Use a builder's sand/cement mix of 3/1 to lay a bed of mortar
to set the tiles in. Water should be added to make a stiff
yet smooth mix. It is advisable to soak each quarry tile
prior to laying. This will stop the tile absorbing water
from the mortar mix too readily.
It is very important to lay the first tile correctly,
as its position will determine the position of all the other
tiles in the room. Use two battens nailed to the floor (use
masonry nails on a concrete floor) to give a straight edge
and a right angled corner to guide the positioning of the
tiles. Make sure the battens are deep enough to support
the layer of mortar and the thickness of each tile. Place
a third batten, parallel and a distance of 3 or 4 tiles
away from the batten at the wall.
Use a notched levelling board between two parallel battens
to level the mortar evenly. Scatter a fine layer of dry
cement on the mortar and lay the tiles, using thick card
as spacers. Use a spirit level to check the horizontal level
and tamp down the tile gently into position.
Tile the floor section by section and use a straight edge
to continually check the position of the tiles on the floor.
Remove any excess mortar from the edges and surface of the
tiles in a section before they set, as it is a difficult
job to remove once set and will stain the tiles. Continue
across the room, fixing extra battens as guidelines where
necessary, while working towards the door.
Leave the room for 24 hours. Then remove the battens and
lay the border tiles and fix in a similar way. If tiles
have to be cut, use a wet diamond tipped cutting wheel otherwise
it is probably advisable to hire a suitable cutter.
Remove the thick card spacers and grout the tiles using
either cement or waterproof grouting. Floor grout is available
in a variety of colours, but the standard colours are white,
grey or brown. If you are unsure of the colour to use, mix
pigments of colours with dry powdered grout and attempt
to match the colour before adding the water.
However, most floor tiles are grouted with a mortar mix.
Use a plastic scraper or a rubber-bladed squeegee to push
the grout between the gaps in the tiles. Make sure all the
spaces are evenly filled and then wipe the grout off the
tile surface before it dries.
Use a blunt edge of a stick or tool carefully, to smooth
the surface of the grout in the gaps - but do not 'dig down'
into the grout. Remove any excess grout before it dries.
Allow the floor to dry completely before using. It is wise
to seal the surface to reduce marking, using either a matt
or satin finish polish or stain protector.
