The most suitable wall covering in the kitchen from a practical and aesthetic point of view is tile. Ceramic tiles can withstand elevated temperature, humidity and has a beautiful glossy surface and high strength.
A ceramic apron not only gives a sophisticated look to the kitchen, but will also last for quite a long time, because... insensitive to moisture.
There is a wide variety on the market ceramic slabs ok, so it’s quite easy to choose tiles for the kitchen. The main problems arise already when laying tiles, because their cost is almost equal to the price of the material itself. in the kitchen with your own hands?
Usually the wall is treated with a primer to ensure better adhesion of the putty.
This operation is carried out in stages and begins checking the verticality and correctness of the surface of the kitchen walls. There are three options for carrying out work, depending on their condition:
The main thing in this work is to completely level the plane of the walls, otherwise the tiles will lie unevenly and ruin the entire design of your kitchen.
We begin work by filling all cracks and irregularities with putty and removing all protruding parts. We cover all potholes and deep cracks with cement mortar. Apply a layer of plaster and leave it until it dries completely.
Before laying tiles on the surface, it must be cleaned of old paint.
If you have to line the kitchen walls with plasterboard, then choose moisture-resistant sheets (such as GVLV). They must be laid on metal profiles (using screws) or wooden slats screwed to the walls of the room in increments of 0.4 meters. The ends of the sheets are cut with a construction knife, making a bevel on them at 45 degrees.
Walls covered with paint are treated with special wash-off compounds, and the paint crumbles. If there is time and opportunity, then simply scrape off the paint with a sharp spatula. Next stage work - applying a layer of plaster 2-3 centimeters thick to the kitchen walls.
Work continues by applying the so-called primer to dry plastered walls or drywall. deep penetration, and after it has completely dried, you can begin laying tiles on the walls.
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To fix the tiles, use ready-made glue in the form of a paste or cement adhesive mixtures.
To begin this operation, you need to purchase adhesive for ceramic tiles on the construction market. It is usually purchased together with the purchase of tiles. To determine the amount of tiles required for tiling your kitchen, you need to measure the area of the walls of the room, and add 15-20% for trimming and breaking ceramics during the work process. Cut pieces of material are usually placed in places where they will not be visible, for example, behind kitchen cabinets.
There are only three main ways to lay tiles in the kitchen:
Having chosen the way we will, we begin laying it on the kitchen walls.
An electric drill is usually used to attach the profile under the tiles.
To avoid mistakes, we take and place one row of tiles along the walls of the room. Pre-laying is carried out from the middle of the wall, if there are openings along the way - doors, windows, etc.
Subsequent work is divided into several stages using the following technology:
How to lay tiles in the kitchen yourself, without inviting expensive craftsmen? There is a standard, pretty simple technology, adhering to which, you yourself will cope with any work.
Calculating the number of required tiles
To do this, you need to determine total area walls on which the tiles are supposed to be laid, add 10% for trimming and possible damage and divide by the area of one tile. As a result, we obtain the required number of tiles. If you want to place switches and sockets clearly in the center of the tile, then the number of consumed tiles increases accordingly. The method of laying the tiles also affects consumption. It is greatest when laying diagonally.
Leveling the walls
The preparatory stage begins with cleaning the wall surface. To do this, you first need to remove all old paint, which can prevent good adhesion of the tiles to the wall in the future. If there is an old tile, it is carefully removed from the wall, and the remaining cement or glue is knocked down. Then we make the wall surface as smooth as possible using plaster. This is a rough job, you don’t have to trace the surface along the beacons, but, nevertheless, it is advisable not to allow a level difference of more than 5 mm.
Prime the surface
A deeply penetrating primer is applied to a dry plastered wall to ensure a stronger connection to the tile. In addition, modern primers contain antibacterial components that prevent the development of fungus and dampness.
It is advisable to apply the primer to the plaster twice, and after one layer has dried, apply the second.
We outline the location of the tiles on the walls
We determine the vertical and horizontal using a level. Or, as an option, you can use a thread with a small weight suspended on it - a plumb line. When laying kitchen tiles in the form of an apron, only work surface, you should mark a horizontal line on the wall at table level, which will be the lower border of the tile. Along it, a metal profile is attached to dowel-nails.
Apply glue to tiles
Tile adhesive is a dry powder that must be brought to the desired consistency by thoroughly mixing it with water according to the instructions on the package. Then the glue is infused for about 10 minutes and mixed again.
For ease of subsequent use, mark the direction of the top with an arrow on the back of the tile and stack the tiles in the same direction.
Using a flat spatula, cover the entire tile with glue. Before laying the tiles on the wall, excess adhesive is removed with a notched trowel, which is kept in a container of water at all times to prevent the adhesive from drying out.
Laying tiles
We lay the tiles starting from the bottom. We apply it to the wall and press the first tile with force. To increase the strength of the adhesive joint, the tiles should be soaked in water before use.
In order to adjust the thickness of the seams, we insert plastic crosses on the sides and top of the tiles with a thickness that matches the width of the seams between the tiles. Next to the first one we lay the next tiles until the end of the row.
Then we move on to the next row. Do not forget to periodically check the plane of the wall. With the lower border set strictly horizontally and the wall evenly plastered, the tiles should lie flat.
According to the second method, when laying tiles, the adhesive is applied not to the tile, but to the wall. This way the tiles are laid faster, however, with slightly larger errors.
The tiles can be positioned differently on the wall relative to each other. Let's list the different options:
For wall corners and along the edges of the surface to be tiled, it becomes necessary to cut tiles required sizes. To do this, it is convenient to use a tile cutter, or, in extreme cases, a glass cutter, knocking off the unnecessary part of the tile along the cut line on the corner of the table or chair.
Round holes in the tile for a switch or socket are made with a grinder with a special diamond attachment. Professionals use a machine with water supply for cutting tiles for this purpose.
Plastic corners are usually used to decorate the corners and ends of the tiles. The thickness of the corner should be 2 mm greater than the thickness of the tile so that the edge of the tile is hidden under it. When laying tiles without using plastic corners, the edges of the tiles immediately adjacent to the corners must be cut on a machine at 45 degrees for perfect adhesion of the corner tiles. This method is more difficult than the previous one. If the wall is “littered”, then make it beautiful internal corner It will only work if you first level it by gluing drywall.
Grouting the seams between the tiles
A day after finishing laying the tiles, the glue dries. Now you can remove the metal support profile from the wall without fear that the tile will move. We remove the auxiliary crosses from the seams and proceed to rubbing the seams.
You can use grout that matches the shade of the tile, or a color that contrasts with it. Dry grout is diluted to the desired consistency and carefully distributed between the tiles with a rubber spatula. The remaining grout is immediately removed from the tiles with a damp cloth.
The most popular tiles facing material for kitchen. It fits everything technical specifications to cope with high humidity and so on. This article will tell you the secrets of how to lay tiles in the kitchen yourself. First, it’s worth discussing the intricacies of creating a design.
First of all, you need to make a design project that will help you see the end result.
When developing it, it is necessary to take into account several factors:
The amount of tiles required is determined by the area of the floor, walls, etc. Knowing the initial area, you will be able to make an accurate calculation of the material. However, there are also some nuances.
The following points need to be taken into account:
The entire work process consists of several successive stages:
First, let's collect necessary tool and material for work:
Regardless of the type of surface (floor or wall), the preparation process comes down to the same steps. The old cladding should be completely removed from the wall/floor.
The tiles are laid on a clean and level surface. To do this, examine it. If there are cracks or obvious unevenness, it is recommended to level the surface and cover up the cracks.
In most cases it is better to remove the layer old plaster, install beacons and plaster the wall. For plastering, ready-made plaster mixtures. Sometimes plasterboard is mounted on the walls, this is the most quick way leveling the surface.
If we are talking about a field, then a self-leveling mixture is used to level it. Also produced cement-sand screed, poured along beacons. In this case, laying tiles on the floor in the kitchen can only be done after the screed has completely dried.
Having leveled the base under the tile, the surface must be primed to increase the quality of adhesion of the tile adhesive to the wall. A deep penetration primer is often used.
To lay the tiles yourself, markings must be done. This will help plan the masonry scheme. The markings are done with a pencil. If we are talking about a field, then you need to find the center of the room.
Make sure that there are no small scraps coming out near the walls. Make markings so that visible side the tiles near the wall were solid, and the trimmings were under the work area.
Laying tiles on drywall is easier. Plus, marking on drywall is easy. You need to secure the second row guide profile to the wall. The profile is set strictly according to the level.
At this stage, you should already know the location and option for laying tiles in the kitchen.
The laying process is as follows:
Having laid out the entire wall, all that remains is to grout the joints with a special grouting compound.
By apron we mean work zone between the tabletop and shelves. The height of the apron should be slightly higher by 20–30 mm so that installed headset overlapped the edge of the top row of tiles.
The hood is usually located above the lower level of the suspended unit. Therefore, in this place the tiles on the apron will extend slightly upward.
The process of laying an apron comes down to the following steps:
Laying floor tiles in the kitchen it takes place in a similar sequence, but it also has its own characteristics.
The process of laying tiles on the floor in the kitchen is carried out in the following sequence:
In addition to laying tiles in the kitchen with their own hands on the floor, walls and splashback, many decide to lay tiles on the window slopes.
To do this, you need to purchase a plastic outer corner. The end of the cladding will be hidden in it.
The thickness of the corner is determined by the thickness of the tile. If its thickness is 7 mm, then the corner should have 9 mm. If the thickness of the corner is smaller, then the edge of the end of the tile will be visible.
Conclusion
So, here we are, looking at all the secrets of how to lay tiles in the kitchen. By following these recommendations, you will be able to cope with all the work yourself, without the involvement of a specialist. For greater confidence, we invite you to watch the prepared video material.
Putting the kitchen in order - gluing an apron
Most families think ceramic tiles the most suitable "clothes" for kitchen walls. After all, the tiles are resistant to high humidity and temperature, durable and beautiful. Manufacturers offer such a variety of this material that choosing tiles for the kitchen is not difficult. But the work of laying tiles is often comparable to the cost of the material itself. Therefore, many people want to learn how to lay tiles in the kitchen in order to cope with this work themselves.
Tile is one of the best finishing materials for kitchen
Let's say right away that poorly laid tiles, even if they are very beautiful and expensive, can ruin the entire appearance your kitchen. Therefore, most people prefer not to save on the services of professional tilers. But if you have information about how to lay tiles in the kitchen, as well as remarkable patience, then high-quality performance of this work will become quite realistic for you. Especially if you have ever witnessed the labor process of laying ceramic tiles. Didn't have a chance? This is also something that can be fixed! You can easily find videos about laying tiles with your own hands on the Internet. The most important thing is patience and desire.
Laying tiles on the walls is carried out using special plastic crosses
Each master has his own methods and secrets of laying tiles. You can lay tiles on plastered walls or drywall (depending on the method of finishing the walls). If the walls of your kitchen are painted, it is quite possible that the tiles will not adhere to such a surface. Some craftsmen advise not to completely remove the paint, but simply make notches on it. Professionals are strongly against such methods; they argue that it is necessary to remove all the paint, level the walls with plaster, and then lay the tiles. But practice shows that even on a painted wall with notches, the tiles adhere normally. Whether it is laid evenly is another question. If the walls are not leveled first (and in the case of notches in the paint this is the case), there is no guarantee that the tiles will look on the wall the way you want.
Some people advise soaking the tiles in water for several hours before laying them (this is exactly what Soviet masters did). Supposedly this will improve the adhesion of the base and the material. There is no evidence of the effectiveness of this method. Modern mortars for laying tiles adhere perfectly without any soaking.
There are three ways to lay ceramic tiles. This is laying “diagonally”, “at the seams” and “in a dressing”. Laying diagonally is considered the most difficult, since you have to cut a lot of tiles, the consumption of which, accordingly, increases. When laying “in a bandage”, the higher rows are shifted horizontally by half the tile (the middle of the tile of the next row is above the seam).
Tools needed for quality masonry tiles
Dry plastered walls should be primed with a deep penetration primer. There are many types of primers on sale now, but their composition is almost the same. Remember that if you have poured primer from a canister but have not used it completely, do not pour it back into the canister under any circumstances. After several days of storage, the primer that has already been used emits a very bad smell.
When the primer on the plaster dries, grains of sand will no longer separate from the wall, and the glue will hold the tile more reliably.
There are also quite a lot of types of glue. Many craftsmen use only Ceresit, claiming that there is no better glue. However, there is practically no difference in composition and quality between imported Ceresit glue and any domestic glue. But the difference in price is quite noticeable. Therefore, do not rush to pay extra for the brand, but take the most affordable glue for interior work.
To determine the number of tiles, you can simply measure the area of the wall and add 10% for possible damage and trimming. But if your goal is to save money, and you know the size of the tile itself, you can calculate the required quantity accurate to one element. You need to cut out a tile template from cardboard and apply it to the wall. This way you will know exactly how many tiles you will have in each row and how many will need to be trimmed.
By the way, it is better to place cut tiles in places where no one will pay attention to them: for example, on walls covered with furniture or curtains, behind pipes or in dark corners. If you want all the sockets in the switches to be exactly in the center of the tile or in the middle of the seam, then you need to make a detailed layout of the tiles and purchase tiles with a good supply.
What will you need for the job, besides the tile itself and the glue for it? Tile cutter or grinder, hammer, crosses, level, ruler, bucket of water, metal profile for drywall, dowel-nails, spatulas (wide serrated and small rubber), pencil.
Tiles with photo decor create a magnificent visual effect, but they must be laid carefully and carefully
Usually tiles for kitchen tables And wall cabinets They don’t put it in because it’s a significant waste of material. If you also decide to tile only the kitchen backsplash (working wall), start by drawing a horizontal line on the wall where the table ends. Along this line, attach a narrow metal profile for drywall (with a margin of 2-3 cm). The bottom row of tiles will rest on it. Cut the required pieces of the profile and secure it to the wall using dowel nails. Don't forget to check the correct fastening by using a level.
Plastic crosspieces and wedges are used to regulate the thickness of the seam and the position of the tiles relative to each other. If you decide to make 2 mm seams, you need to buy crosses 2 mm thick, if 3 mm, respectively, you need crosses of this size.
The sizes of spatulas used for work depend on the size of the tiles. So, if you are laying large tiles (230x350 mm), then you will need a large notched trowel with a tooth height and width of 10 mm. If you have smaller tiles, choose a trowel with an 8 or even 6 mm tooth.
To mix the glue to the desired consistency, carefully study the information on the package. It is mixed manually using powerful drill with a screw attachment or an electric mixer. The latter, as a rule, is available only to professional tilers - it is an expensive pleasure.
The mixed glue should sit for 5-10 minutes, after which it needs to be mixed again. This is done to make the glue softer and more flexible. It is applied to the tiles with a notched trowel. By the way, the spatula must be constantly in water so that the glue does not accumulate on it and does not dry out. This is why we need a bucket of water. Aluminum rules are used to check planes.
Of the existing three methods of laying tiles, you can choose the one you like most
The arrow on the back side will help you determine where the top and where the bottom of the tile is. It is located below. In order not to turn the tile in your hands every time, looking for this arrow, place the tile in a stack so that all the tiles have an arrow on one side, and draw a line along the end with a pencil. This is how we mark the top or bottom of the tile. Now, looking at the end, you can immediately understand which side to attach this tile to the wall.
The adhesive is applied to the tiles with a regular flat spatula. Its excess is removed with a notched spatula. And from it, without effort on your part, they slide into a bucket of glue (our notched trowel is wet, since it is constantly in a bucket of water). There are even grooves of glue left on the back of the tile. Try to hold the spatula without tilting, perpendicularly. The thickness of the resulting layer depends on this.
Laying tiles is the most common and in a simple way accessible even to beginners without work experience
Place the tile with glue against the wall and press evenly. Check verticality and horizontality with a level. If the wall is plastered correctly and the profile is fixed horizontally, the tile itself becomes as it should, it is quite problematic to press it in with a large distortion. Glue the second tile next to the first, insert crosses at the top and bottom between the tiles. We check the plane using the rule. There should be no gaps.
Some craftsmen apply glue to the wall rather than to the tiles. This is a different installation method, the result, if all the rules are followed, is no worse. Many people believe that this way the tiles are laid less evenly, although much faster.
A piece of tile is glued in the corner. The tiles are cut using special tool– tile cutter. If you don't have one, make a cut with an ordinary glass cutter, and then break the tile on the edge of the table or stool. Do this carefully as the sharp ceramic edge can cause you to cut yourself. If you need to make shaped cutouts on the tiles (for a socket or switch), it is best to use grinding machine with a diamond disc (grinder). Of course, it creates a lot of dust, but not every novice master can afford special machine for cutting tiles with water supply.
Remember that you can only adjust the position of the tiles within 15 minutes after gluing. If more time has passed, it is better to remove the tiles, clean the wall and tiles and reinstall them.
The original way of designing slopes allows you to save general style kitchen decoration
To neatly decorate a corner of a wall or window slope Plastic corners are used to hide the ends of the tiles. The corner should be approximately 2 mm larger than the thickness of the tile. If the thickness of the tile is, for example, 7 mm, then the corner should be 9 mm; if it is smaller, the edges of the tile will not fit inside the corner.
The glue dries in about a day. After this, you can remove the metal profile that served as a support for the bottom row of tiles. It won't move down anymore.
When all the crosses that are inserted between the tiles have been removed, you can begin grouting the joints. You will need a special grout that matches the color of your tiles. This is a powder that must be diluted so that the consistency is not too thick and not too thin. Distribute the material evenly between the tiles using a rubber spatula. After this, wipe the ceramic tiles with a slightly damp cloth or sponge.
If you have started designing new kitchen, remember that ceramic tiles are not only protection of walls from moisture and grease, but also an aesthetic element. Clothing for the walls should be chosen so that it is an organic addition to your kitchen. If you put in a refined kitchen kitchen set, it is preferable to choose plain tiles. If your furniture is simple, tiles can become the most important part. kitchen design. Pay attention to the kitchen tile sets, which include basic tone tiles and finishing tiles. Manufacturers offer elements with photo printing, as well as exclusive decorative tiles, made according to your individual order.
Classic tiles with kitchen decor look good in any interior
Combining types of tiles is a common way to decorate kitchen walls because of its effectiveness.
The unusual “apple” design of this tile is perfect for decorating kitchen walls.
Decorate the kitchen with vegetables and fruits - they will enliven the white walls, becoming a bright decorative accent in the interior
Tiles can add zest to a kitchen interior, especially with such an elegant and stylish pattern.
Rectangular tiles can be laid across, thus achieving an unusual visual effect
Kitchen geometry is restrained and simple, but at the same time very attractive
Bright photo decor is increasingly used to decorate modern spacious and light kitchens
Stone-like tiles look original, allowing you to create the effect of rough naturalness.
Tile tiles of contrasting colors can be used to zone the kitchen space
The cheerful, bright and invigorating combination of tile colors in this kitchen became the basis of the interior
For more decorative effect you can use not only different tiles, but also different ways styling it
If the kitchen space allows, you can decorate the walls with macro images of fruits, such as apples or oranges.
Cheerful tiles, laid without strict order, will create a cheerful and carefree mood for the whole day
Complex combinations of patterns, laying methods and tile sizes will become a real highlight of the kitchen, but trust them better for professionals
The interior of a country style kitchen can be complemented a successful combination tiles of several colors and a bright border
Application as flooring kitchen, ceramic tiles are the most practical and functional convenient option kitchen floor finishing. Laying tiles on the kitchen floor will require you to know several features of using tiles as kitchen flooring. This article contains the basic tips you need to know before using tiles as kitchen flooring.
Determining the consumption of the tiles you will need is not difficult. Simply, add 10% to the kitchen area in case of a possible fight, waste for trimming and a little for reserve. You need to purchase tiles at a time and always in one batch, because differences in color tone between batches can be very noticeable. You can check this by laying out a meter or two of tiles on one plane. Remember that tiles intended for covering walls are less durable and are of little use for laying them on the floor.
Tile adhesive consumption is: 10 kg of tile adhesive per 1 square meter of tile with a mortar layer of 10 mm.
The tiles are laid at positive temperatures from +5 to + 30˚C. In a heated room, if installation is carried out in winter, without direct sunlight on the floor surface. When using the SVP system (more on this below), the temperature in the kitchen should be more than 10 degrees.
For tiling works for the floor you will need the following tool:
Tile laying tool
To perform tiling work, you need to prepare the following material:
1. The ceramic floor tiles themselves. When purchasing tiles, you need to pay attention to the pictograms printed on the tile packaging. For the kitchen floor you need to choose anti-slip tiles With increased strength to abrasion. 2. Tile adhesive. More about him below. 1. For the option of laying tiles with a seam (seam tile laying), you must purchase plastic crosses for the seams or a tile leveling system (SVP). If possible, foreign tile leveling systems Rubi Tile Level or Raimondi levelling system.
tile leveling systems (SVP)
Note: SVP systems are not used at temperatures below 10˚C.
3. Deep penetration acrylic primer (if you are laying the tiles on a screed or floor slab). 4. Primer such as concrete contact, if you are laying the tiles on monolithic concrete. Concrete contact can be excluded from the work if the monolithic concrete is polished with a special machine (remove the concrete film), but this is expensive and not always feasible.The glossy coating of tiles, in places of greatest mechanical impact, may disappear over time and therefore it is more practical to choose tiles with a matte finish for flooring. Imported tile samples often have an arrow on the reverse side. So, when laying tiles, they should be positioned with arrows in one direction.
Related article: Laying mosaics on a wall apron with your own hands
Ceramic tiles are laid either on cement mortar, or with special glue. It should be noted that the use of porcelain tiles as a floor covering does not allow the use of cement mortar. has very low moisture absorption and without glue the flooring will be of very poor quality.
Also, we should not forget the fact that if the tiles are laid in a room with aggressive environments (kitchen or bath), you need to choose a special elastic glue among the adhesives. When using ordinary ceramic tiles, before laying them on the cement mortar, you need to soak them in water for several minutes.
When using tile adhesive, there is no need to wet the tiles before laying.
Laying tiles on the floor begins with careful preparation of the surface. It should be perfectly smooth, clean, preferably without traces of paint, oil and other technical liquids. The presence of sagging is not desirable. The tile is very rigid and additional difficulties will arise during its installation.
To improve the adhesion of the tiles to the floor surface, it must first be coated with a primer:
It is rarely possible to lay tiles on the floor without trimming them. Be sure that the last edge of the tile will not be made of a whole tile.
In cases where subsequent installation of skirting boards is planned, the distance from the walls should be left at 1 cm. This space can be used for laying telephone or television cables.
Related article: DLS tile laying system: description, comparison, use
The adhesive solution (tile adhesive) is applied in an even layer to the floor without air bubbles using a trowel. Laying tiles on the kitchen floor joint to joint Not recommended in rooms where significant temperature fluctuations are possible, for example in an unheated country house. The joints are designed to prevent the tiles from moving from their original position.
Optimal temperature conditions when laying tiles on glue solution considered from 5 to 30 degrees at normal humidity air.
Instead of classic crosses, you can use the SVP system. It costs more, but is more effective, especially if you lack experience in tiling and laying tiles yourself.