Cement tile placement

Cement tile placement step by step

Before to proceed with the cement tile placement it’s very important you read the instructions described bellow for a correct instalation of the cement tile.

Installation of cement tiles

  1. The installation of cement tiles is a simple and quick process. The tiles need to be placed on a perfectly levelled and clean surface, therefore prepare the concrete slab before and let it dry completely before placing the cement tiles. Never lay them onto the fresh concrete. It is important that the surface where you place the tiles is completely dry, otherwise the moisture will evaporate through the tiles, leading to composition of saltpetre deposits in form of white stains.
  2. Leaving a space between the end of the floor and the wall is recommended, just enough so that the skirting covers this small space. In that way we will avoid having breakage problems due to structural movements of the building.
  3. When the layer is dry, spread the tile adhesive on the back of the tile and the floor using the rake comb with fine tooth spacing (double spread of adhesive, also called “buttering”), in order to improve adhesion and prevent creating any empty spaces that may result in unsticking of the slab in the future.
  4. The tiles need to be placed manually, one by one, without using a hammer or any other tool. The precision is required, as the tiles cannot be polished down like other materials.
  5. The separation between tiles should be minimal, 1 to 2 mm, respecting the alignment for a good finish of the drawing.
  6. When the installation is finished and the adhesive is dry, clean the surface with plenty of water to remove the thin layer of pigmented powder that covers the tiles.

 

Grouting

  1. Before grouting apply a water-repellent to the tiles (Hydrorep from Fila), so that the grout residues do not get deeply adhered to the tiles’ layer of pigments and these can be removed easily.
  2. For the grouting do not use dyed grout. The pigments could leave irreversible stains in the slab.
  3. Use a spatula to fill the spaces between the tiles. Do not put grout above the level of the tiles. If there is any excess ground, remove it immediately using a damp cloth.
  4. Do not use any acidic o corrosive products to remove the excess or clean the stains of the grout.
 HYDROREP (FILA)

 

Download cement tiles placement guide