Ceramic & porcelain tile industry also follows the trend of fashion industry, launching popular large format floor tiles, which are popular among consumers and designers because of their simple atmosphere, simple laying and minimal gap. However, although the large tile is beautiful, if there is no professional tiling skill, no matter how good the large tile can not achieve the desired effect, it will also destroy the simplicity and integrity of the original large tile, and affect the beauty of the overall space. So, how can you install large format tile correctly? In this article, we’ll present you a step by step guide to installing large format tile.
Essential Tools For Laying Large Format Tile
- Tile adhesive
- Three hole glass suction,
- Sawtooth plasterer
- Rubber hammer
- Levelling wedges
- cleaning sponge
Large Format Tile Installation Tips - Step By Step Guide On Laying Large Format Tile Properly
1.Substrate treatment
Before installation, the floating ash, oil and other stains on the surface of the substrate shall be removed to avoid affecting the adhesion of the large format tile adhesive. At the same time, the internal part of the base surface must be kept flat, and the uneven or rough surface should be trowelled with cement mortar, otherwise it will affect the flatness of the fashion board. Remember to keep the construction base surface moist to avoid hollowing.
2.Mix tile adhesive
Mix the tile adhesive and water in the proportion of 4:1, mix with the ash spoon until it is lubricated evenly, and there is no obvious block or paste caking. After mixing, the slurry is allowed to stand for 5-10 minutes, and then slightly stirred for 1-2 minutes.
3.Apply tile adhesive
First, evenly spread a layer of tile adhesive on the floor to form a semi dry layer, and then fill the concave and convex parts of the surface with tile adhesive again, with a thickness of about 0.5cm.
Under appropriate conditions, the tile adhesive can be evenly applied on the back of the fashion board at the same time. The tile adhesive must be fully applied. When the back of the tile is applied, the tile glue should be evenly applied into a strip of teeth with a toothed plasterer. Pay attention to the same direction of the base surface and the board when scraping the glue, so as to facilitate the air discharge and avoid the crack and fall off caused by the empty tile glue.
4.Handling and paving
Due to the large size and weight of the large tile, it needs to use professional tools when handling. Generally, three hole glass is used to absorb and lift the large board to the construction position, and then it is placed on the base surface with tile glue. This handling process requires at least 2 workers to carry out the handling, and the larger area needs to use the mobile frame for handling.
5.Compress
Lay the fashionable large tile on the surface of the substrate, use the rubber hammer to tap the tile surface to discharge the bubbles, and let the tile bottom absorb the slurry completely, so as to avoid hollowing.
6.Applying grout
One of the benefits of laying large format tiles is that there are fewer grout lines to fill. After allowing the mortar to set, which takes at least 24 hours, you can grout the joints. There is no difference between grouting large tiles and smaller tiles. Grout comes in powdered form and mixes with water to form the semi-solid mass used to fill the joints. A rubber trowel is the best choice for spreading and smoothing the grout into the joints.
7.Cleaning tile surface
After the grouting solidifies, clean the excess grout with a cleaning towel to keep the tile surface clean.
Where To Buy Best Large Format Tile
If the large format tile is the model of tile industry, then Hanse’s large size marble tile is famous model of large tile industry. The marble look large tile not only accurately re-engraves the texture of natural stone through the three-dimensional fabric technology and high-definition ink-jet numerical control technology, showing the natural and real texture, but also has strong wear-resistant, low radiation, low water absorption, acid and alkali resistance, high hardness and other powerful functional properties. Browse our selection of marble look large format tile and find the right product for your tile project!