Ceramic granite is one of the most popular types of flooring. Due to the combination of high strength, durability and decorative properties, it is used both in interior decoration and landscape design. At the same time, laying porcelain stoneware is a difficult task, since the material has a large mass and a solid structure that impedes processing.
Preparation of material for work
Before assembly operations, an audit of each element of the batch should be made. The integrity of the structure and the cleanliness of the surfaces are evaluated. It is important that the back is fat free and ready for gluing. Difficulties may arise except with the processing of the material.
The highest quality cutting with clean edges will allow you to get a factory sawing machine for stone or a waterjet, but at home you should not count on it. But you can restrict yourself to electric tile cutters or a grinder with a diamond disk for tiles.
Porcelain is quite amenable to non-standard processing with the creation of holes. To do this, you can apply a special model of a tile cutter provided by a ballerina, and a powerful electric drill with the corresponding milling cutter.
Work surface preparation
It is recommended to lay any tile material on a clean, even and technically stable base. The specific list of preparatory measures will depend not only on the type and condition of the rough coating, but also on the type of installation of porcelain stoneware, since the installation conditions are different.
For example, fixing technologies for the underfloor heating system and gluing to an old tile floor suggest differences in installation approaches. So, in the first case, preliminary laying of hydro- and vapor barrier with a reliable layer of insulation is required. In the case of tiles, there may be a need to dismantle the flimsy elements that are detected by tapping.
All existing or newly discovered defects are treated with putty or primer, according to the characteristics of the appropriate basis - concrete, wood, ceramics, etc. The most favorable surface for the installation of porcelain stoneware is a screed made of a self-leveling mixture.
What to glue porcelain tile?
Again, much will depend on the operating conditions of the coating. As a universal solution, thick-layer compositions that are designed specifically for large tiles, porcelain stoneware and stone can be recommended. By the way, an installation layer without wavy ribs to increase adhesion in height will have 10-12 mm. If minor defects remain on a rough basis even after preparatory work, then leveling glue should be used for laying granite, which can eliminate cavities and bulges up to 5 mm. A smoothing effect is provided, but it is not worth fully counting on the repair and restoration function of the adhesive mass. For such tasks it is better to provide priming mixtures.
With regard to external conditions, it is important to take into account climatic characteristics - temperature and humidity. If we are talking about mounting on the street in order to form a tile track, then highly elastic and frost-resistant compounds are preferred. Firstly, such a base will not lose its properties under strong temperature extremes, and secondly, the tile will remain stable under mechanical stress.
At home, there may also be threats from exposure to moisture and heat. For example, high-quality laying of granite in the bathroom is possible on a two-component epoxy mixture, which, due to its monolithic structure, is highly moisture resistant.
General styling technology
The traditional and basic installation method involves the installation direction from the corner. To maintain the masonry line, it is necessary to stretch the rope parallel to the intended seam. The material should be laid along this contour, strictly fixing the edges at the joints with the help of mounting cross-braces. These are plastic elements that allow you to customize tile joints to the same format throughout the site.
Glue is applied with a height of 8-10 mm, but it has already been said that the thickness of this layer can reach 12 mm. The classic way of laying granite on the floor does not require a large amount of adhesive solution. The quality of fixation will depend on how correctly the tiler performed the ribbing of the laid glue. This simple operation can be performed with a notched metal spatula with a tooth length of 10-15 mm. For porcelain stoneware 12 mm will be enough.
The presence of ribs or waves on the adhesive solution will increase the tenacity and adhesive quality of the styling. Tile should be pressed neatly and without sudden movements, not forgetting the correct position of the coating elements.
Diagonal styling
Due to the complexity of machining, this installation option is rarely used with ceramic granite. But if there is a clear task of creating a diagonal coating and there is a tool at the ready for cutting elements in half for side installation, then this configuration can also be implemented.
Most often use a layout with a seam. It is simpler in the installation technique, and in the visual effect it loses a little to alternative methods. Starting from the edges, lay out the diagonal halved tiles so that the entire line is closed. In the left corners, the installation of solid elements will continue in the form of rhombuses.
The main difficulty lies in the fact that laying the porcelain tiles diagonally in the finished form should ensure symmetry on all sides of the coating. That is, the angled beveled fragments on each side will have the same size. To compensate for the excess or reduction in size, you can use transitional rectangular fragments that visually look like sides or sills.
Features laying on a wooden floor
The problem of mounting on a wooden base is its instability. Even with perfectly laid logs, their integrity and strength, massive slabs with their load deform the base over time. Therefore, the work will consist of two stages - cleaning the existing coating and laying the screed. As for the completion of the wooden floor, it is necessary to completely replace the damaged and decayed elements with new ones, grind the surface and, if necessary, install a rigid substrate.
The second step is to complete the screed. As noted above, a self-leveling solution is the best option. Too thick a coating for laying porcelain tiles should not be done, but it is necessary to ensure a flat surface. After the polymer coating has dried, you can proceed to the installation of tiles according to the general technology.
Seamless styling
Visually, such a coating creates the effect of monolithicity, but there is no question of a complete exclusion of gaps. The tiler does not deliberately create seams of a certain size and fixes the elements butt, but 1-2 mm will still separate two fragments. Moreover, the difference between this technology is rather not in the configuration of the relative position of the tiles, but in the initial preparation of the material.
High-quality seamless laying of granite is possible only with rectified processing. This is a special refinement of the material faces in the factory, due to which the elements can, in principle, be joined together without the risk of deformation. After all, do not forget that intermediate joints of 5-10 mm are also made for technological endurance of the gap, which protects the material from overvoltage.
Rules for laying large format plates
Fundamentally, the installation technology is not much different from laying ordinary porcelain, but there are some nuances that can help extend the life of the coating:
- On a large platform, it is recommended to use only square elements - for example, 600 x 600 mm format.
- It is recommended to stick the material on a mixture of reinforced fixation. Such glue is highly resistant to dynamic and static loads.
- Before laying large-format porcelain stoneware, a 3-mm primer layer should be applied, which during installation will perform a leveling function, and during operation it will level the load from the heavy tile.
- After laying, it is advisable to physically fix the coating elements for the time of glue hardening, using special tiled fittings - nuts with clamping washers and wedges.
Grouting
Clearance processing is an important technological operation that makes expansion joints stronger and more airtight. But for this you need a suitable grout composition. If polymeric and silicone agents are used for ordinary tiles, it is desirable to treat ceramic granite coatings with cement mixtures.
How is grouting done? With the help of trowels and spatulas, the design of which provides for a special leveling groove for heat-shrinkable joints. The density of the seal will depend on the gaps with which the granite was laid. With your own hands, you first need to lay a small mass of the solution in the seam, then gently compact it. When it will be obvious that there are no voids left in the applied groove, you can finish the job with decorative molding with a trowel tool.
Cleaning laid tiles
After installation and grouting, consumables will certainly remain on the front surfaces of porcelain stoneware. If the adhesive and trowel traces have not yet had time to dry, then you can try to get rid of them with alkaline and degreasing solutions. With clean rags and napkins, gently wipe the contaminated area.
If this does not help, then leave traces soaked for several hours, and then repeat the operation. Sometimes laying granite is carried out over large areas with a delay in grouting and cleaning procedures. In such cases, already hardened pieces of adhesive masses remain, which are difficult to remove even by washing with potent chemicals. Only a grinding tool or hard brushes will help. The main thing in this treatment is not to damage the surface of the tile using gentle felt and felt nozzles.
Workflow Expert Tips
In work with laying tile materials and especially with porcelain stoneware, there are many nuances and subtle points, many of which have already been considered. But there is also a number of tricks that will facilitate the installation technique and make the coating even better:
- If you plan to lay out complex mosaic or patterned drawings, then you need to start laying from the center of the room.
- After applying the glue, it is necessary to remember the period of polymerization (solidification). The longer the composition is in the open air, the worse the adhesion will be when laying tiles. Porcelain stoneware should be fixed immediately after applying the adhesive composition, so the use of the piece masonry method will be optimal.
- The geometry of the coating can be maintained not only with the help of spacer crosses, but also with the level, timely correcting the height differences.
Conclusion
Thick and heavy plates of ceramic granite require a lot of time and effort during installation. Moreover, without the presence of tiler skills, there is a high risk of disappointment as a result. Nevertheless, the laying of porcelain tile with all the difficulties will justify itself during operation. This is the most reliable, durable and stable coating that is used indoors. Outside this material is laid out paths, terraces and platforms that retain their appearance for decades.