Find a floor tiling professional in Outer East Melbourne

If you don’t have years of experience in professional tiling, then hiring a floor tile fitter near you is the smartest, most practical decision to make. They cover the entire process, from preparation to actual laying of tiles, grouting, and even a few finishing. They can also lend a hand in estimating the number of tiles and adhesives needed to reduce waste and minimise costs. Here are some of the things to expect when you book a floor tiling service from Airtasker:

Preparing your floor surface

To achieve the highest quality results, you need to prepare a flat, stable, and dry floor surface. So if you are building from scratch, you may need to install a subfloor or level the floor first to ensure that the tiles will consistently stay in place. As for any existing floor surface, professional tilers can help clean and remove the old adhesive and mortar for maximum bonding. 

Applying your tile adhesive

After the floor surface has been all dried and polished, your tile fitter starts applying the tile adhesive or dry bond mortar. Using a gauging trowel, they spread the mixture across the area, ideally starting on the section where the tiles will be laid down first. This process is done at a fast pace to prevent the adhesive from drying and hardening. A nice adhesive bed ensures that the tiles will adhere as evenly and seamlessly as possible.

Laying of floor tiles

Finally, the time to start laying down your floor tiles! The process depends on the type and format of your floor tiles. Regular tiles are directly pressed on top of the adhesive bed. As for the larger tiles, your tile fitter may first apply a thin adhesive at the back, securing that they will bond well with the floor surface. To ensure even spacing, they may also put a tile spacer at each corner, right below the tiles. 

If you are working on a new bathroom construction, it is best to waterproof the surface before installing the tiles. This way, you’ll never have to worry again about water leaking or penetrating the inside of your tiles, and further damaging the building sheet.

Grouting your tiles

Once the tiles and adhesives are set in place, your Tasker then proceeds with the last step – grouting your tiles. Using a bucket trowel of grout float, they spread the grout mixture into the respective joints between the tiles, until they have completely covered the tile spacers. Afterwards, they apply excess grout using a damp sponge or cloth. Usually, it takes a few minutes to hours before the grout lines will completely dry. While waiting, you can start cleaning the place and segregating all waste accumulated from the floor tiling. From there, a building waste removal expert can drop by to pick up your rubbish bins and send them to their designated routes.