Clearwater, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/08/2013 -- Many homeowners love to do their own home projects. Do-It-Yourself projects are popular, but keep a few things in mind.
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One of the most popular D-I-Y projects is tiling, largely because a lot of people think they can do it right off the bat and quickly. More often that not though, they don't take the time to properly prepare for the job, and the end result is not what they hoped for,” said Dean Dupre, who owns Champion Tile, a Clearwater flooring, Tampa flooring and tile installation company.
The trick to not having the final finished project look like a do-it-yourself affair is to take the time to find out how to do it the right way. It looks bad when the wall or floor gives the impression that the person just slapped it down in a hurry and made do with sloppy work.
“Keep these few tips in mind for those D-I-Y home tiling projects. Make sure you prepare your surfaces properly. They must be clean and as smooth as can be. When you grout, do it slowly and evenly. If you go too fast, it will be uneven. Do not dot the corners. This is because by doing that your flooring has a higher chance of cracking because the adhesive shrinks while it is drying,” Dupre pointed out.
Make sure to find out what kind of adhesive is the right one for the job. For example, if tiling is laid in a bathroom, which is humid, a waterproof adhesive is a must. If the wrong one is used, the tiles will absorb water and crumble.
“If you want your floor to be straight, you must use battens vertically and horizontally. If you don't, the end result is often skewed tile placement and it looks really bad,” added Dupre.
First time jobs generally do not go that well and there are usually some spots on the newly tiled floor that look out of place, because they are. Check on the job after approximately 12 hours and see where the problems are. The sooner they are caught, the easier it is to fix them. No one wants to spend hours chipping away solid, dried stiff grouting to fix the mistakes.
“Take your time, read any literature you get with the tiling, get precisely what they suggest you need and measure once, then measure once again to make sure you have it right. If you follow the installation suggestions, you will have a finished product you will be proud of,” said Dupre.
About Champion Tile & Marble
Champion Tile specializes in custom quality flooring installations using all types of natural stone, marble, ceramic, mosaic, Mexican pavers and porcelain tile. Champion Tile can install tile and flooring in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Tampa flooring, or can assist homeowners with acquiring the right materials for their project.
To learn more, visit http://www.champtile.com.