TILING A SMALL AREA in interior designing and decoration
Plan the tiling so that cut edges are not obvious. Where the tiles are over a basin, for example, try to use only whole tiles. If the width of the basin does not coincide with the width of the tiles, position cut tiles down the center of the tiled area. If the height of the tiled area is not an exact number of tiles, cut the bottom row of tiles. When tiling to the corner of a room, behind a bath or kitchen work surface for example, position the cut tiles in the corner. Apply the adhesive to the wall, covering an area about the size of six tiles. (You may be able to work in larger areas once you have had some practice.) Position the tiles along the level edge.
If the tiles have leveled edges, butt them together neatly. If they have straight edges, the job is easier if you use tile spacers; position one at each corner of each tile. Spacers ensure even gaps between the tiles giving a neat finish. Continue, until all the whole tiles are in position. To cut a thin tile, determine the cutting line and score the glazed surface of the tile using a jig. Place the tile over a slim pencil and press down firmly to snap the tile along the scored line.
To cut a thicker tile, score the cutting line and position the jaws of the snapping tool on either side of the marked line and squeeze to make a clean break. Use a tile sanding block to smooth the cut edges. To cut tiles to fit around awkward shapes, nibble at the area to be cut away with a pair of pincers after you have cut a template from paper and traced it on to the tile. When the whole area is tiled, leave the adhesive to set – normally at least 12 hours.
Then spread tile grout over the surface, paying particular attention to the gaps be- tween the tiles. Immediately clean the grout off the face of the tiles with a sponge, rinsing it out frequently, around the lower part of the area and around the top of the with part tiles. When dry, polish up the tiles. If you have to drill into fixings after they are laid, u speed and choose round or c non-rust screws. Place a piece of over the tile to prevent the drill s you work.