Tile installation: How to work with tile, lay, cut and repair

If you are renovating your home and have decided to install a porcelain floor or wall tile, you may be wondering how to lay the tiles and how to remove the old tiles without breaking them.

How to lay tiles on floors and walls

Whether it is on floors or walls, there are different ways to lay rectangular tiles. But, whether you choose the diamond-shaped arrangement, the conventional one, or any other, the installation process is the same.

1. Make sure that the surface where we are going to install the tiles is clean, completely level and moist.
2. Apply the adhesive to the surface and place the tile in its position. It is especially important to consider where to lay hexagonal tiles.
3. Once the tile has set, it is time to apply a quality grout.
4. When the grout has dried, the pieces must be cleaned to remove any remaining material.

Tile installation in the bathroom

There are different ways to lay tiles in the bathroom, but we recommend following these steps in order:

1. Measure the bathroom to determine the surface to be covered with the tiles. In this step, you can think about how to lay the elongated tiles: vertically, horizontally, in a brick-like arrangement... You can take advantage of the optical effect provided by the arrangement of the tiles to make the bathroom longer or taller.
2. If it is a renovation, remove the tiles that were there before with a hammer and chisel and sand the surface so that it is completely smooth.
3. Make sure the surface is clean and damp.
4. Apply the adhesive of your choice for the tile installation with a putty knife and rubber trowel.
5. Make the necessary cuts and install the tiles in the chosen arrangement.
6. Grout the tiles and remove the excess with a clean trowel.

How to remove tiles

Removing tiles is not difficult. However, removing tiles without breaking or chipping the surrounding pieces requires a little more care. These are the steps you must follow:

Use a utility knife or putty knife to cut the joint around the tile you want to remove. You can do this by gently scraping at the joining. If you do this right, little by little you will remove the grout.

Once there is no grout, insert a large flat-head screwdriver or small chisel into the joint, tapping gently with a hammer to remove the piece.

Following this process of scratching the joining, you will be able to remove one or several pieces of tile to make changes underneath, without breaking the ones that are going to remain installed.

How to remove silicone caulk from tiles 

1. Once the tiles are installed, if silicone is stuck to them and has dried, it can easily be removed.
2. You just need alcohol or acetone. Apply the product to what is left and, after letting it act for a few minutes, rub with a sponge to remove the silicone.

How to repair cracked tiles 

When you have tiled an area of the house, it is very annoying when the tiles crack. This can happen both on the walls and on the ground due to a knock. If this happens, you do not need to remove the tile and change it for another.

You can repair cracked tiles with epoxy. This is a paste similar to plasticine with which you can fill the tiles and repair them. Once it has dried, use fine sandpaper to smooth the surface, and that is all.

How to clean porcelain flooring 

Cleaning porcelain flooring does not require a delicate process or specific products, as is the case with other flooring such as natural wood. Even wood-look porcelain can be easily scrubbed, with the help of a floor soap.

However, when there are stains that do not come out on a porcelain floor, it is necessary to take further measures. One of these could be cleaning the porcelain floor with apple cider vinegar. The acid present in this product will remove stubborn stains without damaging the floor.