It is hard to imagine contemporary bathrooms, showers, laundry rooms, or kitchens without ceramic tiles of stunning design and excellent surface technology. Ceramic tiles are frequently used in rooms or areas subject to high moisture, chemicals, and abrasion. Tiled floors and walls are expected to offer lasting beauty and long service life. Therefore, planning details like waterproofing sealing, edge bridging, and the right choice of grout and adhesive are essential factors.
Checking and preparing substrate is crucial to avoid claims and guarantee a long lasting result. Basically, the surface must fulfill the following conditions: it must be sufficiently load bearing, dry, even, and free of dust and grease. For details on all steps to be taken before (measurement of moisture checking substrate conditions, priming), see the section “Preparation”.
It would be wrong to assume that a completely tile covered wall or floor area is waterproof. Joints allow moisture and water penetration into the substrate, causing long term damage. Some surfaces are directly exposed to contact with water; these include the walls and floors of showers and their surroundings, as well as the area of bathtubs and washbasins. These areas must be protected by applying special sealing layers under the tiles. First, seal the surface properly and then fix the tiles this is the fundamental principle that applies to surfaces exposed to moisture. Ceresit under tile insulation system is effective, easy, and quick in the application.
Choosing the appropriate adhesive depends on the nature of the substrate (underfloor heating) and to a large part on the tiles used: whether ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, or glass mosaic. Ceresit offers the appropriate tile adhesive and a wide range of grout colours to give a modern bathroom or kitchen the final touch.
After mixing, the grout can be applied directly from the mixing container with a trowel. If used on walls and floors, the grout is spread with a hard rubber float. Use the float to press the grout into the joints until these are filled void-free and flush with the tile surface. After that, excess grout is removed from the tile surface by using the edge of the float held at a 90° angle. Stroke diagonally to remove as much grout as possible from the surface without pulling grout out of the filled joints. In order to obtain a uniform, aesthetic appearance and allow easy cleaning, the joints should be left to “mature” (or firm up) after grouting.
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