by Rashel Dan

Installing ceramic tile floors is easy. All you need are some basic information and an easy guide on how to do it. Here are some basic ceramic tiling tips you can chew on when you plan on installing ceramic tile floors at your home.

Know the kind of subfloor that you have. There are three main types of subfloors you might encounter: Vinyl, plywood, and concrete floors. Installing ceramic tile flooring directly to your vinyl or linoleum subfloor surfaces is greatly discouraged. One, it may contain asbestos fibers; and two, vinyl flooring is not a solid as good ol’ concrete flooring. When installing ceramic tile on vinyl, experts would recommend rough-sanding, or scarifying, the vinyl floor surface first so your tiling mortar has good grip to set on.

If your subfloor is plywood, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing. Concrete floors are the most ideal subfloor surface to work with. But before you can start installing ceramic tile flooring over it, it must be cleaned thoroughly. For dust and other debris, sweep and then mop your concrete subfloor surface, and allow it to dry completely. Smooth concrete surfaces must be rough sanded just like vinyl floors to allow the tiling mortar some grip.

After you’ve made the estimates for the floor space that needs to be tiled, window-shop for your ceramic tiles. Ceramic floor tiles come in a variety of prices, shapes, textures and styles. Pick a tile type that’s within your price range and ask to see it in what a palette of colors. The most common ceramic tile size is one square foot. But ceramic tiles may come in a wide array of sizes; from one inch, to two feet.

Different tile types have different prices. Natural stone tiles made from granite or slate may sell for two dollars per square foot. Glazed ceramic tiles run from a dollar to twenty dollars per square foot, while unglazed quarry tiles may average around $2 per square foot.

Remember: When installing ceramic bathroom tiles, use ceramic tiles with a slightly rough textured surface. This is so you won’t encounter accidents on a floor that’s always wet. Smooth glazed ceramic tiles, especially, are ideal for kitchen or back porch flooring. But you shouldn’t use them bathroom floors, as they can be treacherous when wet.

Another tip is to use the right tools and equipment for the project. You can buy most of the tools and materials you’ll need at you neighborhood hardware store, or home center. For equipment that might over your budget like tile cutters, try asking your local home center or tool rental yard if they have the tools you need for rental. Basic ceramic tiling tools include A pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, tile spacers, notched trowel, a handheld tile cutter, and a pair of tile nippers. Have some sandpaper handy for smoothing out cut edges. Sponges and clean dry rags will come in handy for cleaning and wiping off excess mortar material and grout lining from your newly-finished ceramic tiling floor.

If you are hesitant over how to start installing ceramic tile on your floor, consult a professional. From choosing the right tiles and color, to tearing out existing ceramic tile floors without damaging the subfloor, to installing ceramic tile that will last you a lifetime, a home improvement professional will be able to help you with information, at the very least, or assist you when you start installing ceramic tile.

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Find out how to install ceramic floor tile. Grab your instructions on installing ceramic tile floors in simple steps.

Sink drain kitchen

There is nothing more aggravating in your kitchen than having a clogged drain. We all have a tendency to put things in our sink that shouldn’t be there. Some get there by accident and some on purpose. It’s important to always keep your drain cleaned so it doesn’t become plugged. Inappropriate liquids can cause damage to the sink itself, especially kitchen sinks of the stainless steel variety.There are certain tips and reminders that may be helpful in keeping a clean sink.

Unless you have a garbage disposal in your sink, do not rinse food down your drain. Many people mistakenly believe that because the small particles of food go down their drain, everything is fine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many items go so far and then sit there. Eventually enough items get there and can’t get through so your drain, or pipes, becomes plugged. This often can cost an expense of having a plumber come to unplug the drain because it’s plugged far enough where you can’t reach.

Grease is probably the worst culprit for plugging drains. Whether it’s hot grease or cold grease, don’t do it. Grease will cling to the sides of the pipe and thicken very quickly. It will keep piling up in your drain until your drain is plugged good. Be sure to let grease cool and dispose of it in an airtight container. A good idea is to refrigerate it until it gets hard and then toss it out.

The only thing that should be poured down your drain is dishwashing liquid that’s made for use in your sink. Many other types of detergent, such as for car washing or dishwashers, can actually plug up your kitchen sink. They are thick and get broken down from the agitation of your dishwasher or washing machine, but will not break down when they are poured down your sink.

Calcium Chlorate and lime are ingredients many people pour down their sink to help get rid of odors. While it may be true that some items made for odors contain these ingredients, those items are specifically made for use in your sink. Used alone, calcium chlorate and lime will not only cause a plug but will harden like cement and cause a big problem. Unfortunately, they don’t always cause the plug at the goose neck, but further down the pipes.

In addition to not throwing cooking grease down your pipes, don’t throw any type of oil or grease in the sink. Grease and oil will harden and leave plugs in your drain, which can cause problems in the future. Many times people have poured something simple down their drain and been shocked when the sink becomes plugged. Often the plug is caused from an accumulation of things that were thrown down the drain in the past.

Another culprit for kitchen and bathroom drains is hair. Always use hair trap on your sinks and use a drain cleaner once a month to remove any hair that may be in your drain.

Step One: Get to know your tools.

Learning how to install ceramic tile flooring begins with getting to know the right tools. You can buy most of the tools you’ll need for working on your floor tiling at your local hardware store or home center. For equipment that might be too expensive to purchase like a tile cutter, or hand held micro cutter, try your local home center or tool rental yard. They may have the tools you’ll need at affordable rental prices, or even at discount. And if you’re a newbie at tiling work, they may even help you with information. Here are most of the basic tools you will need for your tiling job:

a) These would include safety clothing and gear like a pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, and long-sleeved work clothes. These are useful especially if your tiling work involves taking out the existing ceramic tiles. Broken shards and other debris from tearing out the ceramic tiles can cause nasty cuts.

b) Would would also need carpentry tools like a tape measure, a carpenter’s square and a bubble level.

c) Tile spacers, a putty knife, a trowel (preferably, the notched kind), and a rubber grout float will also be needed. You will need a tile cutter as well, which you can just rent.

d) Other things you will need are mortar material for bonding your tiles to your subfloor surface, like a thin set mortar, or tile adhesive, tiling grout and sealant.

Step Two: Prepare your subfloor before installing your tiles.

This is where the tiling procedure begins. It would be a great experience for you to learn how to install ceramic tile by learning about the type of floors you will be putting your tiles on. Always check for cracks and debris when If you’re working on a concrete subfloor. Make it is smooth and clean. Repair as many of the cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the floor section where they are found with new concrete. For plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing.

For those with existing tile floors, you will have to add another step in the process and that is to remove the existing tiles. For starters, all you need to do is use a large flat-bladed chisel and a mallet, and just hammer away. Then, you’ll need to clean out the debris. If you to smoothen your subfloor — you may want to rent a sander to do the job. Be sure to keep yourself protected. Use heavy-duty leather work gloves, safety glasses, and long-sleeved work clothes.

Step Three: Make the measurements on your floor. To know where to start and how to install ceramic tile on your subfloor, begin by measuring the length and width of your floor. This will help you estimate the number of ceramic floor tiles you will need to purchase. Then, find the center point of your floor area. You Measure across floor area and mark the center. Do this in opposite direction and mark the center, as well. The intersection of the two lines is the center of the floor area where you can start your tiling work. To help with your tiling, run chalk lines over the intersection lines. These chalk lines will help you with how to install ceramic tile and help you keep your tiling straight and organized.

Step Four: Start work on your ceramic tile installation

Place the first tile at the intersection of the two lines you made. Then, bond it to your subfloor by using a thin set mortar, or a tile adhesive of your choice. Using a notched trowel for applying the mortar is best on how to install ceramic tile. But you may actually use the more common trowel variety is you don’t have one. To secure the ceramic tile in its place, press down while twisting it back and forth till the tile no longer is set. If some of the mortar or adhesive oozes out, use your trowel (or a damp sponge) to scrape off the excess. Do this process over with the next tile, and so on and so forth, until you’ve finished your ceramic floor tiling.

Step Five: Finish your tiling job by putting in the tiling grout and sealant

Once the ceramic floor tiles have settled in its places, it’s time to put the tiling grout in. Tiling grout is a material that you should know more about when you want to know how to install ceramic tile flooring. Grout is tiling material made cement, sand and water, and a little color. It is used to fill in gaps and seal in the spaces between tiles. Tiling grout comes in a wide variety of color tints that may be matched to your tile color. Use a rubber grout float and work the tiling grout into the gaps between the tiles. Use your grout float at an angle so that you can fill in the joint gap with as much tiling grout as possible.

Once you’re done with applying grout along the tile gaps, wipe off the excess grout with a damp sponge. Rinse the sponge frequently to get as much of the excess grout off, and keep each tile clean. You have the option of applying a sealant to the grout lines after they dry.

Of course, make sure that you give time for the grout to dry before applying the sealant. These setting periods last overnight, at the very least, to twenty-four hours, at the most. Your sealant has dried, you are done! Congratulations! Now, you know how to install ceramic tile flooring.