painted onto the concrete surface and allowed to dry.
Timber Floors
Remove all varnish from the floor. Re-nail any loose floor boards and replace any rotting boards. Manufactured flooring such as particle board and composition board must be fixed in accordance with manufacturers' directions. Old vinyl floor covering should be removed. Masonite or hardboard underlays are not suitable substrate for ceramic tiles, and so should be removed. Where timber has been used externally, it is recommended to apply a waterproof membrane system such as DAMPFIX prior to tiling.
Fibrous Cement Sheeting
Must be fixed in accordance with manufacturers' directions.
The sheet must be primed using ASA MULTIPRIME prior to tiling.
Where the sheeting is used externally as a deck, it may need a waterproof membrane system such as DAMPFIX prior to tiling.
Existing Tiles
Must be cleaned to remove all contaminants. Loose or dummy tiles should be replaced using the adhesive that will be used for laying the new tiles. Alternatively, the gaps left by those tiles can be filled with a 2:1 sand/cement mixture with CEMCRETE.
Painted Floors
Remove the paint by mechanically scrubbing or sanding the floor to expose approximately 75% of the substrate.
Always remember
Read the adhesive directions prior to commencing.
- Take your time. Do each section accurately and the job should look professionally done.
- There are special adhesives for various applications.
Getting Ready
The method used for setting out the tiles generally depends on the room.
- Look for the focal corner of the room, i.e. the first corner you see as you walk in the room.
- If possible this corner should be a full tile.
- Set the tiles along the walls that form the focal point.
- Adjust the tiles so there is a minimum of cuts, ensuring these cuts are not small.
- Mark along the edge of these tiles using a chalk line or string. Check these are square by using a set square.
- If the room is out of square, it will be necessary to alter the chalk lines so the first row of tiles in each direction.
Movement Joints
These must be incorporated in the getting ready stage to accommodate movement and vibration. It is essential movement joints must be placed.
- Over existing movement (expansion) joints.
- Where different materials meet.
- At the perimeter of the tiles area.
- At internal corners e.g. where the wall meets the floor or the floor meets the wall.
- Every 5 linear metres
Movement joints should b e a minimum of 6mm wide, filled with an elastometric sealant (such as ASA's silicone) and extend from the top of the tiling through the adhesive onto the substrate.
Laying Tiles
- Read the directions of the adhesive to be used.
- Do not soak the tiles prior to laying.
- Spread the adhesive onto the floor between the wall and the guide line using the appropriate notched spreader.
Timber floors 12mm square notched spreader
Mosaic tiles 6mm square notched spreader
Flat backed tiles (Slate & Quarry) 10mm square notched spreader - Your retailer of ASA will advise you on the appropriate spreader.
- Only spread 1 square metre of adhesive at a time.
- Lay the dry tiles into the wet adhesive before the adhesive skins over.
- Press the tiles firmly into the adhesive bed using a twisting motion. This ensures the tile is well bedded into the adhesive. The tile must be totally supported by the adhesive with no air bubbles under the tile.
- For slate and deeply lugged quarry tiles, it may be necessary to butter the back of the tile with the adhesive.
- Ensure the joints are even and straight.
- Check the level of the tiles as you go and adjust levels with the amount of adhesive under the tile.
- Lift a tile every so often to check for adequate coverage.
- Position cut tiles last as required.
- Do not walk on the tiles until the adhesive has set, usually 24 hours.
Grouting
- Grouting may be commenced 26 hours after laying the tiles.
- Use ASA Coloured Grout or ASA Sanded Grout, depending on the width of the joint.
- Mix grout in accordance with instructions on packaging.
- ASA Grout Additive must be mixed in the grout when tiling over timber floors and areas where extra resilience, stain resistance and mould resistance is needed. Grout Additive is a replacement for water.
- Work the mixed grout into the joints using a rubber squeegee, ensuring that the joint is well filled in the grout.
- Excess grout should be removed using a damp sponge. The sponge should be rinsed frequently in clean water, changing the water regularly.
- Once the grout in the joints hardens, the cement scale on the face of the tiles should be removed using a soft cloth. Note:
Special techniques for grouting are needed for terracotta and unglazed tiles. Consult ASA or your tile retailer for advice before attempting to grout these tiles. Some marble will scratch with sanded grouts. ASA recommend using ASA Megasmooth Grout for these applications.