Interior decorators and homemakers have a fondness for ceramic tiles. These long-lasting, beautiful tiles find a pride of place in floors and walls of homes and commercial spaces and are also widely used as backsplashes. Ceramic tile installation is by no means a Herculean task. However, there are certain issues involved while laying out ceramic tile around a window and if you follow these guidelines carefully, you too can boast of a beautifully laid out ceramic tiled wall.
Professional tilesetters need the minimum of reference lines to lay down tiles. But if you are a novice when it comes to laying out ceramic tile around a window, you can draw a grid of lines on the wall to help you keep your tiles straight.
Every installation job requires planning. It is all the more important when you are laying out ceramic tile around a window because you have to ensure that the tiles on either side of the window are about the same width. Next comes the most crucial thing involved in laying out ceramic tile around a window is cutting the tiles right.
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A cardboard template is the ideal means to get the perfect cut. Make the template as required and carefully transfer the outline onto the tile with a water-soluble felt pen. If you need to cut out curved portions out of the tile, then marking the tile with a compass will give you accurate measurements. But while doing so keep provision for some spacing between the tiles.
Patience is the key when it comes to laying down ceramic tile around a window. So after you have got all the markings done, you need to be very careful while you make the cut. It is worth remembering that too much pressure on the tile with the cutting tool will lead to chips, cracks and even breaks. So whether you are using a glasscutter, a simple tile cutter or a wet saw, try to make the cut in one clean stroke.
If you need to make cuts at right angles, then it will be best to use a combination square at the straightedge while striking with the glass cutter. You can also use your hand to snap the tile or have a tile nipper or pincers to nibble away small bits of the tile. Whatever way you choose to cut the tile, be sure to wear protective eye gear.
With the trickiest job of laying down ceramic tile around a window behind you, you can now get down to fixing the tiles on the wall. Carefully place the cut tile in its position and firmly press it into the adhesive. Don’t slide the tiles into place.
You can also nail a temporary horizontal batten over the tile until the adhesive dries. Make sure that the batten is straight with a spirit level and leave at least one inch of the nail sticking out of the batten so that it can be pulled out easily afterwards.
Laying out ceramic tile around a window isn’t a mammoth task. All you have to do is follow the correct procedure to ensure that the tiles fall into place smoothly.
by Manuel Kupka
