Do You Honor Expansion Joints in a Concrete Floor?
You do, right? Honoring expansion joints in a concrete floor is critical to the success of a ceramic tile floor installation.
How prepared are you for installing Large Format Tile (LFT) or Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels (GTPT) and ensuring you have a surface that is adequately flat?
It's a big deal and worth considering before you get started.
Do you use an edge profile to protect your tile installation? It's particularly valuable when transitioning from tile to another flooring surface material. However, to work, the profile must be installed correctly. Let's explore.
If you're considering how to install natural stone floor tile, be aware that there's a significant difference between natural stone and ceramic tile especially when it's over wood framing.
Unfortunately, many consumers, builders and even some tile installers share the mistaken idea that natural stone tile products may be installed over a wood-framed floor in the same way as is ceramic and porcelain tile. This is completely untrue and will many times lead to a very costly replacement.
Why? Because tiles made from natural stone do not have the same strength as ceramic tiles and they require a floor system that is twice as stiff as what is required for ceramic floor tile.
Let's explore in more detail.
Have you had to deal with ramps and level changes on your tile jobsite? How have you addressed them?
Would you agree that mortars and grouts matter to a successful tile installation project? And that you need them to be properly mixed?
Let's talk about floor prep. How seriously do you take it?
Realize that the success or failure of most tile projects is keyed to the amount of floor prep provided and the attention to detail. When you or anyone else cuts corners to save time and or money on a job, the result is almost always failure.
To make my point, here are specific examples highlighting seven perils of improper floor prep. You may have encountered others that we can add to the list.
Perhaps it seems self-evident that the tile patterns you select need to be balanced when installed. And, yet, simply based on photos readily available, balance and common sense don't always go hand-in-hand.
Especially when your tile choices come in so many more sizes, shapes, patterns, and colors than in the past. Along with this availability comes creativity with endless possibilities.
Today we will focus on one of these options – the pattern. Combining these tiles, whether square or rectangular, with an offset pattern creates a unique visual many times not realized in is square or stacked design.
