Tile installation
Request an estimate
We provide tile flooring installation in Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN
Galaxie Floor Stores offers more than simple tile installation services. We can also reduce your costs and reduce the interruptions that often come with tile installation. Our team is dedication to providing you with superior service in Minneapolis.
Tile flooring installation tips:
Installing a tile floor can seem intimidating. Without proper installation, tiles floors are prone to cracking. However, following the nine tips below will help ensure that your tile floor last for years.
- Make sure you use the proper tile. Not every tile is designed for use in flooring. Grades 1 and 2 are rated high enough to withstand foot traffic, but grade 3 tiles are too thin and designed for use on walls. If you use grade 3 tile on your floor, it will begin cracking quickly.
- Consider adding polymer. By adding a polymer to your thinset mortar, the strength of the bonding is increased, reducing the likelihood of cracks.
- Use the correct substrate. The base for tile is called thinset mortar, which is applied to cement board with plywood underneath. If you do not use thinset mortar on the cement board, or your plywood is not the right grade, pressure issues will result that can crack your tile. Not using thinset mortar will result in movement between the cement board and the plywood. If the plywood is not a high enough grade, inconsistency and voids in the wood layers can cause pressure-related tile cracks.
- Tape the seams. Add tape to the seams between concrete board and use layers of thinset to embed the tape. Press an alkali resistant tape into the seams with your trowel and then add another layer of thinset over the top. Apply a layer of thinset over any screw depressions as well.
- Make sure the subfloor is dense enough. Even if your thinset mortar, concrete board and plywood are all of adequate quality, if you apply the tile to a subfloor that is too soft, the tiles will crack anyway. Make sure the floor in your project room is thick enough to support tile.
- Leave a gap at the wall. In homes, walls will move slightly as the result of changing temperatures. If you seal the joint between your last row of tile and the wall, when the wall moves it will add pressure across the entire floor, usually cracking the tiles in the middle. Allowing a bit of space between the wall and your last row of tile will prevent this from happening and allow some flexibility for the walls.
- Wait for the tile to set before walking. Most tile will not be properly set until 48 or 72 hours have passed. Walking on the floor too soon will result in the tile setting unevenly and almost certain cracking later. Speak with us about the best way to cross a tile floor if you have no choice before it sets.
- Inspect your foundation. If cracks appear in your tile, it may not be the installation itself, but a far larger problem related to your foundation. If your home was built on weak or expansive soil, the shifting weight of your home may result in cracks to tile floors or walls.
