Laying square tiles in a square or rectangular room, is a bit tough. But laying square tiles in a circular room, or laying tiles in the corner of the room, is tougher. You have to cut the tiles properly, the measure should be correct, they should be laid properly, otherwise the tiles will be wasted. Sounds difficult, right? But do not worry, because here are some easy tips following which you will help you know how to lay tile diagonally easily.
Steps to Laying Tiles
When it comes to laying tiles on concrete floor, many people face problems. Fitting a square tile in an oddly shaped room, is not everyone's cup of tea. Many call professionals to do this job and what do they do? They charge you a high amount. These tips will teach you how you can have a diagonal layout, which you can do all by yourself and also save the money that you would have spent behind the professionals.
Get the Tiles
The first thing that you have to do, during installation is decide beforehand the color and the design that you want and then buy it. Buy something that will suit the other objects, that is, the furniture, the wallpaper, etc. Do not have a situation where you will fix the tiles and then you will feel that the color is not going with the wall color. It will be foolish to remove the tiles again and then place a different set. You will be wasting your time, energy and money. Also, get enough tiles as some might break while fixing or some might be wasted while cutting off.
Clean up the Floor
Before moving forward with the diagonal tile layout, you have to clean up the floor on which you will lay the tiles. Make sure that the floor is leveled properly and if not, then do so. There should be no gaps on the floor. If you lay the tiles over a cracked floor, then later on, the tiles might break. Floor cleaning is an important step that you have to carry out before you lay tiles diagonally. Clean the floor of the debris and oil.
Make Plan
The next thing is plan how you want the diagonal tile layout. Chalk out a rough sketch and make a rough estimation as to how many tiles you need to have for the flooring.
Mark the Diagonal Tile
Now it's time for you to lay the first tile diagonally. First, divide your room into four sections and then mark the center of the room. Join the center of the room with the center of the walls and then, join the corner of the walls to the center, making the whole thing look like an 'X'. Check whether the lines form a right angle or not and then mark a point which is 4 feet away from the center and which is along the cross lines. Then again, mark a point which is at least 3 feet away from the center along the intersecting lines. Now, join the two points and you will have a diagonal line. Repeat the same process till you have these diagonal lines in the entire area which you want to tile.
Prepare the Mortar
Now, let us come to the last step of laying tile diagonally. You have to prepare the mortar, and just like buttering a toast, you have to apply it behind the tiles. Some people also use adhesive instead of mortar. Even that will do, but so make sure that you do not apply the adhesive only at the corner of the tiles, but apply it evenly across the entire tile. Otherwise, while walking on the tiles, it might crack. After applying the mortar, place the tiles properly. If you feel that the way you have laid the tile is not right, then remove it immediately before the adhesive or the mortar sets and then re-apply it again, and then place the tile.
Cutting Some Corners
After you have placed all the tiles, let the adhesive or the mortar dry. Give it at least a day for the tiles to set. Then, using a diamond blade and making sure that you are wearing your safety glasses and face mask, mark the tiles that are to be cut, along the edges of the room. The tiles are to be cut at an angle of 45 degree. Some might also have to be cut at 90 degrees. This is due to the diagonal layout.
Mix the Grouts
Now all that is left is to fill the gaps between the two tiles. For this, you need grouts. Put it carefully in between the tiles and then wipe off the excess grout properly. This has to be done with the help of a wet cloth. The tiles might look hazy because of the excess grout. Remove it and they will be back to normal.
Just follow the above steps and laying tiles will be much easier. No longer do you have to call professionals who will only charge you more. Learning to do it yourself, will also save your money and give you the satisfaction of having designed your flooring yourself.
