Tiling a floor or tiling a wall can be a very satisfying task. However, once a person begin the tiling process, it can become challenging when the cuts do not line up as expected, the adhesive has dried on the tiling surfaces, or if the grout begin to crack. However, if a person has the proper tool, these difficulties can be overcome.
The tools dont have to be the most expensive tools on the market. However, each tool must be the correct tool for the job. Once a person becomes familiar with each tool and the purpose of each tool, the tiling job will be calmer and look more professionelly.
The difference between a person who decide to never tile again and a person who has the pride of having completed a tiling project successfully is the proper equipment that is purchased. A person does not need to purchase every tool that is available in the home improvement store. A person only needs a few tool to handle 95 percent of tiling jobs in the residence.
The tools that will make a person successful as a tiling professional is listed below in the order of the steps in which they will be used.
Essential Tiling Tools You Will Need
1. Notched Trowel
The first tool that should be purchased is a good notched trowel. The notches that is on a notched trowel determine the height of the ridges that the tool will make.
There are two different notch that will work for a person. A 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch square notch will work well for small tile on walls. However, a 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch U notch will work better for larger floor tiles.
The handle should be balanced to prevent the person from getting tired after tiling for twenty minutes. Cheap notched trowels that are stamped on them will eventually bend with the pressure required to lay tiles. These tools will make ridges of uneven height that will eventually develop hollow spots in the tile that a person can hear when tapping on the tile.
The best kind of trowel costs more upfront but will pay for itself when the first large floor is completed.
2. Tile Cutter
The next tool that should be purchased is a quality tile cutter. This is the primary tool that will be used in cutting tiles.
The best kind of tile cutter has a tungsten carbide wheel and breaker bar. These two component will allow for a person to score the floor tile and then snap it along the scored line. The extended cutting bed on better models will allow a person to maintain the squareness of the cut tile.
For occasional tiling of rooms, a basic model will work. For people who will be tiling at least one residence, a tile cutter that comes with a heavy duty breaker bar will save time and tile. With a heavy duty breaker bar, fewer tiles will crack in half when being cut.
These fewer tiles will not have to end up in the trash.
3. Wet Saw
A third tool is a wet saw. This tool will be used when cutting tiles into curves or holes for pipes.
It will also be used when cutting tiles into intricate shapes around cabinets. A wet saw has a continuous flow of water that will keep the saw blade from heating up too much while cutting through floor and wall tiles. It will also catch the dust that is cut during the tiling process.
A wet saw with a sizable table and rip fence will make cutting tiles easy. A 4 inch continuous rim blade will give a person the cleanest cuts when cutting porcelain floor tiles. However, a wet saw creates alot of noise and creates the cutting debris that has to be cleaned up.
These tasks will be better executed if the saw is set up outside or in the garage. However, seeing the saw slice through a row of identical notches for a heat register will make a person want to have one close at hand.
4. Rubber Grout Float
A rubber grout float has flexible material and dense material that makes a significant difference when using this tool.
The rubber material will press the grout into the joints without pulling the grout out of the joints. If a person use a stiff plastic grout float, there will be air pockets in the joint. These air pockets will become cracks in the floor or wall over time.
A rubber grout float should be held at a 45 degree angle, and the person should work diagonally across the walls or floors joints. After the grout has been laid and has mostly dried, a person will return to the joints with a damp sponge. However, the rubber grout float will determine how much cleaning up that will have to be done after the job is complete.
The rubber grout float should have comfortable rounded edges so that a person does not get blisters after laying a lot of floor or wall tiles.
5. Tile Leveling System
A tile leveling system will make the laying of large format tiles easier. These clips and wedges will ensure that the tiles remain flush with each other while the thinset mortar sets.
The clips will be inserted between the tiles. The wedges will be laid in place and given a tap with a mallet to ensure that all tiles are laid at the same height. Once the thinset mortar has dried, the mallet can remove the clips.
The advantage of a tile leveling system is that it ensures the floor has almost no lippage. Having a floor with no lippage ensures both the appearance and safety of the floor. A floor with lippage can make people trip while walking on it.
The tile leveling system will add a few cents to the cost of the floor per square foot. However, the tile leveling system will save a lot of frustration in the tiling process.
6. Heavy Rubber Mallet
A heavy rubber mallet will be used to tap the floor tiles to help set them evenly into the mortar.
Using a rubber mallet will allow a person to gently tap on the tile so that it beds into the thinset and releases any air that might be trapped under the floor tile. Using a regular hammer wrapped in a towel will create air pockets under the floor tile that might cause it to pop up. Also, hitting a porcelain floor tile with a heavy hammer will crack the porcelain floor tile.
Using a rubber mallet allows the person to have better even pressure on the floor tile. The rubber mallet can also be used with a straightedge to keep floor and wall tiles flat. Using the rubber mallet, a person can perform a solid tap in the center of the floor tile and then light taps on the edges.
The rubber mallet is a small tool but will save a lot of time and effort in laying floor tiles.
7. Grout Sponge and Bucket
The grout sponge and bucket will be used to clean the floor properly. A grout sponge that is dense will wipe the floor with excess grout.
However, the grout sponge should not contain enough power to pull fresh grout from the joints. Two buckets will be used. One will contain the clean water for the floor and the other the dirty water that will be used to rinse the floor tiles.
The water should often be changed. If the rinse water becomes as dark as weak coffee, then the grout sponge should be changed. The sponge should not be allowed to redeposit the excess grout onto the floor.
Use a grout sponge with beveled edges so that it does not dig into the fresh grout. This small detail will separate a smooth floor from a floor that look etched.
8. Safety Gear
Safety gear might not be mentioned when purchasing the tiling tools. However, it is a must-have tool.
A decent dust mask or a respirator with P100 filters will protect the lungs from silica if using a wet saw or mixing thinset. Knee pads will protect the persons knees if tiling a floor. Gloves with grip will help the person avoid slipping while tiling. Safety goggles are a must if using a wet saw. These items might take a few minutes to gather but will prevent a lot of frustration down the road.
When tiling, a lot of physical work is required of a person. It would of been madness to add an avoidable injury to such a job.
9. Measuring Tape and Pencil
Although obvious, a quality measuring tape and a sharp pencil are needed.
The measuring tape should have a locking mechanism and a hook to help grab the edge of a tile. Use a pencil to make the marks on the floor instead of a marker. Marker ink might bleed through the grout.
Use the measuring tape to measure the diagonals of the floor to ensure it is level. This will save a person from having to make ugly cuts on two walls of a room.
10. Mixing Tools
Finally, the last tools to buy are the mixing tools. Without the thinset of the right consistency, the floor will fail. A drill with a mixing paddle attachment will save the persons shoulders from using the muscles to mix thinset. Use the mixing paddle to mix thinset from the bottom of the bucket up to the top of the thinset.
This action will ensure there are no air pockets in the thinset. Follow the manufacturers guidelines to mix the thinset in batches that will be used within the time frame listed on the thinset bag. Mixing thinset too quickly will cause lumps.
Instead of using a five-gallon bucket for thinset, use a bucket that is reserved for mixing thinset. This will prevent any contact between thinset and the old bits of thinset that have dried in the bucket. When the last tile is set and the final line of grout is wiped clean, there is more than just a tiled floor.
There is a sense of satisfaction with the job well done. A persons small decisions will manifest themselves in the quality of the floor many years down the road. Each of these tools will make a person successful at tiling.
They will remove the variables that cause the average person to fail when tiling a floor. Buy each of these tools with care. Learn how they feel in your hand.
The next time a friend comes up to you and asks you how the heck you managed to get such crisp lines in your floor tiles, you can smile and hand them the trowel. That is the secret to your skills.
