Concrete tiles: a brief excursion. Do-it-yourself facade tiles Production of facing facade tiles at home

To decorate the house outside, facade tiles are often used. Various materials are used in its manufacture. Each product type has unique properties.

Fake diamond

Types of facade tiles

This decor is used in the cladding of buildings outside. That is why a number of specific requirements are imposed on it:

Strength. Immunity to mechanical damage, scratches and point impacts.
Wear resistance. Should remain in its original form for a long time, resist abrasion and deterioration, including mold.
Waterproof. Minimize the number of pores through which moisture penetrates.
Frost resistance. Required condition for street tiles of any type.
Light resistance. No negative reaction to ultraviolet radiation, including the preservation of the original color.

And, of course, when making facade tiles with your own hands, keep in mind that it should guarantee the durability of the coating.

One of the cladding options is the manufacture of artificial stone from concrete.

The following types of tiles are used in the decoration of building facades:

Ceramic granite. This is a combination of clay rocks and granite chips, which provides maximum strength and imitation of natural surfaces.
Clinker. Expensive, but high-quality material obtained from shale clay by firing.
Terracotta. Made from porous kaolin clay. Heat-resistant, but not strong enough.
Concrete. It is made from a mixture of raw materials for cement and additional additives that improve its properties.

Necessary tools and equipment

A huge plus for making cladding with your own hands is the ability to develop unique designs. Experiment with the composition of raw materials, but do not violate the basic proportions and product requirements.

The easiest way is to make concrete tiles. To make it by vibrocasting, you only need a set of molds and a vibrating table. Matrices are made of wood, plastic, plywood, but the best way- polyurethane. Such templates allow you to convey the texture of the tile in the smallest detail and imitate natural stone. The vibrating table can be made independently from metal frame, sheets for countertops, springs and a motor from a washing machine.

Most easy way creating concrete tiles - vibration casting, you only need raw materials, a vibrating table and molds for pouring

The second way is vibrocompression. This setting is needed for all tile options, as it allows you to maximize the density of the raw material without using a lot of water.

In order for porcelain stoneware, terracotta and clinker to reach finished state, you need a kiln for firing. Each material requires compliance with a certain temperature regime from 1000 to 1300 degrees.

Manufacturing methods

Consider two options for the production of tiles. The first is made of concrete, which is much more accessible to most people. You will need white Portland cement, sand and small gravel, as well as lime or another plasticizer. Be sure to use modifiers to increase frost resistance and water repellency.

The principle of making concrete tiles by vibratory casting is as follows: the mass is poured into a mold, then the blanks are placed on the platform of the vibrating table and the equipment is turned on. After removing the air and tamping, the molds are dried.

For coloring concrete tiles at the kneading stage, the pigment is poured into the liquid mass. More economical is the option of applying paint on inner part forms.

Use of polyurethane matrices

Clinker tiles are made a little differently. The clay mass is mixed with modifiers, then it is poured into a vibropressing machine, which forms blanks by compressing the mass under pressure and vibrating it. After that, the clay is allowed to dry and sent to the kiln to fire. For clinker and porcelain stoneware, the temperature is adjusted to 1300 degrees, for terracotta - up to 1000.

Laying tiles

Align the surface of the walls of the building in advance. In addition, it is best to conduct insulation and treatment from the fungus.

Laying tiles is carried out on a special adhesive that is resistant to atmospheric phenomena and temperature fluctuations. Use compounds that are not afraid of moisture, but this is not necessary, in contrast to the frost resistance criterion. Since the weight of the finish is significant, the adhesion of the mortar to the surface must be appropriate.

Stages of installation of homemade facade tiles

Laying is carried out under favorable weather conditions. The temperature should be between 5-25 degrees Celsius. In frost, the properties of the glue deteriorate, it freezes, and in heat, moisture evaporates too quickly.

Apply the solution both on the wall and on the tile itself. With a complex layout scheme, it is better to use the second option. Remove the adhesive protruding in the seams after the final fixation of the material. The gaps are filled with water-resistant fugues, for example, cement-latex. It is best to use a syringe so as not to stain the tile itself. After drying, the facades are treated with a water-repellent liquid, for example, a water repellent. This applies in particular to concrete and clinker samples. After such work, the lining will last you much longer.

Tiles are a versatile material that can be used for cladding, bringing beauty to your home and ensuring a long service life.

Often, when it comes to tiles, they are used to ordering a product from manufacturing companies or buying it in hardware stores.

However, there is a way to make tiles yourself, while it is possible to create your own kind of tile.

To do this, you just need to make a form and a quality solution.

It is better to consider this issue in detail in order to make high quality tiles.

It is mainly used in the event that it is not possible to carry out facing work using bricks. For a tile, the bearing function is not typical, and when a wall is erected, such material is not involved in the installation. Facing is carried out after the wall has been erected.

In thickness basically the front tile is issued 14 mm. Given this thickness parameter, the method of wall cladding using this material can be called gluing. For reliable fastening with the wall surface, a special adhesive is applied to the tile. adhesive composition. Using tiles, you can clad not only the outside of the building, but also the inside.

From the variety of tiles, the following can be distinguished:

. Possesses high level density, has a wide variety of geometric shapes in which it is produced.
. Became quite popular last years. The shape in which it can often be seen is a square or rectangle. Possesses enough large sizes, thanks to this, it is not only profitable to use, but also convenient, since installation with the help is simple and does not take much time.
Polymer sand. The main purpose of this type of material is decoration. Due to this type of tiled material, a wide variety of design ideas can be realized.

Less popular ones are also distinguished, such as:

Production process

Before embarking on the process of creating tiles for facade cladding, it is best to have an idea of what the process is.

The temperature regime at which it is necessary to carry out all manufacturing work should be in the range from plus 15 to plus 30 degrees Celsius. The temperature regime must be observed in order to ensure the highest quality process of solidification of the solution. In addition, the work requires the use of protective clothing and devices, be sure to wear goggles for protection and gloves.

The room in which the work is carried out must be constantly ventilated. The first thing that the process of creating tiles requires is the manufacture of molds. They are installed on a vibrating table or on any flat hard surface.

They are lubricated with a small amount vegetable oil or liquid soap. This allows you to easily separate the finished product from the mold in the future.. A solution made according to a special recipe is poured into molds and left for the required period of time until the moment of complete hardening.

Forms for facade tiles

One of the highlights in the process of creating a tile or artificial stone for is the shape. This fixture is made from ABS plastic.

This material is the most widely used among others, but silicone, polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane can be used for such purposes. These materials are able to provide a quality result that will have the desired degree of haze or be glossy on the surface.

As for the molds made of PVC or plastic, they are convenient to use because they do not need lubrication and steaming, since the mixture that is poured into them from concrete is not able to stick.

A good option with regards to the material from which molds can be made is polyurethane. It has good strength and durability. If the form is made of polyurethane, then it can be used for quite a long time, having made 1000 or more tiles with it. In addition, this form gives the tile a glossy perfect surface:

There is a wide variety of types of shapes that are used to create facade tiles.

Among the main ones are:

limestone ore;
marble;
faceted limestone;
cliff;
dolomite.

By creating tiles on your own, you can make a shape that does not look like any of those listed. Thus, the lined facade of the building will be one and only of its kind.

Manufacturing process

The whole process that you need to complete in order to create a facade tile with your own hands can be divided into several stages.

Such as:

creating forms;
solution preparation;
final stage;
direct receipt of the finished product.

Making molds from polyurethane

Initially, you need to decide on the appearance of the tile that needs to be made. In addition, you need to determine all the parameters of its dimensions. . It is very important to correctly make its front surface. For simplicity, you can use ready-made products made of natural stone, which must be imitated.

In order to make a mold, you need to use a two-component polyurethane casting compound. Such solutions have necessary level performance characteristics that remain with the finished product.

The whole process can be represented as follows:

For the base, you can use a piece of plexiglass, the size of which is slightly larger than the area of \u200b\u200bthe stone. It should be applied face up.
After that, it is necessary to measure the level at which the sample exceeds the stone and draw a contour for the construction of future formwork. The height of the formwork should exceed the sample by 2 cm.
The stone, removed from the base, using silicone sealant, is attached to the plexiglass, adhering to the applied contour on the formwork.
After the mortar has been poured into the formwork for the form, it is necessary to wait a while for solidification. It often takes 24 hours for such a process.

Solution

The solutions that are used to make tiles with your own hands are very diverse.

In this case, an example of the most popular solution based on cement is given.:

it is necessary to pour 1 part of sand and 0.5 of water into a container suitable for mixing the solution. It is necessary to mix the composition for 1 minute;
after that, cement (2 parts) and water (1 part) must be added to the resulting mass. Mix everything thoroughly;

NOTE!

The consistency of the solution after mixing should be similar to the solution intended for modeling. It is impossible for the mass to be liquid.

when the desired consistency has been reached, a coloring pigment can be added. After stirring the composition for 2 minutes, we can assume that the solution for facade tiles is ready.

Unfolding into forms

The process of laying out the prepared solutions according to the forms must be carried out on a vibrating table, which must be turned on during the process. It is necessary to fill the forms with the composition in portions, for this you can use a trowel or a wide spatula.

The composition during the layout process must be subjected to vibration. This allows air to be removed from the mass.

After the mass has been spread over all the forms, it is necessary to additionally level the surface using a wide spatula. It is also necessary to remove the composition that got on the sides of the molds.

The last thing to do at this stage is to remove the filled containers with the composition in a drying cabinet or put them on a rack.

The duration of the period that is necessary for the tile to harden is two days. During this time, molds with a solution should not be touched..

After the specified period, you can begin to extract the finished tile from the molds. To do this, they are first dipped in water, the temperature of which is 40-60 degrees Celsius and left for 2-3 minutes. After the tile is removed from the water, the mold should separate well.

To facilitate the process, you can use a rubber mallet and lightly tap it on the mold surface..

Conclusion

Making facade tiles with your own hands is a rather exciting process. In addition to the fact that it is possible to make the most liked tile, which will imitate fake diamond or brick, you can significantly save money on repairs.

You can start the process of finishing the walls using hand-made tiles after 7-10 days. The quality of do-it-yourself tile material differs little from that offered on the construction market.

In contact with

For exterior finish facades of buildings use a special facing material - facade tiles. It is made from mineral mixtures, which may include cement, quartz sand, slate or clay. Do-it-yourself production of facade tiles is carried out on special equipment, which allows you to achieve the desired technical and decorative qualities of the coating.

What is a facade tile?

The service life of tiles is much longer than that of facade plaster

Facade tiles are an environmentally friendly facing material that is used not only for finishing the facades of houses, but also for paving open areas or paths. The service life of such a coating is much longer than that of facade plaster. That is why facing materials have become so popular with exterior finish buildings.

What types of tiles for facade cladding are there?

terracotta;
clinker;
glass coated;
with ceramic coating;
two-layer with decorative ceramic finishing.

Features of facade tiles

Independent production of facade tiles is fraught with some difficulties, you need the necessary equipment

Whatever materials you decide to make a facing material, it will have the following qualities:

high strength;
low level of water absorption;
frost resistance;
wear resistance;
long service life.

By selecting the shape of the appropriate configuration, it is possible to create coatings with various shapes (triangular, square, polyhedral, asymmetric). This allows you to decorate buildings in almost any style. However, it should be understood that the independent production of facade tiles is fraught with some difficulties. In particular, this applies to the acquisition or assembly of the necessary equipment.

The nuances of the production of tile materials

If you want to get really high-quality and durable material at the output, in no case try to save on raw materials. Making facade tiles at home is already quite a risky undertaking for those who are faced with such a process for the first time. But if you strictly follow the recommendations of experienced craftsmen, as a result of molding a properly prepared solution, you will certainly get a durable facing material.

What points should be paid special attention to?

When choosing a tile, pay attention to the composition of the components

The amount of water - solutions that are too liquid in consistency, as a rule, solidify unevenly, which leads to cracking of the material. To avoid this, do not add too much water to the mixture;
Addition of plasticizers- to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the coating, add plasticizers to the raw material;
Cement is a fortress and, accordingly, coatings are largely determined by the quality of cement. In the production of tile coating, it is desirable to use cement not lower than grade M200.

Necessary equipment

An example of a plastic mold for facade tiles

What equipment is required for the production of facade tiles? To create a high-quality coating, you must purchase the following equipment:

Concrete mixer - if the amount of work is small, you can use an ordinary construction mixer to mix the components of the raw materials. But in the case of using such equipment, mixing the components of the solution should take no less than received;
Vibrating table - the vibrating surface of the table during the molding process allows you to compact the solutions, which affects the density of the future coating. If necessary, it can be assembled independently by attaching to metal table building vibrator;
Forms - directly in the forms and the raw material will solidify. To make such structures, it is enough to collect wooden frame the required shape, fastening the parts with metal corners.

Of course, by purchasing professional equipment for the manufacture of facade tiles, you can achieve significantly better results. In particular, this applies to forms. If it is necessary to create a tile that imitates natural stone or brick, matrices with a corrugated surface will be required.

The process of making tiles

Facade tiles are usually made by vibrocasting or pressing

The manufacturing technology of facade tiles is quite simple, but requires careful implementation of all stages of work. What materials are required to pour the concrete solution into the mold?

containers for diluting the solution;
construction mixer and spatula;
cement (not lower than grade m500);
plasticizers;
pigments for dyeing raw materials;
sand.

So, the direct process of production of tile materials consists of the following steps:

In a container, a solution of the above components is diluted;
Using a construction mixer, the components of the mixture are mixed until the mass is homogeneous;
Forms are placed on the vibrating table and the concrete mixture is poured into them;
So that when removing the tile does not get stuck, the molds are initially coated with soapy water;
The semi-finished product is covered with polyethylene and left for several days;
Then the half-dried tile is laid out and left for another couple of days until it is completely cured.

The process of production of tile materials is shown in more detail in the video clip.

Manufacturers Overview

To choose really high-quality tiles, you need to give preference only to the most popular and well-established manufacturers. These include:

Stroeher, a German manufacturer of tile materials, adds mineral granules and modifying components to the composition of the raw materials, which improve the frost resistance of the coating. Stroeher façade tiles have a 25-year lifetime warranty;
King Klinker is one of the best Polish cladding companies producing high quality tiles with very low water absorption. Polymer compounds are added to the solution before molding, forming a protective film on the surface of the tile;
Lithos - facade tiles are made by hyper-pressing from a cement composition with the addition of kaolin substances. As a result, the coating has high technical indicators such as strength and frost resistance.

Making facade tiles is a relatively simple process that requires the master to accurately perform work at all stages. At the same time, the quality of the future coating is largely determined by the composition of the raw material and the homogeneity of the prepared solution.

Clinker tiles for the facade have the highest physical performance among all types of building materials. The main advantages are:

But there is also limitations. The first is high cost. The price of clinker tiles, depending on the brand, can be several times higher than the cost of ceramic tiles. The second disadvantage is fragility. By their own physical characteristics clinker resembles glass, it has the same fragility. It is difficult to cut, the cut often has chips. In addition, as a result of sharp impacts, the material cracks.

Excellent performance characteristics are obtained due to a special production technology, unlike other clay building materials, clinker is fired at very high temperatures (at least + 1300 ° C). Under these conditions, clay and brick melt and turn into a glassy mass. The mineral dyes used give color, and special pressing molds change the structure of the front surfaces. During production, the technology must be followed exactly, otherwise the tile is deformed, the linear dimensions are violated, and the quality is significantly reduced. Production can be carried out only by reputable companies that have not only the most modern mechanisms and equipment, but also responsible highly qualified specialists in various specialties.

Before you buy a tile, you should decide on its characteristics. What to pay attention to?

Parameters	Selection Tips
Price	The price of clinker tiles can reach 4000 rubles / m2. and more. Don't buy too much cheap material, it is better to focus on the average range. For elite buildings, purchase the most expensive products. Unfortunately, the price does not always correspond to the quality; in the building materials market, you can find goods with a high cost, but also of unsatisfactory quality.
Manufacturer	The best option- Imported manufacturers. Domestic companies, unfortunately, do not always meet the quality requirements. Buy goods only from time-tested and numerous consumer brands.
The texture of the front surface	The more complex the texture, the better the facade looks. But it must be borne in mind that clinker tiles with such a texture require highly qualified craftsmen and additional costs for maintaining the facade of the building.
Color	Universal advice - the color should be in harmony with general view building. This applies not only to design, but also to the architectural features of the building. Little personal experience - consult with experienced architects or designers.

At the same time as the tiles, choose glue and grout. The adhesive must be frost-resistant and withstand at least 50 freeze/freeze cycles. Clinker tiles are a very expensive material; you should not allow unpleasant situations due to poor-quality glue, which subsequently cause the need for repairs.

As for the grouts. All of them must necessarily compensate for the thermal expansion of the tile. The clinker is very brittle, with increasing loads it can crack. There are no universal recommendations for the color; the grout in each case should emphasize the beauty of the finish.

Laying clinker tiles

Exact adherence to existing technologies guarantees the quality and long-term operation of the finish. Do not try to speed up work by skipping individual operations, such actions will have bad consequences.

Step 1. Surface preparation. They must be smooth, dry and clean. Leveling should be done carefully, avoiding large differences in height. The fact is that the adhesive under the tile must be applied with a comb spatula, this is the only way to ensure reliable adhesion. A comb spatula only works on flat surfaces. The best option for laying tiles on plastered surfaces.

Step 2 Determination of the number of tiles.

The algorithm of work depends on the type of tile. If there are special corner elements in the kit, then their number is calculated separately. Next, determine the area of \u200b\u200bthe wall and give a small margin. For ordinary ceramic tiles, the margin is within 10%; for clinker tiles, the margin is reduced due to the high cost. You will have to work very carefully, to minimize the amount of loss of expensive material.

Step 3 Preparation of materials and tools. To work, you will need special glue and grout. From tools spatula, tape measure, level, rope with blue (chopping thread), electric mixer. We have already mentioned above that all materials must be of high quality, in terms of performance they must correspond to the weight and size of the clinker tiles and the climatic zone of residence.

Step 4 Markup. Very important point, the consumption of tiles, the speed and quality of facing works depend on the thoroughness of the marking. How to markup?

Start marking the facade walls with window and doorways, in these places most often there are problems. Using a level and a pencil or felt-tip pen, mark the position of the beginning of the row above the jumpers. Check the position of the windows with a level, if they are not on the same line, then the lower edge of the first row of one of them will have to be cut a little. Beat off the line above the windows.
Measure the distance from the windows to the first row of tiles, taking into account the thickness of the joints. Take accurate measurements, do not allow errors of more than a few millimeters.
Beat off the lowest line on the wall of the house, taking into account the previously made markings above the openings. Check its position again. To measure horizontality, it is better to use a water or laser level, an ordinary building one can make significant errors over a long wall length.
If you have special elements for finishing corners, check their location and calculate how many tiles will go in length from one corner to the second. This is necessary in order to make the cutting point along the length of the tile invisible. The greater the length of the facade wall, the more carefully markup, take into account the number of corners and bends of the surface. The facade walls of prestigious buildings have original architectural elements; it is quite difficult to tile them.
To constantly control the position of the tiles on the wall, beat off parallel lines at a distance of three or four rows, taking into account the thickness of the seam. Such lines greatly facilitate the finishing process and exclude the appearance of marriage. Remember that correcting mistakes is always much more difficult than preventing them.

Step 5 Fasten the mounting rail along the edge of the bottom line of the first row of tiles, it will keep the material from slipping until the adhesive has firmly set. The rail to the wall can be fixed with special fixtures or ordinary dowels. The holes from the fixation points are then sealed.

Step 6 Prepare the adhesive solution. Be sure to first pour water into the container, and only then pour dry glue. Read the instructions carefully, pour only the required amount of water. We have already discussed this topic above.

Practical advice. To inexperienced craftsmen, at first it may seem that the solution is very thick. Don't pour water right away! Keep stirring it, after a few minutes it will become thinner.

After the first mixing, leave the solution for 4-6 minutes to infuse. During this time, the remaining dry lumps of powder will absorb water and break easily when re-mixed.

Step 7 Laying starts at the corners of the bottom row. Prepare workplace, remove construction debris and objects that interfere with work. If needed later scaffolding, but you need to check their completeness and prepare for installation. When installing scaffolding safety regulations must be observed.

Apply glue to the wall, press it with sufficient force.

To eliminate gaps, pass the comb trowel with glue over one place at least twice in perpendicular directions, gradually reducing its angle of inclination.

Very important. The amount of glue applied should correspond to the productivity of your work. At first, process small areas, with time experience will appear, the work will go faster.

There are two ways to lay clinker tiles: one row along the entire length of the facade wall or three or four rows small areas. The first method reduces the probability of errors, but increases the time. If you work slowly, you will only have to apply the adhesive across the width of one tile, which is very inconvenient and time consuming. In addition, it is likely that before the second row is laid, the adhesive will already harden, it will have to be removed with a flat spatula, and this is a loss of material. Another problem is that it is difficult to apply glue with a spatula at the edge of the tile, this technology takes much more time. And the last thing - during such an application, a solution will definitely get on the surface, it will have to be removed - even more time is lost. But we cannot give definitive advice on exactly how to lay the tiles, it all depends on your practical skills. How much time is left is written on the packaging of the glue, and how much during this period you can glue the tiles is up to you.

Step 8 To improve adhesion, be sure to glue the tile on the reverse side with glue. The thickness of the adhesive is within millimeters. The fact is that the clinker almost does not absorb moisture, and this significantly reduces the adhesion coefficient. Smearing the reverse side minimizes the negative effect of low water absorption.

Step 9 Use crosses between tiles. The recommended width of the crosses is 10–14 mm, which is much larger than when laying ordinary tiles.

Continue laying the tiles over the entire surface of the facade wall, periodically remove the crosses from the lower rows and use them for the upper ones.

Prices for clinker facade tiles

Clinker facade tiles

Processing of window and door openings

Proceed to them only after the experience of laying tiles on even facade walls has appeared.

Step 1. Lay the tiles on the windowsill. The rows must exactly match those laid on the wall. The surface of the window sills should be flat and sloped to drain water.

Step 2 Protect finished horizontal parts of window sills from dirt. You can simply stick newspaper or a piece of plastic wrap with construction tape.

Step 3 Try on the tile to the side surfaces of the windowsill. As a rule, they have different widths at the top and bottom, this discrepancy should be eliminated only at the expense of the top and bottom tiles. They will need to be cut at an angle.

Step 4 Using a level, draw a horizontal line on the side window sills, measure the dimensions of the remaining triangles. The extreme tiles are cut off on them.

Step 5 The aesthetics of the facade is greatly influenced by the junction of the lines of joints over the entire surface, pay due attention to this factor. After you have laid the first two corner tiles on opposite vertical slopes of the window opening, check their position with a level. They must lie on one strictly horizontal line.

Step 6 Glue all the tiles on the slopes in turn, periodically check their position.

Step 7 Upon completion of work on vertical slopes, proceed to laying tiles on the upper horizontal. The marking and sizing of the corner tiles is carried out according to the same algorithm as for the side vertical ones. Laying technology requires heightened attention. Check the condition of the adhesive, it must securely hold the tile until it is completely cured.

Features of cutting clinker tiles

The best option is to cut the clinker tiles with a professional machine with a diamond blade and water cooling. So you can get a perfectly flat cut surface and almost completely eliminate the risk of cracking or chipping. But such equipment is quite expensive, it is beneficial to purchase it only for professional craftsmen, for whom laying tiles is the main income, and not a pastime. If you do not have a machine, then you will have to cut the tiles with a circular grinder and a diamond disc.

Important. Diamond blades come in two types: for cutting concrete and ceramics. The disks are not interchangeable, it is forbidden to use them for other purposes. What are the differences between the drives? For cutting concrete, the plane of the discs has through slots to remove a large amount of dust; discs for tiles do not have such holes. They have only small depressions in the places where the diamond chips are applied. Slotted discs hit the tile hard, causing chipping. Always keep these differences in mind.

Prices for angle grinders (grinders)

Angle grinders (grinders)

How to cut clinker tiles with a grinder?

Prepare a flat and stable stand and ruler. Draw a cut line on the tile, always exactly on both sides.
Cut the tile along the line no more than half the thickness in one pass. Never try to cut immediately in one pass of the disk, it will definitely crack.
Turn the tile upside down and cut it in the same way, only reduce the cutting depth even more.
Place the incised part on the flat edge of the table and, with a sharp pressure on the edge of the tile, break it off along the cutting line. The more confident your movements are, the less risk you end up with a marriage.
Very carefully trim the edge of the cut with a grinder. Tilt the disk at the maximum possible angle, do not press it hard, remove the bumps gradually.

Keep in mind that it is very difficult to cut a strip less than one centimeter wide from a clinker tile. To do this, you must have experience with electric tools and clinker. If the technology requires gluing such pieces, then be prepared for a large amount of marriage.

Video - Master class for cutting clinker terrace slabs

Video - How to quickly cut clinker tiles

Grouting

Has its own characteristics. After a slight hardening of the adhesive with a special thin spatula, remove from the joints and clean the surfaces from adhesive residue. Start grouting no earlier than three days after laying, otherwise the tile may undermine, it will have to be re-glued. Prepare the grout solution taking into account the manufacturer's recommendations, which brand to choose, we described above. By consistency, it should be semi-dry.

Put a little solution on a trowel or any flat surface, for embedding you need to have a long narrow tool across the width of the seams.

Lean the trowel against the wall, pick up small portions of the thick mortar with the tool and carefully seal the seams. Align their surfaces at the same time.

Practical advice. It is much faster to close up several rows of vertical seams first, and then horizontal ones. At the same time, remove the difference in height between them.

Prices for construction grout Ceresit Super

Construction grout Ceresit Super

This method of semi-dry grouting significantly reduces the contamination of the front surface of the clinker tiles. Finishing cleaning is done with an ordinary brush.

Overcasting a seam with a brush gives it
appropriate structure

If you have sufficient skills, then you don’t have to use a wet sponge, the work will be done neatly and beautifully. If not, then the problem areas will have to be wiped. But remember that the surface of the clinker tile is easy to get dirty, but difficult to clean. After drying, the spots will reappear, the procedure will have to be repeated several times.

Clinker tiles absorb no more than 4% moisture. Such properties put forward special requirements to the consistency of the glue - it should not be liquid. Ceramic tile absorbs a lot of moisture, liquid glue is not a problem for her. At the same time, the glue should not be very thick. Why? Firstly, its adhesion is significantly reduced both with bearing surfaces and with tiles. Secondly, the mixture quickly hardens, the laying process is much more complicated.

Adhesive that has got on the surface of the tile must be removed immediately. Special attention look for clinker with an uneven face. Don't wait for the glue to dry. The fact is that high-quality glue is then difficult to clean, it is very firmly attached to the texture. Use a clean damp sponge or cloth for cleaning.

The production technology allows for a slight difference in color shades in one batch of clinker tiles. To prevent the appearance of large areas with different colors on the facade, periodically take tiles from several packages. The facade will look beautiful, and some difference in shades will serve as an additional decoration. During the purchase, pay attention to the batch number, it is indicated on the package. If you need to purchase additional tiles in a few months, then there is a high probability that this batch will no longer be available.

It is not recommended to lay clinker tiles in very hot and windy weather. If it is not possible to wait for suitable conditions, then you can sprinkle the surface of the clinker tile a little on the reverse side with water. This will improve gluing, the reliability of fixation will increase.

Video - Technology for laying clinker tiles

It consists of:

cement;
sand;

The tile is fastened to concrete surfaces or dowel-nails. Tiles are attached to log and plank walls and frames, as well as tiles made of timber, with self-tapping screws for wood.

Your choice, if you intend to mount the tiles with your own hands, it is best to stop on this particular method of cladding. Firstly, such a lining can imitate different types stone and brickwork. However, unlike concrete facade tiles, it will be significantly cheaper, you can fix it quickly and easily, and the coating will look just as good.

plain;
iridescent;

Components for the production of concrete tiles

It consists of:

cement;
sand;
mineral powder - a substitute for cement from ash, ground slag, stone crushing waste, etc., introduced into concrete in the amount of 5-20% to give concrete special properties (heat resistance, various colors, etc.);
plasticizing additives - used to increase the mobility of the concrete mixture;
stabilizing additives - to prevent stratification of the concrete mix;
water-retaining additives - to reduce water separation.

Technology for the manufacture of facade tiles from concrete

Vibrocasting is the main method of manufacturing facade concrete tiles with low porosity. cooked concrete mix placed in plastic molds mounted on a vibrating table and fully compacted by vibration high frequency. Then the plastic molds are transferred to the racks, covered with plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss and kept for 24 hours. Next, the finished tile is removed from the plastic molds and transported to the warehouse.

Using this technology, it is possible to obtain tiles with both matte and glossy surfaces, without pores and other defects. The use of high-quality coloring pigments makes it possible to obtain tiles painted in saturated colors that do not lose their brightness for many years. You can get acquainted with the material about.

Advantages and disadvantages of facade tiles made of concrete

All building materials have both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of concrete tiles include:

the mass of facade tiles has a relatively low weight, which allows not only to reduce the load on the structure of the structure, but also makes it possible to implement exterior finishing on their own;
it is similar to a stone, not only visually, but the natural aging process of these materials is also practically indistinguishable externally;
since the surface of the tile is hard, it withstands the effects of precipitation well and is resistant to mechanical damage, i.e. will serve for a long time with its correct installation and timely maintenance;
for fixing tiles made of concrete, a gasket special layer is not needed, it can be mounted on walls made of various materials that adhere well to adhesives.
facade tiles made of concrete are cut with a simple chisel (cutter), although less labor costs and best result gives cutting circular saw.

However, concrete tiles also have disadvantages:

it is better not to use this tile in cold climates, since not all manufacturers guarantee the stability of its properties in the presence of freeze / thaw cycles;
sometimes, even during the normal production process, the edge of a concrete tile is uneven or an unnecessary edge is formed on its edges. And although they are easily removed with a circular saw or cutter, installation labor costs increase.

Dry method of installation of facade tiles made of concrete

Important! The dry method is intended for tiling brick, concrete and wooden surfaces without the use of any adhesives and solutions. Among other things, the work described in this way can be performed at any time of the year.

The tile is fastened to the surfaces of concrete or brick facades with dowel-nails. Tiles are attached to log and plank walls and frames, as well as tiles made of timber, with self-tapping screws for wood.

Your choice, if you intend to mount the tiles with your own hands, it is best to stop on this particular method of cladding. Firstly, such cladding can imitate various types of masonry and brickwork. However, unlike facing brick concrete facade tiles will be significantly cheaper, you can fix them quickly and easily, and the coating will look just as good.

The coloring of facade concrete tiles for dry laying is carried out during its manufacture. In this case, the product is stained completely in its volume, and not only on the outer surfaces. Therefore, fading of concrete colored tiles under the influence of ultraviolet radiation is excluded.

The colors of such a tile can be almost any:

plain;
iridescent;
imitating the surface of granite, marble, malachite, amber, etc.

Facade tile properties (video)

Wet method of installation of facade tiles made of concrete

To achieve good quality facade wall cladding, it is necessary that they be even. If there are irregularities, then the walls are recommended to be plastered.

The installation process includes the following steps:

Before starting the installation of tiles, the surfaces of the facade walls and the back sides of the tiles should be moistened with water using a paint brush.
The facade should be clad, starting from the base, which is the base of the facade walls of the house and creates a transition to the areas of the earth's surface adjacent to the house - the sidewalk, driveway, lawn. It is better to make the color of the plinth cladding darker than that of the wall cladding, then it will look more monumental. In order to maintain the same level along the entire perimeter of the house, lining the basement, a starting bar is nailed to the bottom of the basement, strictly set according to the level (preferably laser). It is on the starting bar that the first row of tiles is laid out. Mount the tiles starting from the corners from the bottom up.
To apply a layer of tile adhesive of 0.5 cm to the surface of the walls, use a smooth spatula. Next, the glue is leveled with a notched trowel with teeth 4-6 mm high.
On the back side of the tiles, a layer of glue of 0.4 - 0.6 cm is applied with a notched trowel.
Next, with gentle movements with turns, the tiles are pressed against the surface of the wall until the adhesive protrudes at the tile joints.

Proper and professional wall cladding will significantly extend the life of the facade of the house. Therefore, before proceeding with the installation of facade tiles, study the technology of this work, but rather see it with your own eyes or at least on a video on the Internet.

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