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PLANNING AND DESIGN

The planning and design of a tiled floor or wall is a phase in which an individual decides what materials should be used for each layer and how to install the tiles. A thorough and good knowledge of your 'soon to be' tiled surface is important - this will avoid any complications or issues in the future.
There are five steps to planning and design, these consist of:

1. Analysis of the project data
2. Choice of materials
3. Choice of installation system
4. Size and expansion of joints
5. Composition of the system and dimensions of each layer

1. ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT DATA

Type of Environment

It is important to consider the environment in which you are going to lay your tiles. Are your tiles going to be laid horizontally or vertically? Can severe climatic changes be expected and will they alter your tiles? Is the tiling residential or commerical? What exposure of activities will my wall or floor have? Are the tiles on the interior or exterior of the building? All of these elements will assist you in creating the best tiling possible.

Type and characterists of the structure

The structure that you are using to place your tiles onto must be examined. It is important to be aware of the behaviour of the area - any dimensional variations, flexibility and elasticity issues and thermal expansion reactions. Taking note of any alterations or changes in the surface are very important to note.

Geometry of the surface

The geometry of the surface to be covered can infulence the choice of size and shape of your tiles, their disposition and the choice of the technique in which the tiles are installed.

2. CHOICE OF MATERIALS

Tile Bed

The range of choices for the tile bed are quite broad and can be divided into two suitable categories - cement mortar (applied thickly) and adhesive (applied thinly).

Cement Mortar

Generally, mortar composes of cement, sand and clean water. This is expected to form a paste. Mortar is applied thickly, and topped with a dusted layer of cement to ensure the best adhesion.

Adhesives

Adhesives are an easy and common material used for tiling. They are becoming increasingly popular, and are readily available or can be mixed. Various types can be bought, it is best to inquire as to which is best for your base.

Grout For Joints

In regard to the choice of material to fill the spaces between the tiles, there are a huge range of available grouts extending beyond traditional make-ups. Various compositions and colours are available for both flexibilty and creativity.

3. CHOICE OF INSTALLATION SYSTEM

You can choose to lay your tiles using two methods - 'open joints' and 'closed joints'. Closed joints involve the tiles practically touching one another, whilst open joints comprise of a space between the tiles - generally of 5-10 mm. This choice must be made based on the following criteria:

Type Of Tile

In the case of an extruded tile, open joints are obligatory, because extrusion does not assure sufficiently accurate control of the dimensions to consent perfect contact between the tile.

Expected Stress On The Tile Layer

Open joints, allow a less rigid layer of tile to be obtained. This means that it is capable of adapting better to the stresses and deformatios induced by the underlying layers. Closed joints tend to make the tile layer behave like monolithic sheets.

Desired Aesthetic Effect

Close tiles can enhance the uniformity of the tiled surface, while open joints emphasize the sepatation between the individual tiles. These element can influence the appearance and aesthetic effect of your tiled surface.

4. SIZE AND POSITION OF EXPANSION JOINTS

Expansion or deformation joints are those discontinuities in the tiled surface, filled with deformable material, positioned with the following objectives:

Separation - of the tiled surface from fixed elements of construction such as columns, walls and baseboards.

Subdivide - tiled surfaces of large extensions into fields of conveniently limited dimensions in order to compensate for strain induced by variations in dimensions resulting from different causes.

Interruption - of the tiled surface in correspondence to any discontinuities in the support surface.

5. COMPOSITION OF THE SYSTEM AND DIMESIONS OF EACH LAYER

The composition of the entire systems and the dimensions of each layer are determined on the basis of the criteria and considerations discussed up to this point. It is important to document and note to this point what you feel are necessary aspects, and how these will influence your decisions.