Page 343 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 276

Colors and grains will vary from tile to tile and batch to batch. To assure the installation will have a
uniform look, be sure you have enough material to finish a complete area. Consider using tiles randomly
from different boxes when allocating material for the job. This will more-evenly distribute irregularities,
and may actually create a more homogeneous look.

Flooring Over Concrete
A concrete floor that stays dry in all seasons probably has a good vapor barrier under the slab. If the
surface is also smooth and level, nearly any type of resilient flooring or carpet can be installed directly
over the slab. If a basement slab is both uneven and moist to the touch, one remedy is to lay a vapor
barrier over the existing slab, then cover the entire surface with a 2”- to 3”-thick concrete topping.
Another approach is to lay a good-quality vapor barrier directly on the slab, then anchor furring strips or
sleepers to the slab with concrete nails or shot fasteners. You can then install hardwood strip flooring
directly over the sleepers. See Figure 11-04. For tile or sheet vinyl, nail underlayment or plywood to the
sleepers before you install the finish floor.

Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile can be set in either mortar (thin-set or thick-set) or applied with adhesive. Adhesive is more
convenient because no mixing is required, though cleanup takes a little longer. Tile is set on
backerboard, cement board reinforced with polymer-coated glass mesh. Common names are Durock®,
WonderBoard®, RhinoBoard® and Hardibacker®. For floors and counters, set the backerboard in
adhesive on 3/4" exterior grade plywood. For walls, affix backerboard to the studs with cement board
screws every 8”. On ceilings, drive cement board screws every 6”. Regular drywall screws don’t have
enough holding strength for use on backerboard. Cover panel joints with fiberglass mesh and joint
cement. One side of backerboard is rough for use with tile in thin-set mortar. The other side is smooth
for use with tile adhesive.

Ceramic tile sizes range from 1” square mosaic to 12” x 12” and even larger. Mosaic tile are usually sold
in 12” x 12” squares held together with a mesh backing. The most popular tile size for walls and
counters is 4-1/4” x 4-1/4”.

Avoid using tile with a bright glaze finish on floors. A highly-reflective finish tends to be slippery and
offers less resistance to wear. Vitrified porcelain tiles are hard to cut accurately with a tile cutter and
may require a circular ceramic wet saw. You also have to apply adhesive to both the tile and the floor
when you’re installing porcelain tile.

Ceramic Tile Definitions
• Field tiles make up most of the job, the “field”.
• Border tiles are trim pieces set around the edge of the field.
• Listello tiles have a decorative design different from field tile and are generally used on the edge of the
field, like the frame of a picture.
• Rope tiles, as you might expect, have a rope design, usually in raised relief, and are used on the
border.