If you have decided to install tills on the floor, then it means you have realized its functionality as well as the amazing variety of types, designs, and colors – one combination of which can transform the looks of your home much beyond your expectations.
When using the tiles on the floors and walls, the house owners prefer something that is highly durable and lends a sophisticated look to the room. The travertine is a type of natural limestone and the tiles made from it fit the requirements of most of the house owners and the builders. This porous stone is combined with chemical stone-sealer to seal all the natural pores on its surface and makes it glossier. But it is important for the contractors to have enough knowledge about the installation of these travertine tiles correctly on the floors or walls.
Also read: What is Travertine Tile?
Accurate steps to be taken for installing the travertine tiles
- The surface on which the tiles are supposed to be placed should be thoroughly cleaned and for that purpose, any previous covering of that space; like tile, laminate, vinyl, carpet or wallpaper should be eliminated. This is to ensure that the tile sticks to the floor correctly and the presence of any dirt or other material may prevent correct seal
- The space to be covered with these travertine tiles should be measured accurately to calculate the number and size of the tiles to be purchased. Always a few extra tiles are purchased to factor accidental breaking of tiles either during shipping or during installation. You can save a few tiles for the future, in case any of the tiles happen to break or crack.
- All the required number of tiles and the required amounts of mortar should be purchased by the contractor. The essential tools for the installation work should be kept ready or purchased too; like a bucket, a notched trowel, margin trowel, tile cutter, tapping block and power drill.
- If there is any crack on the concrete floor surface, it should be sealed before placing the tiles. Also, any kind of protrusion on the surface should be levelled carefully, to make the surface even for laying the tiles easily. The surface can by rubbed with sandpaper to make it more plain and then wiped with a damp cloth, to remove the dust particles from this surface. It also helps the mortar to stick to the floor better.
- In case of wooden surface, it should be ensured that this wood has not rotten on any part. The rotten wood should be replaced and all the crevices on the wooden surface should be repaired, before the installation of the travertine tiles. If the wood is not strong enough, the contractor may opt to lay thin cement fibreboard over the wooden surface, to create a stronger base for the tiles.
- Due to the natural hues of the travertine, it is easy to match these tiles on any surface and firstly, a centre point of the surface should be marked with a marker pen. Then the tiles are laid over the floor to check the exact design of the flooring. In case of the wall or backsplash, the tiles are arranged on the floor, on the exactly same measured space as that on the required surface.
- The mortar is set up as a thin mixture for laying all the tiles. But a large space is supposed to be covered with tiles; little amounts of mortar mix can be made up for putting a few tiles, as mortar usually dry up after two hours. You need to ensure that the thickness or density of the mortar mix should be constant throughout the project. While laying mortar, it is very important that you keep the same level throughout or else it would create uneven surfaces.
- The surface that may be pre-marked with a chalk is thinly covered with the mortar mix and then this mortar is made even with the edge of a trowel.
- Finally, the travertine tiles are laid over the mortar-covered surface and care should be taken to keep space between two tiles by putting a tile-spacer between them. Also, it should be checked that all the tiles are placed at the same level. Any excess mortar mix spilling up to the tiles should be immediately wiped off with a damp sponge.
- Then the spacers are removed and that empty space is filled with a thick paste of white grout, wiping off the excess paste. When the grout is dried up, the tiles are sealed with a natural sealer to protect this limestone.
If you want to install travertine tiles on walls or floors, then above mentioned points help you.