ecotile flooring can provide both the tiles
and the installers to fit your flooring. However, we're often asked if a larger area, like this
car garage, could be fitted by skilled local tradesmen. The answer is Yes. And as we take you through the process of installing the tiles, we'll also pass on a
few tips that our trained installers have picked up. This will enable you to carry out
the installation as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Before tackling an area this size, you will need to consider a number of elements before
you begin work. Firstly, measure the area. All of our tiles
are 500 mm by 500 mm so, to estimate the amount of tiles you need, multiply the total square
metres by 4. In the case of this installation, the floor area was 280 square metres and we
needed 1,120 tiles! Having worked out the number of tiles, you
now want to pick the thickness of tile. The 7mm thick tile was chosen for this area as
it is ideal for heavy foot and vehicle traffic. Please refer to our website to get information
on what type of tile will fit your particular area best and also for details of our delivery
service. Our tiles will happily go straight onto rough
concrete, however, if there is actual step up between one floor area and another, you
will need concrete primer, filler and a trowel. Also, if the tiles are to be subjected to
strong heat either from the sun or elsewhere, you will need to glue down that section of
the tiles. We need both concrete filler and glue in this installation, so we will
take you through how best to deal with these situations. The junction where the tile meets the wall can sometimes look a little stark. We can provide skirting that quickly covers these areas and finishes off the look
of the tiles. Typical tools for an installation would include
a measuring tape, a metal ruler, a rubber mallet, a chalk line reel and a Stanley knife or jigsaw for cutting. In this larger area, you may find that it
is worth hiring in a couple of tools to help. This guillotine speeds up the cutting of the
tiles. A roller like this one enables you to do a whole line of tiles at a time instead
of having to individually hammer each tile in. Small trolleys to transport the tiles
prevents too much time spent lifting and transporting the tiles around a large area. Please don't be tempted to install the tiles
straight after delivery! Otherwise, you will find that the tiles will expand after installation.
The tiles need to acclimatise to the ambient temperature of the room. If the temperature
is below 15 degrees centigrade, the area should be warmed up with the tiles inside. It's best
to spread the tiles out throughout the area and leave them for 24 hours before starting
your installation. Use your tape measure to work out the best
layout for your tiles. 'Best' will be a mixture of good economic use and avoiding leaving
yourself with tricky cuts around areas like these steel beams. Using your tape, start by measuring from the edge of a central tile to one of the walls.
You can then use this measurement to make further marks down the length of the area.
A top tip is to use these metal beams to measure from. They will have been fitted square at
the time they were installed and are therefore a good reference point. Now use the chalk
line reel to line up the marks and make an accurate straight line that runs the full
length of the area. It's important that the first line of tiles
are straight. If there is a team of you, then best practice is to all work out from the
centre of the area adding a number of rows of tiles. After a couple of rows, stop to
line up the tile edge with your chalk line. You then continue to add tiles down the length
of the area checking all the time that these first couple of lines of tiles are perfectly
straight. Continue adding tiles until you are ready to make cuts. To get to this stage from the first tile, took the team about 30 minutes. It's possible to hire out a roller like this
one. Although you can complete the installation without using one, it helps speed up the process
of connecting the interlocking tiles together. It allows some of the team to get the tiles
in position while another can finish installing the tiles. The 7mm ecotile copes well with rough concrete and any slight deviation in floor level. However,
when you come across an area like this where the tile has to fit over the top of this metal
lip, you will need to level out the area with filler. Start by applying primer to the concrete.
This will prevent the filler that goes on top from drying out too quickly and possibly
cracking. Now apply the filler with a trowel and work your way round. Allow the filler to dry while you continue with the installation of the tiles. When the tiles are fully installed
around the area, anchor the edges either by using mastic or double-sided tape. Between the tiles and any wall, there needs
to be a 5 mm expansion gap. To help you accurately measure this, the corner of every tile has a square marker set back 5mm from the main lug of the tile. To mark up your cut, turn the tile upside down and place the lugs against the wall.
Now locate the marker on the tile underneath and mark the top tile at this point. Do the same at the other side of the tile. We now work our way down the wall attaching each
tile and marking each new tile off the mark we've drawn for the one before. We would stop at this point as you can see that the next part of the wall is jutting
out and will need a bit more cutting around. This is best done with a Stanley knife. The marked tiles are now lifted up and taken to be cut with the guillotine. Pick the tiles
up in order, so that after cutting, you know where each tile goes.
If you are unable to hire a guillotine, then a jigsaw will also help speed up the cutting
of the tiles. With this group of tiles cut, you are now ready
to fit the large edge section at the wall. It's sometimes easier to attach the whole
line before sliding the completed line back and up to the wall.
If you need further information regarding cutting the tiles, please refer to our YouTube
video titled 'How to install Garage Flooring'. Go to the section called 'Working around awkward
areas' which goes into more detail and takes you through the process step-by-step. This cleared area here will be subject to heat under the vehicles that will be placed
on it. For this reason, we will be applying glue to the tiles in this zone. The tiles
require to be fitted first and then are lifted up and made ready at the side of the cleared
area. For glueing, there are two components. The glue itself and the hardener. Once the
hardener is mixed with the glue, there is a very short period of time, typically 20
mins, before the glue sets. For this reason, the glueing process is best done with two.
One applying the glue to the floor while the other installs the tiles. Where the tiles meet the wall, there can be marks and general unevenness. To finish the area off and provide a better appearance we provide PVC skirting boards which can be selected to tone in with your floor and are very easy
to install. No sanding, painting or mitring of joints
is need. Just cut the lengths to size and then use the corner trims to join your skirting
together. To attach the skirting to the wall, apply beads
of adhesive along the length and then stick the skirting to the wall. Apply further beads of adhesive to the other length of skirting. Cover your corner with adhesive and simply join the corner trim and the two pieces of skirting together. Using this method, work your way around the wall. This is how the area looks after the tile installation. This is how it looked before. Remember that you can contact us via our website. We're happy to answer all your questions at any stage in the process by phone or by email.