How to veneer a basement with Torn Stone tiles

Recommendation points

• How to set up beacons
• Plaster
• Cladding

In order to quickly and efficiently lay tiles, you must first ideally plaster the surface, and then put the tiles under the comb, because laying tiles in this way is very easy and even a beginner can master this work. The plaster consists of several stages: pulling threads and setting beacons, spraying the contact layer, throwing in the solution.

How to set up beacons

Lighthouses and contact layer

For this work, you need to have a rule (1.5 or 2 m), a level (or a rule with a level, or even a plumb line), a skein of thread, dowel-nails 6 by 60, a perforator with a 6 mm drill, a spatula.

To begin with, you need to pull the thread along the entire length of the wall (along the top or bottom) and measure the entire wall from it with a level – whether something interferes, whether it is necessary to chop, if necessary, take the thread from the wall or press it against it, in general, set it up optimal. It is better to use lighthouses 10 mm thick, as they are more rigid and almost perfectly flat, which makes them easier to install. Put them on the patch of tile adhesive. First, the extreme beacons are set in level from our first thread, then another 1 – 2 threads are pulled along the beacons and the rest are set, checking vertically with the rule.

Plaster

The contact layer is a layer of plaster that is sprayed on with a grout, which gives good adhesion to the surface. It is convenient to use a plastering bucket to create a spray. The next day, that is, after the contact layer has dried, the main layer is covered with a thick solution, but at the same time so that it adheres. The excess is cut off with a truncated rule. Proportion of plaster mortar: 1 part cement, 2 parts lime mortar, 4 parts sand. The solution is kneaded with a shovel in dry form, and in a bucket with a mixer, it is brought to the desired condition, since it is easy to achieve the desired density with a mixer. The quality of the plaster does not have to be perfect, but the main thing is to create a common plane, that is, you do not need to pay attention to small sinks and irregularities. During the night, the plaster will rise and in the morning you can start facing.

Plaster quality

Cladding

The “torn stone” on the reverse side has a rather uneven surface, so we will use a large comb 10–12 mm. First of all, they calculate how best to arrange the tiles so that there is less pruning.

First row

When facing, it is important to set each row on a level (horizontally), starting from the first. To do this, set two tiles that are distant from each other (removed by the length of the rule) in level, and then all the other tiles between them are pressed to the rule. It is very convenient to use wide tile wedges for setting. The Torn Stone tile looks very nice when it is laid end-to-end without joining. With such a laying, you have to first clean the edges of the tiles with a grinder, since there are a lot of flaws at the edges that can interfere with the laying butt.

The reverse side of the tile

The work must be carried out carefully – any accidental glue on the facade of the tile should be immediately washed off with a brush with water, since the stained tile spoils the overall appearance. When laying tiles apart (with a brick), it is better to immediately draw a vertical line along one of the seams and drive all rows along this line than to put each tile in the center below the one standing, since in this case an error is possible, albeit insignificant.

The process has started

The glue is spread with a layer of about 1-1.5 cm on a wall or on a tile and then the excess is removed with a comb, after which it is pressed against the wall. You don’t need to nail down hard or, on the contrary, barely press, but you need to feel that there is contact, and that’s all. It is also recommended to pre-pass one of the surfaces with a thin layer of glue for better adhesion to each other..

To saw off tiles, use an ordinary grinder with a stone circle or a water-cooled machine. In view of the fact that the work is quite dusty, the machine certainly looks preferable.

Tool

There is another way of laying tiles – without preliminary plastering. In this case, the fishing lines are pulled along a plumb line, and the slider line is pulled along them, along which each tile is set. However, this tile is quite small (13 by 27), therefore, messing with each tile may take longer, but if not longer, then morally harder – that’s for sure. So it is recommended to first plaster, and then drive under the comb without any lines, because under the comb you can lay out the entire wall in a day, without fear that the tile will crawl. Good luck in the repair!