by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: January 13, 2007   Last Updated: December 13, 2009

Tiling a kitchen floor is quite simple and can be managed by most Do it yourself handymen and women if the job is given thought. Calculating the amount of tiles that you want is pretty easy. Simply measure the room width and depth, and calculate the square metres or yards before buying. Remember a floor area in the kitchen needs hardwearing tiles. Choose ones that will live up to the daily grind of kitchen use. Buy extra for breakages. Choose a paste that is suitable for indoor use, and here, tell the store how much area you have to tile.

•Check the level.

Get to know your floor. See if there are high points. You can never tile uphill without showing uneveness, though if you decide to start at a high point, you can work the other way around.

•Check focal points.

Look at your kitchen, and see what would be the visible centre of a room. It isn't always the actual centre, since you must take into account the work units, which will draw the eye away from the line of the tiles. Calculate the centre between the units and the opposite wall, and draw your first line. Then do the same the other way, so you then have a centre. Take lines out as far as your high point, but parallel.

•Pasting.

When performing the pasting ensure that you have an interior paste but one which is moisture resistant. This is especially important for a kitchen since this area will get damp from time to time. The past is applied with a comb style hand held tool.

The paste should cover the whole area, and here, I would put about 12 tiles maximum at a time. Paste should be applied with a comb like tool (available in hardware stores) and should completely cover the area to tile. Place tiles, and use plastic spacers to get even spaces between the tiles. Then press down on the tiles and check for level.

Work in a manner so that you can work around the tiles laid, as a kitchen is always a place where people need to have activity. I would suggest doing half each day over a two day period, then letting the paste dry out so that the tiles are solid.

Grouting is important and is the finishing process of filling the gaps between the tiles. Take out the spacers if they come above ground level, or leave them in place if they are low enough. Put the grout in with a rubber blade, and after you have done an area of approximately 12 tiles, go back, wash the surface of the tiles with a damp cloth (as opposed to a sponge which will leave marks). Personally, I rub my wetted finger along the joints to make sure that the grouting is really smooth and professional looking.

Last job. When it's all dry, wash the tiles a final time and buff them up with a clean cloth. Voila ! A super professional tiled kitchen floor.

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