Ceramic tile for the beginner

Ceramic tile has been used for centuries, not only for it's functionality but for it's beauty as well. Most home owners that enjoy do it yourself projects may not realize how easy and rewarding a tile project could be.From a simple kitchen back splash,a new kitchen or foyer floor, to a bathroom worthy of royalty.Tile projects are estimated by square feet and figuring out the amount of materials you would need you would multiply the length x width of your project.If you find yourself short of a full foot round the number up for waste from cuts or damage.Ceramic tiles come made for specific purposes while some can be used for both floors and walls and they offer protection from moisture and heat. Basic wall tile come in simple 4 inch by 4 inch, six inch by six inch sizes for starters with more complex 1 foot by 1 foot mats with many small tiles adhered to it, to 8 by 12 inch larger tiles.Tile work that ends or transitions to wall board you would use a tile called a "Bull nose tile". It has a rounded end on one or two sides (for a corner) and it could be the same color as the as the field,(the main body of work) or a different color or size for a decorative border. There are many specialty tiles that vary from hand painted tiles to shapes and rope bands cast into the tile.Wall tile is adhered to the wall using a glue called mastic that is available pre-mixed in small and larger size containers from 1 quart to a three gallon pail. Mastic is applied to the wall with what is called a "Notched trowel" and for walls the notch resembles a v and is normally around an 1/8 of an inch.Mastic can be applied to wallboard (sheetrock),cement backer board,concrete block,concrete and brick.The surface must be free of dirt, moisture or any sort of substance that would affect the adhesion such as peeling paint or grease. The mastic would be applied to the wall with the notched trowel using 1 pass of the trowels flat side to get a good bond and a second pass with the notched trowel held at a slight angle as to achieve the full profile of the notch with the material, thin set mortar is applied in the same manner.Excess mastic and thin set can be removed easily with a damp sponge.Floor tile is adhered to the floor using a product called Thin set mortar.To do a flooring project you need to have a minimum of 1 1/4 inches of a wood (plywood) or there is a newer product called a release mat that you can adhere floor tile to with a minimum of 3/4 of an inch of wood,including particle board. Concrete is always suitable as long as it's clean and not damaged, cracked or spalling (surface separation).Thin set is applied to the floor also using a notched trowel but the notches are larger and shaped like an upside down u. The notch sizes range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch and are decided by the size of floor tile you are using which can come from 8 inch by 8 inch to 2 feet by 2 feet.Tile are cut using a tile cutter that scores and then snaps the tile along the scored line, this is good if you don't have a lot of cutting to do and the cuts are simple.There is a pliers type tool I call "Nippers" that is like a pair of large nail clippers and it can nibble of small pieces of tile to accommodate for electrical boxes or pipes. Lastly there is a tile or wet saw that is the best for large jobs or intricate designs that require a large amount of cutting, such as installing tile on a 45 degree angle or cuts on large tile.You can rent a wet saw from a rental outlet or a home center. To finish off any tile project you need to choose grout. Grout is available in many colors and comes in non-sanded for wall tile and sanded for floors .What determines the size of the grout line is either spacers that are made of rubber and sized from 3/16 of an inch to 1/2 an inch for larger tile or there are small bumps manufactured into the edges of the smaller wall tiles like the 4x4 and the 6x6 inch. If you are looking at where you live and want to dress is up a little,take a walk through the home center and start imagining what the possibilities could be.