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If you plan to update the look of your bathroom, consider installing marble tile. Marble tile and ceramic tile are installed in much the same way. The main difference is the greater size and weight of the marble tiles. Materials: Wet saw
Thin-set mortar
Mastic adhesive
Grout
1/16" spacers
Notched trowel
Jamb saw
Circular saw with diamond-edge blade
Power sander
Sandpaper with grit ranging from 80 to 400
Drill, with polishing wheel
Buffing compound
4' level
Chalk line
Measuring tape
Framing square
Rubber float
Utility knife
2" x 4" board
Mesh mortar tape
Burlap sack material
Marble tile
Safety goggles
Preliminaries - Start with a bare floor. Make sure the subfloor is sturdy: if it shifts, the grout could crack. Test the floor for stability by having a partner stand on one end of the room while you stand on the other and bounce up and down on your heels. If your partner feels little or no vibration, your floor is probably sturdy. Otherwise, you may be able to stabilize the floor by adding joists and jack supports underneath (figure A).
- Make sure the floor is level. Marble-tile manufacturers recommend that the floor slope no more than 1/16" for every 3'. Use the longest level available to check. You can also tell whether the floor has any dips or valleys by looking for gaps between the level and the floor (figure B). You may need to build up the floor to bring it level and flat before beginning this project.
- Find the center of the room. Measure the length of the area where you plan to install the marble, and mark the center point. Repeat the process for the width of the room. Then snap chalk lines across the marks: the point at which the lines cross is the center of the room (figure C). Check the marks with a framing square to be sure they're at a 90-degree angle, then spray them with clear acrylic to fix them in place. If you're tiling the tub area, extend the chalk lines there so that the grout lines will match.
- Lay out the marble in a dry run. This will help you plan ahead for where the tiles will go. Start by placing a tile at one corner of the center point and working your way to the wall. If you wind up with only a sliver of marble at the end, shift the run so that the starting tile straddles the chalk line.
Tiling the Tub Area - Start your tiling job with the tub area. When you measure the tiles for the edges, keep them long enough to overlap the pieces underneath. To cut the tiles, use a wet saw (figure D), which you can rent at most equipment-supply centers. After cutting, sand the edges with a power sander. Start with coarse 80-grit sandpaper and gradually work up to extra-fine 400 grit. Then polish the edges with a polishing wheel and buffing compound. Try a 45-degree miter cut on the corners for a professional look.
- Use a notched trowel to apply thin-set mortar to the surface of the tub area. Make sure the notches are even. When applying the mortar across gaps in the plywood, place mesh mortar tape (figure E) directly on top of the mortar to prevent cracks in the grout. Position the tiles on the mortar and place 1/16" spacers between them. To achieve a strong bond, you may want to put mortar on the backs of the tiles, a process known as "back buttering" (figure F). Use a piece of plywood the same thickness as a marble tile to help you gauge the overlap at the edge.
- When applying the backsplash and knee wall, use mastic adhesive. You may want to back butter the pieces for the backsplash if you don't plan to tile all the way up the wall.
- When applying tiles to the knee wall, temporarily attach a 2" by 4" board to the wall to support the weight of the tiles (figure G). The uncut tiles should be placed highest on the knee wall.
Tiling the Floor - To start tiling the floor, place one tile on or near the center, depending on the location as determined by your dry run, and trace around the perimeter. Apply thin-set mortar within the borders, and set the tile in place. The tile will act as a reference point when you begin laying out the rest of the floor pieces.
- Begin applying thin-set mortar to the floor, notching it with your trowel, and applying the tiles. Fill any expansion spaces when applying the mortar (figure H).
- To measure tiles for cutting, place one tile directly on top of the full tile that is closest to the wall. Then place a second tile against the wall so that the edge rests on the first tile. Use a utility knife to score a line on the first tile, and make your cut along that line (video A).
- When making notched cuts, lift the tile as the blade nears the corner. That way, you can square off the cut.
RESOURCES :
Caramel Rose marble tiles
Granite & Marble World Trade
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: 312-243-9007
Fax: 773-252-3873
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