QUICK LINKS TO OTHER HINTS & TIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY CTM
| Choosing the right tile | Types of ceramic tiles | Planning ahead |
| Surface preparation | How to lay tiles | Bedding methods | Tile tips |
| Tile care & maintenance | Installing a bath | Fitting sanitary ware|

PREPARATION OF SURFACES

Modern tiling tools and adhesives make it easy to cut, shape and fix tiles with the minimum of fuss.

Before you get going though, there are a number of things you'll need to do, like preparing surfaces. This is essential in order to achieve a professional looking finish. Surfaces must be clean, flat, dry and firm.

FLOORS

Concrete and cement floors

Interior:

• If your floor is newly laid, it must be true and level and fully cured before you start. (See comment about wet areas below.)
• For the adhesive to take properly, you must ensure that the surface is completely free of building dust and grit. Existing cement or concrete floors might well be stained with oil and grease which should be removed with a good quality degreaser and well rinsed with water. Allow time for the flooring to dry completely before proceeding.
• If you are tiling a floor that has previously been covered, it is advisable to remove all carpets, tiles and even wooden parquet flooring. If flue has been used to stick down the previous covering, this should be removed and the floor washed. Once again, allow time for the floor to dry completely. (Good quality wooden parquet blocks do have a second-hand value, so don't just discard them.)
• It is possible to tile over existing ceramic or clay tiles but only if the tiles and underlying slab is in good condition. Remember that tiling over existing tiles will alter the floor height and so affect the fit of the doors and the height of the skirtings. This will be particularly noticeable at inter-leading areas where differences in height can jar visually and can be dangerous.
• In a wet area such as a shower, bathroom or scullery, drainage must be planned with a slope sufficient to the need. Special wet environment grout and adhesive may be necessary.

Exterior:

• Whereas interior floors should be level, you need to take water drainage into account for exterior floors or slabs. Slopes should be sufficient to ensure that rainwater runs away from any wall or building the floor abuts or that it is channelled to a drainage point. This is particularly necessary for large areas such as patios where pooled water poses a risk to users and can spoil the effect. Smaller areas and paths pose less of a challenge and are generally self-draining. Please ensure that you use an adhesive and grout which is suitable for exterior applications.

Wooden floors

• Tiling over existing wooden suspended flooring of the tongue-and-groove type is possible as long as there is no play or spring in the planks. If there is, the floor should be braced by supports and if necessary the individual planks screwed down onto the crossbeams. This will also have the effect of levelling the floor but should it still be uneven, a light screed can be used or alternatively the floorboards can be covered by hardboard before applying the screed. When tiling a suspended wooden floor, you do need to take the weight of the tiles into account, as extra supports may be necessary.