Home Improvement Articles

Many people are choosing slate tiles for their flooring. It is not expensive to purchase and lay down a slate tile floor. The look of the slate tiles is gorgeous as well and will fit any décor. If you wish to do the tiling yourself, then there are few things you should know. Those that are not comfortable with do it yourself projects may want to hire a contractor to install their tiles. Most can do it without much hassle or effort and will enjoy knowing they did the job themselves.

Since slate tiles are not manmade but are organic, there are few things to remember. Every tile will be unique and will have its own look. While you may purchase a certain palette, the texture and exact color will never be exactly the same as there will be some variations. This is not a reason to return the tiles to the manufacturer. The variations are what make each room have its own distinctive appeal.

You should never purchase the exact amount of tiles that you need for the reasons that follow. When you get your tiles delivered to you, there will be some tiles that are broken. Because of this, you want to have more tiles than you think you will need to make up for this. The tiles that are harmed in transit can be utilized in areas where a full tile will not fit properly.

Before you start to mortar the area where the tiles will be laid, you should get the tiles where you want them. You do not want to be arranging the tiles while the mortar is on the floor or else it may set up before you have the design you want. After you get the design perfect, pick up the tiles in the reverse order that you will lay them so the first tile is on the top of the stack. To keep your rows of tiles orderly, you can use drywall chalk to give you a line to go by.

Once you have your tiles stacked in order, clean the area where you are going to put the tiles. This area should be perfectly level to make the floor even. You can use mortar in areas that have a small grade to them. After you are comfortable with this step you can begin the installation.

Do not put the mortar down on the entire floor. It will dry out and then you will not be able to get all your tiles down in time. Set the tiles one at a time and push down lightly on them to get even adhesion. If you press too hard you will break the tile.

If there is any cutting of the tiles that has to be done, they should be cut when you are laying out the pattern and not when you are doing the installation. Once the floor is all mortared and finished, let it sit over night to cure before you add the caulk. The caulk will need to set up as well and then you can finish your tiles by sealing them.

Slate Tile is a very popular choice for tiling. The reason for this is the low cost and ease of installing the tiles. Not to mention how beautiful the natural stone tiles look in any room of the house. There are some basic tips to keep in mind when installing slate tiles. If you feel that you do not have the ability to do this type of work yourself then you should call a professional to install them for you. Many will be able to do this installation on their own. To get more info on Slate Tile visit: http://hubpages.com/hub/Slate-Tile.