What Are The Different Types of Wall Tiles
and How To Install Wall Tiles?
Glazed Wall Tiles ~ internal glazed wall
tiles are usually made to the various specifications under BS EN 14411: Ceramic
tiles.
Definitions, classification,
characteristics and marking.
Internal Glazed Wall Tiles ~ the body of
the tile can be made from ball-clay, china clay, china stone, flint and
limestone. The material is usually mixed with water to the desired consistency,
shaped and then fired in a tunnel oven at a high temperature (1150 deg C) for
several days to form the unglazed biscuit tile.
The glaze pattern and colour can now be
imparted onto to the biscuit tile before the final firing process at a
temperature slightly lower than that of the first firing (1050#C) for about two
days.
Typical Internal Glazed Wall Tiles and
Fittings ~ Sizes † Modular 100 x 100 x 5 mm thick and 200 x 100 x 6„5 mm thick.
Non-modular 152 x 152 x 5 to 8 mm thick and
108 x 108 x 4 and 6„5 mm thick.
Other sizes † 200 x 300, 250 x 330, 250 x
400, 300 x 450, 300 x 600 and 330 x 600mm.
Bedding of Internal Wall Tiles ~
generally glazed internal wall tiles are considered to be inert in
the context of moisture and thermal movement, therefore if movement
of the applied wall tile finish is to be avoided attention must be
given to the background and the method of fixing the tiles.
Backgrounds ~ these are usually of a
cement rendered or plastered surface and should be flat, dry, stable,
firmly attached to the substrate and sufficiently established for any
initial shrinkage to have taken place.
The flatness of the background should
be not more than 3 mm in 2„000 for the thin bedding of tiles and
not more than 6 mm in 2„000 for thick bedded tiles.
Fixing Wall Tiles ~ two methods are in
general use:-
1. Thin Bedding † lightweight
internal glazed wall tiles fixed dry using a recommended adhesive
which is applied to the wall in small areas 1 m2 at a time with a
notched trowel, the tile being pressed into the adhesive.
2. Thick Bedding † cement mortar
within the mix range of 1 :3 to 1 :4 can be used or a proprietary
adhesive, either by buttering the backs of the tiles which are then
pressed into position or by rendering the wall surface to a thickness
of approximately 10 mm and then applying thin bedded tiles to the
rendered wall surface within two hours.
Grouting ~ when the wall tiles have
set, the joints can be grouted by rubbing into the joints a grout
paste either using a sponge or brush. Most grouting materials are
based on cement with inert fillers and are used neat.
Note: The alternative treatment at
edges is application of a radiused profile plastic trimming to
standard spacer tiles.
