What Do You Tile First Floor Or Walls

When it comes to owning a home, there are many projects to consider. Homeowners should also keep in mind that some projects are best left to professionals. Finding the right professional contractor requires a lot of research. A job like tiling is a very specific and detail-oriented project. If you do not hire the right professional tile contractor, then you might as well just attempt complete the project yourself. If you aren’t sure how to do this, reading up on the ins and outs of completing a labor-intensive project like tiling is key. What do you tile first floor or walls? There is no set way, however, tiling the walls first seems like the best choice.

Let’s take a look below at what is involved and how the choice of the floor or the walls can vary.

Why Should I Tile My Bathroom

Taking on the project of tiling your bathroom could be a daunting task. However, it is a necessary one as it produces many positives in your home. Let’s take a look at the reasons for tiling.

• Cost – durability and moisture resistance allows you to enjoy tile longer than any other material. Even though the upfront cost is higher for tile, you will enjoy the tile a lot longer and have reduced replacement costs.
• Moisture resistance – with tile being waterproof, you will be able to use soaps, shampoos, and other strong cleaners in the bathroom without causing damage. Tiles are great at keeping the water from being absorbed into the walls and floors of your bathroom.
• Durability – a hard material that can last a long time. Most stone tiles will last 100 years and ceramic tiles can last up to 75 years.
• Heat absorption – tiles are great at keeping the heat in. This keeps your shower at room temperature in the summer and even warmer in the cooler months. Also, they will not damage or crack due to the changes in heat levels.
• Ease of maintenance – if mold or mildew begin to show up on your tile, they are very easy to clean. Any wet environment in a home promotes mold and mildew growth. So, being able to use soap and water or any other solution and simple scrub away the mold and mildew with a sponge is a huge plus.

What Do I Need For This Project

A project such as tiling can require a lot of extra tools and equipment. Before you decide to take on this project yourself, go ahead and price out all of the equipment and materials and compare that with your time costs. Let’s take a look at what is required for successful project completion.

Materials

• Tile
• Grout
• Plaster
• Spacers
• Adhesive
• Sealer
• Trim

Tools

• Sponge and dry cloth
• Trowel
• Tile Cutter
• Tape measure
• Ruler
• Pen or pencil
• Sealant smoother
• Level
• Goggles
• Gloves
• Mask

How Do I Tile The Wall

Just like every home project, there is a list of instructions that you should follow to tile the floor or walls. Let’s take a look at the recommended instructions for tiling a wall.

1. Attach a baton in the horizontal position, on the datum point that you have originally measured out. Double-check that the baton is level for your initial starting point.
2. Begin adding tiles from the middle of the wall and work your way outward. Make sure to apply tile adhesive in an even covering of the entire tile.
3. Continue to work along the wall and use tile spacers to ensure that each tile is evenly spaced as it is affixed to the wall. As you approach a smaller area on the wall, go ahead and use your tile cutter to cut your tiles to fit the area.
4. As soon as you have finished your first row of tiles and can verify that they have stuck, you can remove the baton and begin working downward.
5. Using an edging strip to conceal a raw edge will require you to place it at the bottom edge underneath the end of the tile in your first row. You can then continue to place the tiles on top as you work up the wall.
6. After giving the tile adhesive time to dry you can begin removing the tile spacers. You will also dig out any excess adhesive to create an even grout line opportunity.
7. Now you will begin grouting your tile lines. Do your grouting in small sections as you go. You will want to give yourself time to sponge the excess grout off the tile before it hardens.
8. Now you will take your damp sponge and wipe away the grout residue. After the grout has had a couple of hours to dry, you will take a dry cloth and buff out any excess dried grout to create a nice shiny finish on the tiles surface.
9. In your wet areas of the shower, use a water-proof silicon to seal the joints.

How Do I Tile The Floor

As you read above, there are instructions for every project. Following these instructions will all but ensure successful project completion. Let’s take a look at the instructions to complete the tiling of the floor.

1. Your first step is verifying that the floor you are about to tile is strong and solid. In most cases, you will be affixing your floor tile to the concrete slab foundation with tile adhesive.
2. Layout your tile pattern the way you would like to see it. This way you can be sure that the tile design fits your original planned idea. If you are working in a square space, you will likely work from the middle of the floor and fan-out from there.
3. Make sure that the first row is straight. Use your level and ruler to measure out the room dimensions. Once you have placed your first middle tile, you will work toward the edges of the room. Only spread adhesive in an area that you can tile quickly. If you adhesive the floor too much, it could dry too quickly and would cause extra work.
4. Be sure to use spacers in the same manner that you used them on the wall tiles. This keeps your floor tiles evenly spaced. Keep in mind that it is recommended that you use a lash clip system on any tiles that are considered polished and finished. Always use what is necessary to ensure spacing and leveling.
5. The moment the floor tiles are dry, you can begin grouting the floor tile. Remember to use a sponge to wipe away excess grout.

Is There A Right Or Wrong Choice

Believe it or not, there is no right or wrong answer to tile the floor or walls. Depending on the design of your bathroom, will determine your best course of action. In most cases, professional tilers recommend tiling a wall first. This ensures that no damage is brought to the tiles on the floor. It can get messy with grout and accidental tool drops, and you wouldn’t want to crack or stain the floor tile. In addition, by tiling the wall first, you can move onto the floor without waiting for the wall to completely dry. However, if you were to tile the floor first, you would have to wait for the tiling to completely dry before starting on the wall tile.

Other Recommended Maintenance

While you are adding tile to to the floor or walls in the house, there are other areas to pay attention to as well. If you have a baseboard that is coming off or need to replace it, you should know how long it takes for caulk to dry. Silicone takes 24 hours to cure, while fast drying takes 30-60 minutes. This is important to know so you have an idea of how quickly you can finish a project in the house and you give the caulk the time it needs.

Another area is the washing machine. As homeowners, we often forget maintenance around the home because of busy schedules. One of those maintenance areas is removing mold from the rubber seal of the washing machine. This is something that needs to be done when you see mold growing. There are a few ways you can avoid this such as leaving the washing machine door open after using it so it airs out. Another way is not leaving wet clothes sitting in the washing machine as this promotes mold growth.

Lastly, if you notice that your water heater is leaking water, you can still use the water in the home. This will give you time to call a professional to come to the house and allow you to continue on with your daily water needs. Unfortunately, you may be looking at a repair of the pressure relief valve, or temperature gauge or an aging water heater. However, a professional can help you determine the issue.

When Do I Call A Professional

Calling on a professional tiler for this project is probably the best choice. Oftentimes homeowners do not have the tools or the patience and time to spend the weekend working on tiling a bathroom floor and wall. Leaving this one up to the professionals will save you money and ensure that the job is done correctly. If you aren’t sure who to call in your local area, reach out to your local home inspection team. Not only can they refer a reputable professional tiler, but they can also look for other potential bathroom repairs during the home inspection. Keep in mind, that they might find that other bathrooms or rooms in the home could benefit from a professional tiler. Always use your resources first before spending money.

Conclusion

When it comes to a flooring project, it can be very stressful. Making sure that your tiles are level and the design flows is very important. If you don’t have the tools or the time to complete this project, it is highly recommended that you call on a professional tiler. Before you begin any major upgrade to your walls or flooring, make sure to call on your local home inspection team. They can ensure that you don’t have other issues such as mold growth or water leaks in the walls. Contact Inside and Out Property Inspectors in Jacksonville, FL, and surrounding areas to get your home inspection done today.