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How to overlay a riser with facing tiles

This article presents a comprehensive guide on how to overlay a riser with facing tiles. It explains in detail the materials needed and the steps involved in the process. Special attention is put on the tiling techniques, including cutting and levelling the tiles, as these are of paramount importance for the successful completion of the task. Special advice is also given on how to clean the tiles and prepare them for grouting. The article highlights that DIYers should never accept free tiles as replacements as they may affect the installation. Lastly, using the right waterproof adhesive is highly recommended, as this helps to protect the occupant from wet tiles and water leakage.

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Stoves were once common in homes. The house was built “from the stove” and everyone also danced “from the stove.” Gone are the days, and stove heating was replaced by gas, and stoves were replaced by gas boilers and risers. And although the riser does not carry the function of heating the room, but is built only for the purpose of improving ventilation, its design is no less important for the house than the type of oven once was. How to make his appearance correspond to modern requirements and at the same time not make many mistakes, I will tell you.

How to overlay a riser with facing tiles

Usually the riser is installed in the kitchen. You can paint or whitewash it, after plastering it. But it’s best to tile it. It may be quite expensive and troublesome, but it is strong and durable. Tile has always been an ideal material for finishing problem areas. It has many useful qualities. This is thermal conductivity, moisture resistance, strength and beauty of the coating. Whatever is not unimportant in everyday life – it is very easy to care for the cleanliness of the tile. All this allows you to choose this material for finishing the riser.

Tools and materials

So, the choice in favor of the tile is made. Now, as in any work, you need to analyze what may be needed to complete it. First of all, of course, the tile itself.

Choice of tiles and mastic. Quantity calculation

Which finish you prefer depends entirely on your imagination and the thickness of your wallet. The choice of tile coverings is now simply huge. Colors, sizes, trims and even whole art panels. Everything at the service of the consumer.

You can choose a tile covering that will completely fit into the design of your kitchen or the room where the riser is installed. Be careful when buying. Purchase all tiles in the same shade. To do this, check the markings on all packages. At the same time, do not forget to purchase the mastic of the desired tone. Grouting in color can repeat the tones of the tiled coating, and it can contrast with them. It all depends on your desire.

But what is strictly necessary is the calculation of the number of tiles. This calculation is made individually for each wall. Parts of tiles are counted as whole. The height and length of the covered surface are measured. When calculating, you need to take into account not only the dimensions of the tiles, but also the width of the seam. Usually it is no more than two millimeters. The resulting values ​​are divided by the length and width of the tile, respectively. The results are multiplied. For example, when calculating the number of tiles measuring 20 cm by 30 cm, for walls one meter wide, two meters long (high), it is necessary (taking into account the width of the seams and rounding up to integers):

  • 100cm / 20.4cm = 5 pieces
  • 200 cm / 30.4 cm = 7 pieces
  • 5 * 7 = 35

This means we need 35 tiles measuring 20 * 30 centimeters.

You can approach this issue with a more artisanal method. Measure the surface area of ​​the entire riser, and upon purchase should be purchased for 1-2 m2 tiles are larger than the resulting figure. In this case, however, you run the risk of making a mistake in the big direction, but if the cost of the material is not too high, this is quite acceptable.

Which glue is better

Choosing the right glue is the basis for quality work. You can mix a certain amount of cement and sifted river sand. But already, no one does. Usually, a ready-made dry mixture is purchased in the store. To prepare the solution, you just need to add water and mix thoroughly. For this purpose, construction mixers are used. When choosing an adhesive for a riser, you need to remember one not unimportant detail – it must be resistant to high temperatures. If you miss this moment, at one not very great time your tile will simply lag behind the wall..

Plastering grid and nails

This is a regular metal mesh. It is used to better fix the mortar on the wall. They differ in cell diameter and wire thickness. It is best purchased with smaller diameter cells. The thickness of the wire should not hinder the flexibility of the mesh. Still, it will need to be bent at the corners. The chain-link is attached to the wall with small nails, 2-3 centimeters long, with wide caps. Take care of purchasing this material too.

Instruments

In addition to all of the above, you will need a hammer, spirit level, level, tile cutters, notched trowel, rubber spatula, needle-nose pliers, abrasive stone, tile cutter, spacers, pencil, sponge, tile cleaning rags. It will not be superfluous to acquire an angle grinder (angle grinder) in common parlance – a grinder. And of course water tanks.

Work process

Facing the walls, and even more so the riser, is not an easy task even for a professional. If you decide to do everything yourself – be patient, and most importantly, take your time. There is no need for haste. Strictly adhere to prescribed technology.

Preparing the walls

This is a very important part of the job. The appearance of the entire riser as a whole depends on its quality..

The stand is usually made of bricks. For a better connection of the solution and the wall, a plaster mesh is nailed onto it with nails, wrapping the riser completely. No special skill is required here. Everything is simple enough.

Surface preparation

After the riser is wrapped in a metal diaper, we begin to apply the solution and lay the tiles. It is good if the walls are even, but in practice you often come across the so-called “overwhelmed” walls or just curves. Then you must first align the wall.

Surface preparation
The alignment process continues

This can be done using the same tile adhesive. But you have to be careful. With large differences, it is better to work in parts in layers after the solution has completely dried. The walls should be vertical and the corners should be straight. To do this, use the level.

You can first completely level the walls, and then start laying the tiles.

But the technology is also quite probable, when both are done simultaneously.

Wall alignment
We continue to level the wall and lay the tiles.

How to glue tiles correctly

Now let’s take a deep breath and get started Take your time, especially if you are a beginner. To work, you need to be guided by the principle, measure seven times – cut one or in this case glue.

You should start from the floor. Without gluing, place a row of tiles tightly against the wall and lay the level on top. It will lie on the highest tile. You want the lowest level. He will give you the main line, which should be drawn on the wall using a spirit level. It is easier to shrink whole tiles than to add pieces.

How to glue tiles correctly
Everything is done with whole tiles

To avoid this, you can retreat some distance from the floor and walls and level the levels of the highest and lowest tiles. It will be even better that way. The gap between the floor and the first row of tiles can be painted over with color and covered with a baseboard. Naturally, this distance should be as small as possible..

Spacer spacers should be immediately placed between the tiles. We mark the vertical rows in the same way. Only in this case, you should not retreat from the corner of the structure. If irregularities are found, they must be leveled with a solution or cut off with a grinder. It depends on which is more convenient.

Since mistakes can be corrected only before the glue dries. The work should be carried out in small areas, covering no more than one square meter of area with glue at a time, or even only for the size of one tile. In this case, it is better to use a notched trowel. Lay the first tile at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical markings and glue the bottom row. Press down on each tile and see if it is in place. Spacer spacers will ensure you have the same seams. Even matches can be used. But it is better to buy special crosses. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Use a damp cloth to wipe off excess glue. Use a level to check the evenness of laying each row, and preferably each tile.

Some features of work

A stand is still not just a wall, some technical structure and naturally has its own design features that are taken into account when lining it.

So in the place of its abutment to the ceiling, a cutting is made. Its cladding causes some difficulties, but you have to suffer, since this cannot be avoided.

Seam processing
You will have to work seriously here

Corners and problem areas have to be laid with tiles. In order to evenly cut the tile in the right place, use an abrasive stone, needle-nose pliers and even a grinder. The main thing is to accurately measure the dimensions you need and apply them to the back of the tile with a pencil. Then lay the tile flat and scratch the crack on its surface. Place the cut tile on two matches and break with even pressure. It is more convenient to do the same with needle-nose pliers or a grinder. When sealing corners, it is necessary that one edge of the tile protrudes slightly above the other.

It will be more difficult to remove part of the tile or chip it in a circle. In this case, the corresponding place is “bitten”. For round lines, mark small line segments close to the curve, and “nibble” the area gradually. Do not hurry. You should not break off large pieces, you can just break the tiles. For better removal of the unnecessary with the help of nippers, it is necessary to scratch the diagonal strips of the grid with a chisel on the section of the tile to be removed, then remove it piece by piece using the nippers. Chipped edges are carefully cleaned and then smoothed with an abrasive.

Curved lines can be drawn by eye or using a cardboard template. Place it on the tile and mark the line with a felt-tip pen or pencil. You can also work with an abrasive stone. It takes skill and some dexterity..

Seam processing

When the tile is glued, and you are convinced that the vertical and horizontal lines are perfect, you need to let it dry well. This process takes at least a day..

Remove the spacers first. Now we can do the seams.

A variety of mastics or grouting are used. Choose the color you want and knead the solution according to the attached instructions. Fill the joints with mastic using a rubber trowel. Remove the mastic that comes out immediately. After processing all the seams, wipe the tiles with a damp sponge to remove the remaining mastic. After about twenty minutes, when the mastic hardens, but is still soft, iron the seams with a wooden stick so that they are smoother.

Installation of ventilation grilles and exhaust corrugations

The main work has been completed, and now it is necessary to bring the riser into working condition. For this, ventilation grilles are installed. The boiler and the column are connected to the riser using a metal, flexible pipe or corrugation.

The grilles are fastened with self-tapping screws using a drill. First, holes are made in the tile and wall. Moreover, you need to use a special drill for working on tiles, and for making holes in the bricks of the wall, the drill is changed.

Installation of ventilation grilles and exhaust corrugations
Final view

The corrugated pipes are attached to the outlets with clamps. The diameters of pipes and holes must match. This will ensure complete tightness of the connection..

How to check the quality of the work done

The quality of work is checked using a level and level, as well as visually.

  1. Make sure the walls are vertical.
  2. The corners of the riser must be straight.
  3. Rows of tiles must be laid strictly vertically and horizontally.
  4. Tiles should not have cracks or chips.
  5. When using tiles of different colors, a certain order must be followed.
  6. The distances between the tiles are the same, both on the main wall and in problem areas.

If all these conditions are met and your work looks perfect, then you can be congratulated.

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Comments: 2
  1. Avalon

    Could you please provide some guidance on how to effectively overlay a riser with facing tiles? I’m interested in understanding the steps and techniques involved in achieving a professional and aesthetically pleasing result. Any tips or recommended tools would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Carter Palmer

    I’m really interested in learning how to overlay a riser with facing tiles. Could someone please provide me with step-by-step instructions on how to properly achieve this? Additionally, any tips or tricks to ensure a neat and professional finish would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
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