EN
FR- light waves: more difficult tiling
- hollow: stagnation of rainwater outdoors
- counter-slope or no slope: poor flow of rainwater outdoors
From the preparation of the tools to the installation of the joints, this file allows you to master all the successive stages for laying tiling on the floor.
We describe here the installation of tiles with adhesive mortar on dry screed.
It is also possible to lay tiles directly with cement on a fresh screed. This faster technique allows two operations to be carried out at the same time: making the screed and laying tiles. However, as it is more complex to implement, it is mainly practiced by professionals.
We do not recommend choosing a white tile that will be too messy indoors and too dazzling outdoors. For the exterior, you must take care to use non-freezing and slightly rough tiles so that it does not become slippery in rainy weather.
Impervious gloves (the adhesive mortar is very abrasive for the hands), trough, trowel, serrated knife to be coated, tile, mason's ruler, level. Optionally: angle grinder with diamond wheel, electric tile cutter.
Powder adhesive mortar, cement, fine sand.
Using a large mason's ruler and a level, check the flatness of the screed. The following faults will have to be corrected by a re-creation:
If your screed was made several years ago and is located outdoors, it is likely to be covered with a thin layer of foam. Efficient stripping is required, for example using a high pressure cleaner.
It is possible to lay tiles straight or diagonally. The diagonal installation is a very nice effect in large rooms and with large tiles, but causes many more cuts and increases the installation time by as much.
In order to minimize the visual impact of the cuts in the tiles, we recommend that you start laying along the exterior side in the case of a terrace. The cuts will thus be on the side of the wall of the house and will be less visible (figure on the left).
For indoor installation, try to have whole tiles on the most visible side.
As illustrated in the photo on the left, for laying tiles over a long length and if you lay the tiles freehand (without using plastic braces to have a constant thickness of the joint), it is better to align the tiles using a tight wire. You'll be sure to have a room or patio that won't look like a slalom track.
