Bathroom Finishing Touches

Unlike ceramic tiles, polished stone tiles require that each and every tile be set even and level with the tiles around it to achieve a flat, smooth floor. Bathroom suppliers now stock a wide variety of tiles, so check out your local supplier for their best deals. The relatively wide joints between ceramic tiles allow you to ramp the grout, to smooth out transitions between slightly uneven tiles; however, stone tiles are typically set with very narrow grout joints that don’t allow ramping. Thus, it’s very important for a floor or substrate under stone tiles to be absolutely flat and even.

In preparation for setting, bathroom tiles should be selected and, if desired, laid out and numbered for vein or colour patterns. All types of stone tiles need sealing before they’re set. When you’re ready to lay the tiles, use a 4 in. by ½-in. half-moon trowel to spread a heavy layer of thinset over the floor. This thick layer will allow you to adjust each tile up or down relative to its neighbours. Use medium-bed thinset so that it will not sag from the weight of the heavy tile. After combing the thinset, set the first tile and then use a 6-in.  torpedo level to check that it’s level, front to back and side to side. Now set a tile next to it, using a 1/16-in, spacer set upright between the tiles.

Tap in the tile, using a mallet and level to set its surface flush with the adjacent tiles. Rub your hands along the joint between the tiles as you set each new tile to feel that the surfaces are even. After all the whole field tiles have been set and cured, you’re ready to measure and set the cut tiles around the edges of the floor. Cover the previously set tiles with rosin paper to protect them as you work. Even though the tiles have been sealed, dried thinset is a bear to remove and can leave a mark on the surface of any highly polished stone. Mark and cut the tiles, then plaster each one and ease it into place, using a level and fingertips to check it for perfect placement.

Avoiding Bathroom Tile Problems

A floor set with 12-in.-sq. marble or granite tiles can lend elegance to any room. However, setting a smooth, flat floor of polished stone requires more time and effort than setting a ceramic tile floor. Since stone is a natural material it also requires more care than ceramic and terra-cotta tiles. Follw the below best practices when setting bathroom tiles and you should be able to carry this work out stress free:

• Never mark the back of any light-coloured or translucent tile with an ink marker. The moisture from thinset when the tile is set can cause the ink to bleed through and show a reverse image on the surface of the tile.
• You must protect black, red, and green marble tiles from moisture, which can (believe it or not) cause them to curl or warp when they’re laid with thinset.
• Coating the back of each tile with clear epoxy prevents moisture penetration still allowing the thinset to bond. Use a brush to completely cover the back of the tile, then set it aside to let the epoxy to cure.
• Although we’ve seen marble floors with tiles that were butt set (set flush to each other), we don’t recommend it.
• Butt-set tiles have only narrow V-shaped joints between them that are so shallow the grout eventually crumbles out of them.
• Grout manufacturers recommend leaving at least a 1/16-in.-wide joint so the grout will have enough body and depth to achieve a good cure.