How to Tile DIY Guide Wall Floor Surfaces. Congratulations Youve chosen the best cladding material for your project tiles, of course, youre buying from the best and, seeing as youre reading this guide, youre clearly committed to doing the best DIY job you can. Theres one more factor that will determine the success of your finished job the quality and the type of the wall or floor surface youll be tiling over. It should always be kept in mind that no two surfaces are the same. Each type of surface has its own characteristics such as rate of expansion and contraction, moisture absorption, dimensional stability, and so on, so it pays to know the nature of each surface. These characteristics must be considered when choosing the right adhesive for the job as well. The staff at your local Beaumont Tiles are more than happy to help you out here. Regardless of type, all surfaces must be clean, dry, and free from all contaminations and existing surface coatings like polished, lacquers, sealers, or paints. Below we list the most common types of wall and floor surfaces you may have or come across and offer important information and helpful tips for tiling over those surfaces. Concrete. For best results, the concrete must be allowed to cure for a minimum 2. Steel trowelled concrete must be mechanically roughened and then thoroughly washed prior to tiling, or there will not be enough adhesion. For concrete with hairline cracks, apply ABA Ceramic Tile Underlay prior to tiling. Alternatively you can use Barrierflex, Abaflex, or Isoflex. All concrete release agents and curing compounds must be removed by mechanical means. For cracks larger than 1. Timber Flooring. Due to the expansion and contraction of the timber, it is never recommended to adhere ceramic tiles directly onto timber floor. Untreated floors should be primed with ABA Multiprime. Apply ABA Ceramic Tile Underlay at 6mm minimum bed thickness. Hairline Cracks In Cement Floor' title='Hairline Cracks In Cement Floor' />Allow to dry prior to tiling, or use the Isoflex system. Plasterboard. Plasterboard is a very common indoor wall surface, but is not suitable for tiling without waterproofing. Tiling over plasterboard involves adhering tiles to a paper surface, and although this will present little problem in dry areas, if the wallboard is subjected to moisture, it may deteriorate causing failure. Plasterboard should be waterproofed with Barrierflex or ABA Superflex before tiling. Brickwork. Brickwork should be rendered prior to tiling. Particle Board. If it is being used as a countertop, adhesive can be applied directly onto the surface of particle board but if it is being used for flooring, it should be prepared in the same manner as a timber floor. Existing Tiles. As long as they are sound, clean, dry, and free from all contamination existing tiles are suitable to tile over. If the existing tiles are glazed, roughen the surface by mechanical means. Do you have water leaks in your basement, want to know how to fix basement water leaks Watch as Eric repairs a crack in his sisters cement basement floor. Cement Render. Cement render is typically made from a 3 1 or 4 1 sand and cement mix, and may be very porous. Because of the high sand content, there may be a layer of sand on the surface that needs to be removed before tiling. Set Plaster. Set Plaster, or Gypsum, is a highly absorbant surface and must be primed cement based adhesives must also be avoided. If the set plaster is over brickwork, it should be replaced with a more suitable material before tiling. Compressed Fibre Cement Sheets. Fibre cement sheets are flat sheets of reinforced cement, and should be fixed according to the Fibre Cement manufacturers instructions. Ensure that the surface is clean and dry. Prime the sheets with ABA Multiprime prior to tiling. Apply Barrierflex with reinforcement mat over the joints between the sheets. Ready to build, decorate, renovate or repair Reach for DRYLOK, ZAR and UGL, the brands millions of people around the world have trusted since 1932. Concrete Floor Will it Crack The most asked question when it comes to concrete floors is. Will it crack The honest answer is Yes but with the exception of. Other Fibre Cement Sheets. This includes Hardiflex, Versilux, Villaboard, and CSR Board. All are suitable for indoor use, but only Hardiflex is suitable for outdoor use. The manufacturers recommendations should be followed in all cases. Most of these sheets have a surface layer of dust which should be removed by using a damp sponge or cloth the manufacturer may also recommend using ABA Multiprime. Fibreglass. There is no adhesive that will bond to fibreglass to our complete satisfaction. Check with the adhesive manufacturer if you are in doubt. Painted surfaces Remove any flaking paint and roughen the surface or oil based paints by mechanical means. Lynda Photoshop Cs4 Essential Training Download. Water based or PVA paints arent suitable for tiling and should be removed before tiling. Lightweight Concrete Cement Blockwork and Calcium Silicate Bricks. These surfaces should be rendered. Allow at least 7 days for render to cure. One important note when considering surfaces is that two dissimilar surfaces should not be bridged with ceramic tiles. HOME DZINE Floor and Walls Home Improvement and Home Renovation. Conventional wisdom holds that old concrete, with cracks, surface discolouration, or surface imperfections, must be removed and replaced if improving the look of the concrete is the goal. But there are many options available for transforming that drab concrete patio, driveway, or floor into a new, decorative, coloured concrete surface.