What You need to know before installing Marble Floor Tiles

 

Every estate needs to look luxurious with its own kind of walls, flooring, furniture and a complete interior décor. Hiring a professional for each kind of interior
work can cost a lot on one’s pocket. Opting for DIY techniques is what most people opt for these days. One of the most used DIY for interior décor is marble flooring.
People often look out for tips on how to install marble floor tile. Building Materials Reporter(BMR) has brought simple and easy tips that one can follow and install
marble floor tiles easily.

Read below and know what all is required to install marble floor tiles and then follow a step-by-step guide on marble tile installation.

What you will need while installing marble floor tile.

Equipment you will need: 1/4-inch notched trowel, Drill/driver, 6-inch drywall knife, Tape measure, Chalk line, Pencil, T-square, Tile spacers, Rubber mallet, Wet saw,
Diamond-tipped holes saws, Utility knife, Foam brush, Work gloves, Grout float, Grout sponge

A step by step guide to install marble floor tiles

Prepare the sub-floor:

Like any other tile, marble floor tile also requires the same subfloor preparation. The floor should have a smooth, water resistant and flat subfloor before installing
marble tile. If there is existing flooring, make sure to remove it and its bottom layers until there is MDF or plywood flooring underneath. Once you reach the MDF or
plywood layer, start covering it with cement board to resist abrasion and resist it from absorbing moisture, making the floor tough.

Make lines for reference:

Before you start installing marble tiles on floor, divide the room in 4 equal quarters. Find the centre point of the room. Use a T-scale to divide the room in 4 equal
quadrants and start installing tile in the extreme last quadrant of the room first. Make sure to start installing the tile from the centre of the room and then move
towards the wall. Leave optimum space so that you can have enough space to walk out of the room without stepping on any tile. The quadrant towards the door should be
the last one to install floor tiles. If the quadrants are unequal, measure again and make chalk lines for equal measurements.

Mix the adhesive and spread:

Once the room is equally divided, start mixing and spreading the adhesive to install marble floor tile. Make sure to never mix all the adhesive at once as it can dry
within a time less than you would expect. Try mixing small portions of adhesive only. Use a trowel to make marks on the spread adhesive before installing tile over it.

Install the marble tile:

Set the marble tile on the adhesive. Make sure you spread enough adhesive so that one marble tile can easily be set over it. Press the first tile in place gently and
twist it to make sure it adjusts according to the adhesive underneath.

Use a rubber mallet:

Press the tile with a rubber mallet. It will press down the tile equally on all the sides without breaking or damaging the tile in any way. Don’t press the rubber
mallet to hard and avoid any damage to the tile.

Install the remaining tiles:

Start installing adhesive for every tile and use tile spacer to maintain equal space between each tile you install. Make sure to use rubber mallet on each tile after
you install it. Follow these steps in a similar order. Using tile spacer will ensure equal grout lines between each tile.

Cut the tiles if necessary:

By the end of installation in each quadrant, you may need to cut the tile for the remaining area. Use a wet saw to cut these tiles. If you do not have one, you can
rent a wet saw or you can ask your tile professional to cut the tile in the sizes you need it. For floors having water piper underneath, tiles may need to be cut from
underneath. For that, use a hole saw or ask your professional to make the adjustments for you using a hole saw.

Remove excess adhesive:

After installing all the tiles, remove the excess adhesive from the surface of the tiles using a sharp knife or adhesive remover. This way the tiles will have a sleek
and clean look.

Seal and grout the tiles:

Seal the tiles once they are dried underneath. Try sealing 2-3 layers on tile. Let them dry. Grout the tiles once seal is dry using a grout flow to equally spread the grout between the gaps. Let them dry and your floor tiles are good to go.

Wipe the tiles:

Clean the tiles to give it a finished look once the adhesive, seal and grout dries out.

Follow these simple and easy steps and install your marble floor tiles yourself. Visit www.buildingmaterialsreporter.com for more or follow BMR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to BMR on YouTube.

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