We write - quality, we read - beauty and durability. These properties of the cladding depend not only on the quality of the tile, but also to a very large extent on how competently the tile is installed. The prepared base and cladding represent a single multilayer system. That is why the thoroughness of all stages of floor finishing is as important as the choice of the tile itself. The laying technology should be determined by the designers, taking into account the existing building structures and the purpose of the facility.
Before you begin tiling work, first of all, you should make sure that the resulting batch of porcelain tiles is suitable in quality, sufficient in quantity, identical in tone and caliber. To understand this, it is necessary to compare the markings on the packages and conduct random visual inspections.
For each type of tile, installation materials systems recommended by the manufacturer must be used corresponding to this type of ceramic. First of all, this concerns the choice of adhesive composition. For low-porous ceramics, which includes porcelain stoneware, special adhesives with increased elasticity and enhanced adhesion (adhesive properties) are produced. When choosing materials - adhesives and grouting compounds - it is also necessary to take into account the operating conditions of the surface: street or room, if the room is wet or dry, the vertical or horizontal surface is covered; if it is a street, then what is the climate in this region (temperature range, high humidity, sea salt, man-made pollution). When laying porcelain stoneware on large surfaces, it is necessary to provide expansion joints and distribute them evenly over the entire floor area. In small rooms, the installation of expansion joints is not so important, the main thing is to provide a gap between the floor covering and the walls; in the future, this gap is closed with special skirting boards made of the same porcelain stoneware. Therefore, it is very convenient and important for the quality of finishing when a manufacturing company supplements its collections with skirting boards, various borders, corner elements, and steps.
You can start grouting the joints only after the adhesive has gained strength (the time is usually indicated by the manufacturer of the mixture). The seams are filled with special grouting compounds. Immediately after laying the tiles and grouting, the floor must be cleaned with a special compound. After finishing laying the tiles, it is recommended to refrain from walking on the floor for 3-4 days. You should switch to regular wet procedures - washing the floor - no earlier than two weeks after completing the tiling work.