How to prepare the floor for trouble-free tiling. Proper preparation of the floor before laying the tiles Laying ceramic tile floors of the prepared surface

For high-quality laying of PVC tiles, the surface on which it will be laid is of great importance. Equally important is the choice of a suitable substrate, as well as its preparation for laying tiles.

Selecting the right surface

When laying PVC tiles, first of all, you should think about the type of surface on which it will be laid. Many materials are suitable as a base for laying PVC tiles. It can be laid both on a coupler, and on already existing coverings.

One of the main criteria for the surface on which PVC tiles will be laid is its strength. A surface that is suitable in terms of strength can be considered one that does not collapse when the tile is peeled off from it, and also does not creak when walking on it. An example of an unsuitable substrate for laying PVC tiles is OSB board. When separating a tile from a similar surface, particles of chips from which this surface consists will remain on it. As a result, many irregularities will appear on the OSB board, which, at best, will greatly complicate the installation of PVC tiles. Another example of an unsuitable base for laying PVC tiles is a poorly poured concrete screed. In places of the most frequent use, the top layer of such a surface is destroyed over time, which will lead to the peeling of PVC tiles from the base.

Another criterion is the stability of the surface. The surface on which the PVC tiles will be laid must be firmly fixed. In the case of using a wooden base, the distance between the joists and the thickness of the boards must be selected so that the floor does not sag when walking. With everything else, it should be noted that PVC tile is a fairly durable material, and will perform its functions even on unstable surfaces. However, in this case, gaps may form between the tiles.

In general, we can conclude that the following types of surfaces are suitable for laying PVC tiles:

Cement or cement-sand screed;

Plywood of increased moisture resistance (FSF);

Existing coatings (tiles, porcelain tiles, etc.);

Bulk, dry bases (Knauf Superpol);

Floor leveling compounds.

Preparation of the selected surface

If the type of surface to be finished is suitable for laying PVC tiles, then first of all you should worry about the evenness of this very surface. If the base of the floor is wooden, then you can level it by laying it with a thick layer of plywood. A floor with a concrete surface should be leveled with a self-leveling screed.

Also, the surface on which PVC tiles will be laid must be dry. Especially when it comes to screeds and leveling compounds. For cement-sand screeds, the drying process depends on many factors, such as coating thickness, air humidity, and can take up to several months. Checking the readiness of the cement base for laying PVC tiles is quite simple. It is enough to stick a piece of polyethylene to the surface to be checked with adhesive tape. The surface will be ready for laying PVC tiles in the event that condensation does not form on the polyethylene during the day. From this it will be possible to conclude that the screed is dry. In the event of condensation, the surface is not ready for tiling because water is still coming out of it. If leveling compounds have been used to level the floor, the same test method can be used. The difference is that the drying process in this case is simpler and much faster. In many cases, it is possible to distinguish dry areas of a surface treated with a leveling mixture from wet areas by color.

An extremely important criterion when laying PVC tiles is also the cleanliness of the surface on which the tiles will be laid. In the event that the surface is contaminated with any foreign matter, whether it be dust, remnants of building materials or anything else, serious difficulties can arise when laying tiles. Therefore, before starting the installation of tiles, the subfloor must be carefully primed. The main purpose of this procedure is to increase the adhesion between the adhesive with which the tiles will be fixed and the concrete floor surface. Any acrylic primer will work for this. When using tiles with interlocking joints, the need for surface priming is eliminated.

It should be noted that PVC tiles also need to be prepared for installation. To do this, it must be decomposed and kept in a horizontal position for about a day at an air temperature of at least 24 degrees.

Ceramic tile is an excellent floor covering with excellent performance. It is ideal for bathrooms and kitchens, as it is able to withstand significant physical exertion, moisture resistant and easy to clean. Everything would be fine, but one moment overshadows all the advantages of this coating. Laying tiles is quite difficult and it is this point that most confuses those who first undertake independent repairs. In addition, preparing the floor for tiles is also not an easy process, because you will have to almost completely renew the surface of the base.

Proper preparation of the floor for tiles is the key to quick and high-quality installation

How to prepare wood floors for tiling

In old apartment buildings and cottages, the floor is usually wooden. However, this does not mean that you will have to walk on creaky boards all your life - they can be used as the basis for ceramic tiles.

To begin with, you should carefully examine the boards for rot, fungus and other unpleasant moments. In addition, the floor surface must be smooth and "silent". If, when walking, knocks and creaks are heard under your feet, then such a floor, most likely, is already losing its former state and requires a thorough repair.

It is worth paying attention to the protruding heads of nails, screws and self-tapping screws - they need to be hammered and screwed with a screwdriver.

Hammer and nails - the main tool in preparing a wooden floor for laying tiles

Next, you need to examine the floor for cracks. Small gaps of 2-3 mm can be bypassed - they are not dangerous. But in large grooves you will need to drive thin chips of soft wood. This will give a double effect: the floor will not creak and at the same time it will become much smoother. Only one "driving in" will not be enough - it is advisable to securely fix the chips in the cracks with glue or nails hammered at an angle.

The next step is to level the boards with a grinder and putty the potholes and depressions left after grinding. At the end of all preparatory work, it is necessary to remove the remnants of vigorous activity and cover the floor with drying oil.

Concrete priming is a mandatory step before pouring the screed

First, a damper tape is glued around the perimeter of the room, which will prevent the mixture from flowing into the gap between the wall and the floor, and also prevent the seasonal expansion of the screed. Next, the concrete surface is primed in two layers, and only after the final drying of the primer, the mixture is poured. It spreads well, forming a perfectly flat and smooth surface. The standard layer thickness is approximately 2-4 mm, but in rare cases this figure can reach 10 mm.

When spreading the self-leveling mixture over the surface of the concrete, care must be taken to ensure that no bubbles form inside it. To do this, you can use a needle roller, which will “pierce” all the “balloons” and prevent them from spoiling the screed.

Pouring self-levelling compound is a quick way to level the subfloor

Such a screed does not dry out for long - 12 hours and you can walk on it, and after another two days it will be possible to start laying tiles.

In general, preparing the floor for tiles takes from several hours to 2-3 days, but it’s better to spend so much time than skip this stage altogether, because in this case no one will guarantee that the floor covering will last at least a month.

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The most common type of finish for a bathroom or kitchen is tile. The relative ease of its installation, hygiene and durability are recognized by all. Such a coating does not absorb moisture, is easy to clean and maintain, if the correct waterproofing is done, then it does not allow water to pass to the lower floors in case of leakage. But preparing the floor for laying tiles requires care and scrupulousness.

The only drawback of tile is the high cost of preparatory work and its installation. Therefore, so that there is no need to redo all the work, it is necessary to carry out the preparatory work correctly. The basic requirements for the base on which the tile is laid are the horizontalness of the surface and its evenness.

You should also monitor the humidity in the place of work, as well as make sure that the surface is well dried before laying.

The preparation of floors for laying tiles depends on their structure, often the tiles are laid on a cement base, but there are cases when the floors are covered with plywood, vinyl or old tiles.

Benefits of a flat surface

General requirements for any type of surface for laying tiles - its horizontal. Preparing the floor for tiles requires leveling the floor before work. The device of an equal and smooth coupler guarantees that the tile will be laid correctly. We can say that a flat floor is the basis of success. Also, this will give:

Great savings in adhesive composition.
Reduced tiling time.
High quality work.
Longer service life of a tiled floor.

The average consumption of adhesive for laying tiles, depending on the brand and manufacturer of the adhesive mixture, is from 4 to 5 kg of mortar per square meter. m. These standards apply if laying is done on top of a flat screed.

Below are the options for how the floor should be prepared depending on the coating. But you should follow the general rule for all types of floors - the surface of the screed on which it is planned to lay the tiles must be well cleaned, especially in the bathroom, where increased floor strength is required. This can be achieved using:

grinders or just a grinding wheel;
abrasive powder or mixture;
various scraping tools.

Preparation of cement slab for tiles

In cases where ceramics have to be laid on a cement screed, for example, in a bathroom, you should carefully inspect it and make sure that there are no large dents and cracks. Such defects inevitably lead to the destruction of the tile, so you should start by eliminating the identified irregularities and cracks. It is not worth using chemicals to clean the cement surface, as the chemicals can affect the adhesive with which you will make the cladding.

By their structure, concrete bases are very convenient for tiling, you should just remember to level the surface before laying. Horizontality should be maintained very strictly, deviations should be kept to a minimum. By pouring the floor with a special self-leveling mixture, you can achieve leveling of the screed and improve the structure of the floor, achieving its smoothness.

In cases where you make a cement base yourself, you should remember that according to building codes it is necessary to withstand cement floors for about four weeks before finishing them with any kind of coating. It is also not recommended to speed up the fixation of the cement base with special means, since such compositions may not be compatible with adhesive solutions for tiles. You can lay an insulating layer on the cement coating, it will protect the tiled surface from possible cracks. At the same time, tiles are laid only using cement-based mortars.

There are cement substrates on which tiling is not recommended, especially in the bathroom. These are surfaces made of cement with additives for fast hardening. Such additives create a film on the cement base and complicate the laying of tiles. The presence of such additives in cement is determined by applying a few drops of water to the surface to be checked. If the droplets remained on the cement in balls, and did not spread over the surface, this indicates the presence of the mentioned additives in the cement.

Preparing the plywood base

Preparing a wooden floor for tiles is not a very common occurrence. The generally accepted opinion of builders says that the plywood base is poorly suited for laying tiles, because it does not have sufficient strength and stability. If the plywood sags under the weight of the tile, it may crack during use. If, nevertheless, you have no other options but to lay the tiles on the plywood, then its thickness should be at least 28 millimeters and the plywood should be laid on a sufficiently strong frame.

Since a very smooth surface is required for a firm fit of the tile, the plywood needs to be sanded additionally. In rooms with high humidity - bathrooms and toilets, it is recommended to apply an insulating layer over the plywood in the form of a screed. This coating compensates for the deformation of the wooden base under the influence of humidity and temperature in the bathroom and kitchen.

Substrate preparation with existing ceramic coating

If there is an old tile in the bathroom or in the kitchen, then there are two options for laying a new coating:

We cut down the old tile, after which we lay the new one.
We lay the new finish on top of the existing one, on the cement mortar.

In the first case, hard and painstaking work is ahead, and if the base remains uneven after removing the old coating, it will be necessary to level the floor by making a cement screed.

When applying the second option, do not forget to check how the floor height changes relative to doors and cabinets. In order for the new tile to adhere well to the old one, the latter should be treated with emery, giving its surface some roughness.

What to do with old linoleum

Experienced builders strongly recommend removing old linoleum floors, even if they are firmly glued to the floor. It should be removed together with glue residues, especially asbestos. Old vinyl coverings often contain this very harmful material. Asbestos must be completely removed from the floor surface, it is better to entrust it to professionals.

In some cases, it is possible to carry out a screed over the linoleum, then using cement-based glue, you can glue the tiles on the floor. At the same time, carefully check the compatibility of the tile adhesive with the cement coating that was laid on top of the vinyl base.

Ceramic tiles are popular in interiors for finishing floors and walls. Their beauty, durability, ease of care attracts consumers. The service life of the decorative coating depends on the thoroughness of the preliminary preparation of the base.

What is this article about

Surface Requirements

Preparing the floor for laying tiles includes a number of mandatory works that make it possible to make the future foundation of high quality, even, capable of withstanding heavy loads. What you need to pay attention to:

the presence of irregularities;
strength test;
protection against moisture, mold, fungus;
surface cleanliness;
adhesion of materials.

Floor covering removal

To estimate the amount of expected work, it is necessary to remove the old coating. If a tile is laid on the base, then it is dismantled along with the cement mortar, using a perforator with a nozzle or a chisel. If linoleum, laminate, parquet was laid, then it is removed using an improvised tool. It is important to clean the surface of adhesive residue, stains or paint with a 3% hydrochloric acid solution.

Paul is of the following types:

concrete (rough, with a coupler);
wood;
with an old screed;
with a ready base.

Depending on the type of floor covering, preparing the floor for laying tiles will take a different amount of time, money, materials and tools. When working with any of the surfaces, follow a certain order:

evaluation of the quality of the floor. The presence of irregularities, cracks, the strength of the base, the degree of slope;
correction of identified deficiencies;
cleaning;
treatment with antifungal protective impregnations;
laying waterproofing;
applying a screed;
drying;
primer.

Concrete floor preparation

General rules that apply in order to prepare the floor for tiling.

With the help of a rule 2 m long, protrusions of more than 3 cm are noted, they are removed. Slots and joints are expanded, treated with soil, cemented;
Remove dust, grains of sand from the surface with a vacuum cleaner, wipe off oil stains. Treated with mold impregnation;
Make waterproofing. Suitable for this: thick polyethylene film, geotextiles, mastic, bituminous roll materials, waterproof varnishes and paints. In rooms with high humidity, the film is continued on the walls (up to 30 cm). In residential premises, it is convenient to process the joints between the floor and the wall, slabs with mastic;
The type of screed is selected depending on the slope of the floor or its most protruding part. So:
- height difference up to 3 cm, corrected with a mortar (tile adhesive), on which the tiles will be laid or, the entire surface is poured with a self-leveling screed. It should be noted that the rapid drying of the mixture is achieved due to substances that form a film on the floor surface that interferes with the good adhesion of the coating to the base;
- up to 10 cm use a cement-sand screed. The thicker its layer, the longer it dries, possibly the appearance of cracks;
- more than 10 cm, expanded clay is laid out, and then it is poured with a leveling solution.
Drying. Complete solidification of the cement mortar occurs after 28 days. When using quick-drying mixtures - depending on the manufacturer;
Primer. Allows you to improve the properties of adhesion of the surface to the lining, get rid of dust residues, has antiseptic properties, protects against excessive absorption of moisture. It is rolled out on the surface with a roller in several layers. The choice of priming solution is determined by the type of screed;
After the primer has completely dried (up to 12 hours), the preparation of the surface for laying tiles is completed.

Floor preparation with old screed

If there is a screed on the concrete base, it is necessary to assess its condition. If there are small cracks, depressions, then they need to be expanded, treated with soil and sealed with a mortar that will be used when laying the decorative coating. If the screed, when tapped with a metal hammer, makes a dull sound, crumbles, then it must be completely removed. Further, the whole process occurs in the manner described above.

Wood floor preparation

The floor prepared for laying tiles must be flat, clean, and durable. It should be remembered that wood is subject to expansion and contraction, these properties can affect the strength of the surface, the quality of the final result.

If the floorboards do not creak, do not squeeze through, then all the cracks are foamed with mounting foam or puttied, the surface is primed, and waterproofing for wooden surfaces is put. Then, a reinforcing mesh with a cell of 10 cm is laid, filled with a self-leveling mortar for wood.

If the floor is shaking, then remove all the floorboards. The logs are treated with an antiseptic, expanded clay is poured between them or foam is laid (to improve thermal insulation), a layer of vapor barrier and waterproofing is placed on top, and GVL boards are fixed. A space of up to 2 cm is left between the wall and the slab (gap for expansion depending on humidity), which is then foamed. Further, the plates are primed, work is carried out according to the plan.

Laying on the finished decorative coating

There are times when linoleum is well glued to the surface and it is quite difficult to remove it. To improve the adhesion of the adhesive to the substrate, it is permissible to sand the floor to better prepare it for laying tiles. When laying out a new tile on an old one, it is necessary to wipe its surface, check whether the tile is properly attached. The pieces of tile that have fallen off are removed, and the space under it is filled with tile adhesive. You should make sure that the new layer of tiles will not interfere with the opening of the door.

After carrying out all the preparatory work, the preparation of the floor for tiles is completed. It remains only to lay the tile on the finished surface.

How to prepare the walls for laying out decorative elements?

The surface of the wall, as well as the floor, must be clean, even and durable. The tile laid on such basis will serve for many years. The procedure for preparing the wall for tiles is as follows:

surface cleaning from old coatings;
alignment;
soil treatment.

If there are old tiles, paint or wallpaper on the walls, this material must be carefully removed, as it will impair the adhesion between the mortar and the wall. In the absence of coating, preparing the walls for laying tiles will take a minimum amount of time. It will be necessary to assess the type of wall flaw: concave, curved, with slopes, with irregularities at the joints. Depending on the height difference, use:

plastering with a cement-sand mixture (for a bath) with differences up to 6 cm or gypsum mixtures for kitchens and corridors;
the use of drywall sheets - over 6 cm;
the use of metal profiles and plasterboards with significant surface curvature.

Plastering

Notches are applied to the wall with a chisel, roughened with a grater. Clean the surface of dust, prime with a suitable solution (depending on the porosity of the wall). If the curvature is within 1 cm, then plastering is not required. If more, then you need:

install beacons along the edges of the walls, pull the thread and fix with a solution of the rail;
apply plaster on the wall with a spatula and evenly distribute the rule;
wait for drying;
remove beacons;
fill the holes with the remnants of the solution;
after complete drying, the plaster is overwritten;
the surface is primed again.

Using drywall sheets

With a curvature of more than 6 cm, pre-treatment of the walls is required before laying the tiles with drywall. First, you need to remove dust from the surface and apply a primer. Next, prepare the sheets, and starting from the floor, glue them to the wall using a level and a rubber mallet. Mounting adhesive is applied to the surface of the GKL in increments of 40 cm. Wipe the seams with a finishing putty. After drying, the surface is primed.

Metal profiles and drywall

In case of severe deformations, the preparation of walls for tiles is carried out using metal profiles. With the help of self-tapping screws, the structure is assembled, the distance between the fasteners is 50-60 cm. Sheets of plasterboard material should go on the profile half the width. Waterproofing is laid between the wall and the sheets.

Tile is a beautiful, durable material. And the question of how to properly prepare the walls for laying tiles should be approached scrupulously and responsibly.

Laying tiles is necessary only after the preparation of the floor has been completed. It is not difficult to make it if you carefully study the instructions.

Tiles should be laid on a hard, level surface.

After performing the necessary work to prepare the floor for tiles, the base must have a flat surface that will adhere well to the tiled floor.

As a base for mounting tiles made of tiles or plastic, you can use a specially prepared surface made of various materials. Installation of tiles on the floor can be carried out on the following types of coatings:

cement mortar;
tile adhesive;
tile mastic.

Checking the base for strength

Materials and tools:

The old floor is dismantled, the base under it is leveled and primed.

hammer;
cement;
sand;
water.

Preparing the floor for laying tiles is approximately the same for all types of base. The only difference is which adhesive composition is chosen.

First of all, it is necessary to check whether the base has sufficient strength. If the base is a concrete screed, it is checked for strength.

To do this, the entire surface is tapped with a hammer. If a ringing sound is produced when the hammer strikes, then the coating is considered to be of high quality. At the same time, the concrete mortar should not collapse or crumble.

If it turns out that the concrete screed has insufficient strength, you need to remove the areas that crumble from hammer blows. Neither their place needs to be poured with new concrete.

The coverage must be even.

Then it is checked whether the base is sufficiently even. In order to be able to lay tiles, it is necessary that the underlying coating be even to the light.

Materials and tools:

rule;
building level;
slats;

The surface is checked for light using the rule. In this case, a two-meter rule made of aluminum is used.

Scheme of the floor under the tiles.

If the tile will be laid on glue, then the gap between the rule and the coating should not be more than 3 mm.

When laying on mastic, the clearance should not be more than 4 mm. When laying on cement mortar - 8 mm. All irregularities, defects should be noted with chalk.

Then check the horizontal level of the floor. The work is carried out with a building level having a length of 1.5 m. When measuring, the slope should not be more than 0.2% of the required length. That is, the slope should be no more than 4 mm per 2 linear meters of the rule.

Such a check is carried out if it is necessary to lay tiles with a flat surface in various rooms. In the event that the installation will be performed in the shower with a slope towards the drain, you need to put a rail of a certain thickness under the rule. In this case, a horizontally located rule will show the required slope.

How to eliminate irregularities in the base: instructions

Materials and tools:

Scheme of a wooden floor under a tile.

cement;
sand;
water;
primer;
boaster;
perforator;
3% hydrochloric acid solution;
respirator;
protective glasses;
protective gloves;
metal brushes.

All protrusions and depressions that were found during the check must be eliminated. With the help of a scarpel, you need to remove the protrusions.

Holes must be filled with cement. In the event that there are a lot of protrusions on the concrete base and they are large, then they are eliminated with the help of a perforator, which is turned on in the jackhammer mode.

If paint remains on the surface, it must be removed. Various oil stains are removed with a 3% hydrochloric acid solution or special means.

When treating surfaces with chemicals, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment: respirators, gloves, goggles. Work must be carried out in a well-ventilated area.

After removing irregularities, to prepare the floor for laying tiles, it is necessary to repair the joints between the floor slabs and between the walls and the floor. The joints are sealed with concrete grade M-150. Before laying concrete, the surface must be moistened with water.

If the tiled surface is going to be arranged in the bathroom, then it is necessary to perform waterproofing after concrete embedding.

Then the concrete coating must be treated with a metal brush.

Before installing the tile, the cement screed is primed.

Preparing a wooden floor for tiles

Materials and tools:

antiseptic;
ruberoid;
reinforcing mesh;
cement;
sand;
microfiber.

How is wood flooring prepared for tiling?

The tile can also be laid on a base made of wood. Hardwood floors require special preparation.

First of all, the wooden coating is treated with an antiseptic solution. The floor is then dried. After that, 2 layers of roofing material are laid on a wooden coating. This is necessary for moisture insulation. Then, above the layer of roofing material, you need to install a mesh of reinforcement, which has holes with a diameter of 10 cm. After that, a cement-sand screed is made, to which microfiber is added.

You can not lay tiles on linoleum and carpet. These covers are removed. Then the remaining glue is removed. If the floor covered with linoleum has a flat surface, you can lay cement-fiber boards on it, and then lay the tiles.

If the tiles are going to be mounted on a warm floor system, which is covered with a concrete screed, then the system is turned on for 2 days. Then turn off the system and lay the tile.

You can turn on the underfloor heating system again 3 days after the grouting is done.

If the tiles are mounted on thermal mats, they are first turned off. Installation is carried out without an additional screed device, directly on the tile adhesive, which can be used for underfloor heating.

After a thorough and thorough preparation of the floor according to the above rules, proceed to the installation of tiles. Thanks to the preparatory work performed according to the instructions, the laying of tiles will be of high quality, and the tiled coating will be strong, reliable and durable.