The complete guide to decorating with ceramic tile : innovative techniques & patterns for floors, walls, backsplashes & accents

274 Pages·2007·66.03 MB·English

by  Jerri Farris

Bring Home the Beauty of
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
Custom Tile
The Complete Guide
to Decorating with
DECORATING WITH
Ceramic Tile
The colors and pattern and even the
materials may change, but the lasting
beauty and durability of tile has
established it as a classic surface in
any home. And with today’s creative CERAMIC TILE
designers, tile isn’t just for floors and
walls anymore. Countertops, kitchen
Innovative Techniques
islands, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds
and decorative furnishings and accents & Patterns
are just a few of the many ways you can for Floors, Walls,
express your imagination through the
Backsplashes
versatile charm of ceramic tile. It’s as
easy to install as it is lovely. and Accents
THIS BOOK INCLUDES:
• P rofessional advice for choosing the best
tile products for your home
• P ractical tips and strategies for designing
with tile
• T ips for installing traditional tiles on
practically any home surface
• I nformation on working with the latest
tile trends, including mosaics and glass tile
• D ozens of creative projects with step-by-
step photos to inspire and inform
CATEGORY: HOME IMPROVEMENT I SBN – 13: 978-1-58923-333-1
ISBN – 10: 1-58923-333-6
$ 24.95 US
£16.99 UK
$29.95 CAN
www.creativepub.com NEW
& REVISED
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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DECORATING WITH CERAMIC TILE
UPC
EAN
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
DECORATING WITH
CERAMIC TILE
Innovative Techniques & Patterns for Floors,
Walls, Backsplashes & Accents
by Jerri Farris
CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA
www.creativepub.com
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Copyright © 2007 President/CEO: Ken Fund
Creative Publishing international, Inc. VP for Sales & Marketing: Peter Ackroyd
18705 Lake Drive East
Chanhassen, Minnesota 55317 Home Improvement Group
1-800-328-3895
www.creativepub.com Publisher: Bryan Trandem
All rights reserved Managing Editor: Tracy Stanley
Senior Editor: Mark Johanson
Printed at R.R. Donnelley Editor: Jennifer Gehlhar
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Creative Director: Michele Lanci-Altomare
Senior Design Manager: Brad Springer
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Design Managers: Jon Simpson, Mary Rohl
Farris, Jerri.
Director of Photography: Tim Himsel
The Complete guide to decorating with ceramic tile : innovative
Lead Photographer: Steve Galvin
techniques & patterns for fl oors, walls, backspashes & accents / by
Photo Coordinator: Joanne Wawra
Jerri Farris.
Shop Manager: Bryan McLain
p. cm.
At head of title: Branded by Black & Decker.
Production Managers: Linda Halls, Laura Hokkanen
Summary: “Includes all of the basics and traditional techniques as
well as new projects for walls, fl oors, bathrooms, kitchens, and the
Author: Jerri Farris
outdoors”--Provided by publisher.
Page Layout Artist: Danielle Smith
Includes index.
Photographers: Andrea Rugg, Joel Schnell
ISBN-13: 978-1-58923-333-1 (soft cover)
Shop Help: Dan Anderson, Tami Helmer, John Webb
ISBN-10: 1-58923-333-6 (soft cover)
1. Tile laying--Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title.
TH8531.F37 2008
698--dc22 2007024075
The Complete Guide to Decorating with Ceramic Tile
Created by: The Editors of Creative Publishing international, Inc., in cooperation with Black & Decker.
®
Black & Decker is a trademark of The Black & Decker Corporation and is used under license.
NOTICE TO READERS
For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book. The Publisher
and Black & Decker cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse
of the information provided.
The techniques shown in this book are general techniques for various applications. In some instances, additional
techniques not shown in this book may be required. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions included with products,
since deviating from the directions may void warranties. The projects in this book vary widely as to skill levels required:
some may not be appropriate for all do-it-yourselfers, and some may require professional help.
Consult your local Building Department for information on building permits, codes, and other laws as they apply to
your project.
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Contents
The Complete Guide to
Decorating with Ceramic Tile
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Embellishing a Tiled Wall . . . . . . . . . . 115 Tools for Cutting Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Building a Tiled Tub Deck . . . . . . . . . . 118 Tools for Setting & Grouting Tile . . . . 213
Selecting Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Countertop Projects . . . . . 125 Preparation Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Building a Tile Countertop . . . . . . . . . 130 Materials for Setting & Grouting Tile . . 215
Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Building a Tiled Bi-Level Island. . . . . . 140 Appendix:
Kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Decorative Projects . . . . . . 145 Preparation Techniques. . . 217
Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Creating Decorative Planters . . . . . . . 152 Evaluating & Preparing Floors . . . . . . 218
Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Framing a Bathroom Mirror . . . . . . . . 155 Removing Floor Coverings . . . . . . . . . 222
Living Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Creating an Address Marker Mosaic . . 158 Removing Underlayment . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tile Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Creating a Mosaic Wall-hanging. . . . . 161 Repairing Subfl oors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Installing Underlayment . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Design & Layout Building a Tiled Sink Base . . . . . . . . . 163
for Tile Projects . . . . . . . . . . 37 Making Handmade Tile. . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Installing a Floor-warming System. . . 236
Laying Out Floor Designs . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Evaluating & Preparing Walls . . . . . . . 240
Outdoor Projects . . . . . . . . 171
Laying Out Wall Designs. . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Removing Wall Surfaces. . . . . . . . . . . 242
Tiling Concrete Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Floor Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Tiling a Patio Slab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Installing & Finishing Wallboard . . . . . 244
Installing a Tile Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Building a Tiled Garden Bench . . . . . . 193 Installing Cementboard . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Installing a Stone & Mosaic Tile Floor. . . 64 Installing Wall Membranes . . . . . . . . . 248
Repair Projects. . . . . . . . . . 199
Installing a Glass Mosaic Floor. . . . . . . 70 Handling Tile Materials . . . 251
Maintaining Wall Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Installing an Original Mosaic Design . . 74 Purchasing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Maintaining Floor Tile. . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Building a Tiled Shower Base. . . . . . . . 80 Cutting Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tools & Materials . . . . . . . . 207
Wall Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Mixing & Using Mortar . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tools for Removing Old Surfaces . . . . 208
Installing a Tile Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tools for Repairing
Tiling a Fireplace Surround . . . . . . . . 104 & Installing Substrates . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tiling a Kitchen Backsplash . . . . . . . . 106 Tools for Installing Substrates . . . . . . 210 Conversion Charts . . . . . . . 266
Building a Tiled Wall Niche . . . . . . . . . 111 Tools for Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
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Introduction
ile is a natural, logical choice if you’re looking for a
Tfl oorcovering that’s beautiful, durable, affordable,
and easy to install yourself. Whether it’s ceramic,
porcelain, natural stone, glass, or metal, virtually all
tile begins with materials mined from the earth.
Before we get into the many reasons for tile’s
popularity, let’s take a look at its history. The fi rst tile
made of fi red-clay was produced before recorded
history. That’s right—before recorded history. Someone
must have noticed that wet clay hardened when it
dried. And someone else must have fi gured out that
clay hardened even more when it was heated. It
wasn’t much of a leap from there to realize that higher
temperatures produced harder tile.
Estimates vary regarding the fi rst use of tile, but
archaeologists have discovered a kiln near Sienna,
Italy, believed to date from the 3rd century B.C. Some
scientists believe that Egyptians used colored glazes
on fi red clay more than 6,000 years ago. Tile has been
found in the pyramids and in the ruins of Babylon
and of ancient Greek cities. Intact tile has even been
found in the excavation of Pompeii. Pretty remarkable
considering that it was buried in ash for 2,000 years.
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Although it’s impossible to trace the very fi rst
use of tile, there’s no doubt that by the Middle
Ages, handmade tile graced the walls and fl oors of
hundreds—if not thousands—of important public
buildings across the known world. By the 17th
century, the production of tile was so important to its
economy that England developed strict manufacturing
standards and set stiff penalties for violating them.
By the 1800s, newer, more effi cient manufacturing
processes brought down prices and tile began to be
used in homes as well as less extravagant religious and
public buildings.
Today, tile is installed in homes and commercial
buildings on every continent, probably because it
makes sense in so many settings. What other material
is so versatile? Tile can be smooth or rough, intricate
or simple, colorful or muted. It provides excellent
insulation, doesn’t give off toxic fumes in a fi re, resists
fading, and repels moisture. In fact, tile rated as
impervious is so easy to clean that it’s often used on
Alternating taupe and white squares form an attractive walls and fl oors in commercial food preparation areas
border around this rustic sitting room. and operating rooms.
Small squares set on the diagonal become diamonds to Within a mosaic border, rectangles in alternating colors are
accent the corners of large square tiles. set to form an unusual but surprisingly uncomplicated pattern.
6 ■ THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DECORATING WITH CERAMIC TILE
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Designers say the single best thing about tile top of a wall can make a ceiling seem higher, just as
is its versatility: It can make rooms seem larger or putting dark tile around the perimeter of a large room
more intimate, brighter or cozier, grandly formal or can make it appear to be more cozy. Changing the
uniquely artistic. The key to producing these illusions size or pattern of the tile in an area, such as a shower
is creating a design and a layout that emphasizes or a kitchen backsplash, marks that area as special
certain elements of a room and minimizes others. or important.
For example, putting a broad border of light tile at the
This kitchen and eating area showcases a spectacular fl oor produced from black and cream squares and rectangles highlighted
by golden squares set on the diagonal. An elaborate design like this requires very careful planning, but it’s set using the same
simple principles as any other fl oor.
Introduction ■ 7
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Another great benefit of tile is the ease with the same no matter what the project may be. The
which it can be sued for decorative projects. fun—and more challenging part—of a tile project is
From kitchen countertops to picture frames and creating the design and layout, and that’s what we’re
coffee tabletops, tile offers unlimited design going to emphasize throughout this book. First,
options and ample opportunities to showcase we’ll give you plenty of information on tile of every
your creativity. variety and then we’ll talk about the design process
Once you understand the basics, you can lay tile itself. A review of layout procedures completes
almost anywhere—the process remains very much that section.
Broken tile and decorative bits form a colorful mosaic The natural color variations and diagonal set of these stone
behind this display of glassware. Dark grout emphasizes the tiles provide a nice counterpoint to the simple color palette
shapes and movement of the mosaic. and straight lines of this dining room.
8 ■ THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DECORATING WITH CERAMIC TILE
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Next, we’ll present a range of projects, each with removal of current fl oor and wall coverings and
plenty of clear photographs and thorough step-by-step moves through the planning process and into the
instructions that can be adapted to your specifi c projects. nitty gritty of setting tile. You’ll fi nd information on
At the beginning of each project chapter you’ll fi nd the tools and materials you’ll need, too. Read this
several pages of photos that should inspire you and maybe information before purchasing materials or selecting
even provide direction for your own dreams and schemes. tile. It should help cut down on aggravation and extra
Finally, you’ll fi nd the background information trips to the store.
necessary for success. This section starts with the Ready? Let’s get started.
Small mosaic tile in two colors provides a dramatic backdrop With a view like this, the best design is one that gets out
for a contemporary entryway. of its own way. This blue mosaic tile echoes the color of the
mountains without competing for attention.
Introduction ■ 9
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