Tile is a beautiful and long lasting solution to almost any surface.
The key to successful tile is preparation.
Just about anyone can lay tile but not anyone can lay tile correctly without help.
We often see tile cracking or breaking free from the subfloor due to improper installation.
This can be caused by a couple of different things.
First suspect is the base floor.
This is what the subfloor sits on.
For best results the base floor (also called decking) needs to be of sufficient thickness and must be fastened in a manner that stops any movement.
Usually tongue a groove 2x6 flooring works well if installed properly.
The next consideration is the subfloor.
We like Hardi Backer for flooring because it adds structural support to the floor and it's a cement based product producing a great bond with thin-set mortar.
All seams need to be taped with appropriate fiberglass tape ( not sheetrock tape ).
Finally all seams need to be skimmed with thin-set to create one surface.
For shower pans and tub and shower walls we prefer Wedi products.
They are more waterproof than other tile backing systems.
They are also about four times more expensive per sheet.
This is not the time to pinch pennies as you want your tub or shower walls to remain water proof for years to come.
The tile pattern and spacing need to be carefully considered before the tile project begins.
On a floor, the center of the room is usually the best point to begin.
Because tile often has small size variance, starting in the middle make is easier to maintain constant tile spacing.
The further you lay tile from a single point the more you will notice the spacing change due to slight differences in each individual tile.
The trowel and mortar mix are not to be overlooked.
For most tile applications a 1/4 x 1/4 notched trowel is used.
The mortar is applied holding the trowel at a 45 degree to the tile backing.
The mortar, or thin-set as it is often called, needs to be fortified with acrylic additive.
We like to mix our mortar with acrylic instead of water.
The acrylic gives the tile more bonding strength.
For grout sanded is is the most common.
For any grout lines under 1/8'' un-sanded grout us used.
Where two or more plains come together such as two walls, corners, or floor to tub, a color matched caulking should be used instead of standard grout.
This caulking helps prevent cracking of inside corners due to mechanical movement.
Once the tile is down apply roughly 10 lbs of mechanical pressure then do not touch again for 24 hours.