Seamless laying of porcelain tiles. Laying tiles without seams

Are joints needed between tiles?

This debate has been going on for a long time. You want to see ceramic tiles no seams and that's your right. How design solution it has the right to life. Especially for mirror tiles. No seams means you don’t need to wash or restore them. In damp rooms, the seams are still covered with mold. This is another argument for your tiles without seams.

Bathroom tiles without seams

But every medal has back side. About this, as always, historical fact. I encountered tiles laid without seams in a rented apartment. The work was done in the last century, but that doesn't change anything. The problems remain the same for modern materials and installation technologies.

The fact that those tiles were jumping at the corners is half the problem. This is a matter of taste of the owner. Although it is difficult to lay tiles without seams, and without displacing the visual seam lines. Any tile, even an expensive one, does not have clear dimensions and angles. You can verify this by applying a square to all corners. Some of the corners will deviate from the square by 1-2 millimeters.

The seams hide these inaccuracies. The width of the tile joint matters. The wider the seam, the less visible the tile defects are. The greater the illusion of beauty and harmony.

The main problem that the tiles in the bathroom, laid without seams, created for me was water.

It leaked out from under the bathtub after every shower. Moreover, it drained slowly, over half an hour. To reduce the flood, it was necessary to remove the shower faucet and use it without water getting on the tiles. I think this story alone will be a strong argument for you to lay ceramic tiles with joints.

There are still seams between the tiles!

If you don't make a seam between the tiles, there will still be one. It will be small, in some places triangular from zero to two millimeters, in others it may not be there. But the gap between the tiles will remain. Over time, it will become clogged with dust and become a gray line. This is especially noticeable on light tiles.

If you lay tiles without seams on the street, they will last until next spring. If you want to make sure of this and have constant employment, lay tiles on the street without seams. You will forget about the fallen tile, but the experience will remain.

Absence right angle on tiles, typical not only for cheap tiles made of Soviet Union. This can also be found in modern products from Spain or Italy.

Difference of seam on the corner.

The difference is so noticeable only because the thickness of the joints between the tiles is 1 mm (an alternative to tiles without joints). If you make such a seam 3 mm. it is generally difficult to see the difference after filling the seams.

Although, for ceramics with good geometry, you can make the distance between the tiles one millimeter. In the photo, the tiles in the kitchen (working wall) were laid with gaps (crosses) of 1 mm. The second photo shows the same tile after filling the joints.

Tiles with minimal joint gaps

Tiles “almost without seams”

Seams add strength.

Another argument in favor of a seam between tiles is to increase the strength of the fasteners to the base. Sealing the seams between the tiles creates a common monolith. This is especially noticeable when you have to replace chipped tiles. If you do not remove the grout from the joints tiles, then during dismantling you will undermine the entire layer.

There is an article about this in more detail

“It is not recommended to lay tiles butt joints. The width of the joint between the tiles must be no less than 2 mm.”

Interesting information (which is almost ignored) is given about laying large-format tiles - joints of at least 4 mm.

This is not easy to prevent and, just in case, to isolate yourself from complaints. There are facts:

Video about tiles without seams and how to then fill the seams in seamless tiles:

Video collection (constant replenishment and sorting) on the topic of seamless cladding:

About changes in the playlist and the appearance of new videos on the channel You Tube informs everyone subscribers.

For creating stylish design rooms often use seamless tiles. It has its own installation features that only someone who has experience installing tiles can handle. But in general, the technology is no different from installing ordinary tiles.

Seamless coating is a stylish design move that allows you to hide all the gaps as much as possible. At correct installation an even, complete coating is obtained. There are several types of seamless tiles depending on the production method.

Types of seamless tiles:

1. Pressed option. It consists of square slabs measuring 50x50 cm. Sheet thickness is from 5 to 7 mm.
2. Injection view. Stronger slabs due to the thickness of 9-14 mm. It has a wide variety of different relief patterns. Costs more than the pressed version.
3. Extruded tile. Has a thickness of 3 mm. But at the same time it is quite strong and durable. The cost depends on the design.

Each type is presented with different thicknesses and in different price category. Depending on the design of the premises, they select best option seamless tiles. At the same time, the extruded appearance of a simple white the cheapest. And if you choose a texture like silk or wood, then such a purchase will be expensive.

Pros and cons of seamless floor tiles

Seamless ceramic tiles do not guarantee complete removal of seams. But rectified porcelain tiles allow you to achieve a more holistic coating as much as possible. This approach to an ideal monolithic coating has earned the popularity of tiles without seams. But this type has both its positive and negative aspects of use.

Advantages of seamless tiles:

• Aesthetic appearance;
• Dirt, fungus, and mold do not accumulate in the joints.

The presence of seams slightly spoils the visual perception of the picture. Many manufacturers strive for a smooth and monolithic coating. It was seamless tiles that came closest to this ideal. It looks much more attractive in the interior.

The joints between slabs are an excellent breeding ground for fungus, mold and dirt. With good grouting using an expensive grout, this can be avoided, but not everyone can afford it. In addition, even the most expensive grout cannot compete with ceramics. Of course, when joining the plates, a small seam remains. But much less pathogenic microflora accumulates in it.

Cons of seamless tiles:

• Difficulty in installation;
• Restrictions on installation locations and temperature;
• Unevenness of slabs.

Traditional tile laying allows you to use seams to hide small flaws and irregularities. But when working with seamless tiles, this does not work. A perfectly flat surface is required.

The gaps in the tiles serve as protection against temperature changes that could affect the cement or adhesive. Small movements of the tiles due to changes in the mortar may not be noticeable due to the joints. They allow the tile to move a little.

The adhesive may shift due to shrinkage of the home or environmental conditions.

In such a case, installation seamless coating only possible in rooms with constant temperature. To create heated floors, it is necessary to have a gap between the plates of 0.5–1.5 mm. You can make a small seam of 1 mm so as not to spoil the overall impression of the field and to have the possibility of slight shifts in the solution.

It is worth remembering that when producing porcelain stoneware, the slabs do not have a perfectly flat surface. It was the seams that smoothed out all the defects. Therefore, when using seamless tiles, additional calibration and minimum gaps will be required.

Preparatory work for seamless laying of porcelain tiles

Preparation for laying seamless tiles is the same as for installing traditional tiles. The floor surface or wall covering must be smooth and durable. That is why before laying porcelain tiles, it is necessary to level the coatings.

The best base for laying tiles without joints is concrete. Before installing tiles, you must complete concrete screed. You can prepare the solution yourself using cement and sand or buy a ready-made mixture. It is important to strictly follow the instructions. The screed is poured onto a well-cleaned and primed floor. This coating can be insulated.

Method of insulating a concrete floor:

1. Covering waterproofing. If the room is large, then the film is overlapped by 10-15 cm. The joints must be secured with tape. The film should extend 10 cm onto the wall. You can also attach a damper tape around the entire perimeter of the room.
2. Laying insulation. Material for this purpose is presented in a wide range. You can choose a more porous option. In this case, additional waterproofing will be required on top. If the material is dense enough, then you can pour the screed directly onto it.

If in the house wooden floors, then you can install over them. This has become possible thanks to the emergence of new technologies that make this process possible. This is also facilitated by the emergence of advanced materials.

It is important that the screed dries well. After a day it will be possible to walk on it, but it is optimal to start laying tiles after 5-7 days.

Before installing the tiles, you need to make sure that the surface is perfectly flat. To work with seamless tiles, you need to have some experience in this type of work. This difficult technology and if you do not place the material correctly, you can completely ruin the coating.

Seamless tile laying technology

Installing seamless tiles is similar to installing classic tiles. But it has some small features. Traditional way involves the use of crosses for seams. In the case of a seamless option, you can forget about this.

Stages of laying ceramic seamless tiles:

1. It is necessary to soften the coating and prepare the first element for installation.
2. The tiles need to be soaked.
3. Prepare the glue following the instructions. Using a notched trowel, it is necessary to evenly apply the mixture to the layer. Tile adhesive is quite elastic, but hardens quickly. That's why you shouldn't divorce right away a large number of mixtures.
4. Laying the first element and its alignment. Next, you need to press down the tile a little and fix it with a rubber hammer.
5. Laying the rest of the tiles. Each element must be pressed tightly against each other. It is also important to constantly monitor the evenness of the coating using a building level.

This completes the installation. There is no need to rub down the seams, since there are no gaps themselves. Although some tilers do this operation.

If there are protrusions, communications or other needs, then the tiles need to be trimmed.

Specialists who rub seams rely on the fact that the material cannot be laid end-to-end. The presence of at least minimal seams remains. You need to buy grout to match the color of the tile. So visually the monotony of the floor will still be achieved.

Laying seamless tiles (video)

Installing seamless tiles brings the consumer closer to an ideal monolithic coating. This tile has its advantages, but there are also a lot of disadvantages. The installation is similar to laying traditional tiles. Choice of this material depends on whether the owner is ready to put up with possible consequences installation of tiles without seams.

They truly say that fashion is cyclical, and what was popular 20 years ago is becoming popular and innovative again. Laying tiles without seams can be a clear confirmation of this, because until recently such a technique was considered ineffective and unattractive. Whereas today they are increasingly resorting to just such surface design.

Advantages and disadvantages of seamless tile laying

So, if we consider the advantages of laying tiles without seams, we can highlight the following:

• High aesthetic appeal of the finish (due to the creation of a visually monolithic product);
• Prevents moisture and debris from getting into the gaps between the tiles;
• Fungus does not form at the junction of adjacent tiles;
• Over time, there is no need to re-grout (renew) the joints.

If we talk about the limitations of seamless installation finishing material, then it should be noted that the creation of such masterpieces requires the performer to have relevant experience. Since adjustments may be required during the work (grinding the ends) large number tile In addition, such a procedure is highly labor-intensive and takes much longer than standard tile installation.

Also, laying tiles without seams is not permissible on surfaces exposed to constant temperature loads (heated floors, saunas, etc.). This is due to the lack of compensation gaps between adjacent tiles, which can even cause deformation of the finishing material when temperatures change.

Preparation for work

If you decide to finish the surfaces with tiles using a seamless method, then first of all you should carry out the work of a preparatory nature, namely: to form fencing structures, prepare everything necessary components and equipment.

So, the following elements are often used as equipment for laying tiles:

• Construction level and measuring tools;
• Tile cutter or alternative tool (for example, glass cutter);
• Set of spatulas + comb spatula (with ridge height 8 – 12 mm);
• Pliers, rubber hammer, whisk for solution, container.

As for the components, first of all you should take care of the tile itself. Indeed, unlike traditional positions, tiles for seamless installation should not contain materials subject to linear expansion. Therefore, ordinary clay tiles are not the best option for seamless surface design.

It is for these reasons that today it is proposed to use porcelain stoneware or lithoceramic tiles for seamless installation.

After all, these materials are characterized by increased density and have a low coefficient of linear expansion. In addition, these properties allow you to create tiles with maximally identical dimensions and rectified (perfectly smooth) edges without chamfering.

For the convenience of users, we suggest considering the main characteristics of materials for seamless tiles

Special attention in the process preparatory work You should pay attention to the choice of glue. After all, the final quality of the work depends on the correctness of his choice. Well, in order not to make a mistake in choosing, it is advisable to purchase only the glue that is recommended by the manufacturer of the finishing material.

In addition, you should stock up on tile grout, because be that as it may, it is impossible to completely eliminate the presence of gaps at the junctions of adjacent tiles and during the work you will have to grout the seams, albeit not as large as in traditional versions.

Well, of course, you should take care of preparation basic basis on which the tiles will be laid. After all, given the fact that with seamless installation it is almost impossible to compensate for deviations due to gaps, quite high demands are placed on the base base. And not only must the surface be strong, dry and level (potholes or bumps are not allowed), in addition, the geometric correctness of the enclosing structures must be observed. That is, walls, ceilings, floors, corners must be correct forms and not have any blockages or distortions.

Ideally, it is best to lay tiles without seams on walls covered with sheet material(GKL, GKVL, etc.) and treated with putty mixtures, read about how to do this.

Schemes for laying tiles without seams

The seamless technique of laying tiles is used mainly to create an impeccable design effect, in which the entire surface appears visually monolithic. However, not all material laying schemes are suitable for obtaining the specified effect, because if you lay out the tiles in a single tone, you may feel a “emptiness effect” (especially for the floor). And it is precisely for these reasons that they try to combine seamless tiles according to a certain algorithm, namely: in a checkerboard pattern, herringbone, zebra, rows, circles, highlighting the perimeter, chaotic mosaics, etc.

Considering the complexity of selecting schemes, modern finishing involves preliminary design of a laying pattern using software products that take into account the dimensions of the room and the dimensions of the tile itself.

Seamless tile laying technology

By by and large seamless laying of tiles is not much different from the standard tile installation procedure. However, given design features material, you need to pay attention to the following features.

So, first of all, it is advisable to imitate the laying of tiles, for which it is recommended to lay them out on the floor according to the worked out diagram and make sure there are no deviations.

In the future, before direct installation, it is necessary to check all the tiles for identity and wipe their edges with a soft cloth in order to exclude the presence of foreign objects and construction debris.

If we talk about preparing the adhesive mixture, then in most cases it is used for seamless laying of tiles. two-component composition, which is recommended to breed in small portions, sufficient to fix 1 – 2 rows of material. Well, the direct choice of glue should be made only according to the recommendations of the finishing manufacturer.

Taking into account the high precision of installation (vertical and horizontal seams must match perfectly), the adhesive composition should be applied to the back surface of the tile in such a way as to ensure maximum contact between the materials (air voids are not allowed). But at the same time, it is not desirable for the adhesive substance to be excessively squeezed out from under the fixed tile. Therefore, to solve these problems, it is advisable to use a comb spatula, which will help apply the composition most evenly.

Considering in more detail the method of laying seamless tiles, it should be noted that here, as in standard method There are certain recommendations:

• Laying tiles should begin from the corner furthest from the entrance, gradually moving towards the exit from the room;
• The tile should be glued by laying a special solution on its back surface, followed by pressing the product in a given place on the wall or floor;
• Check the correct laying of the tiles in two planes (vertical and horizontal) using a level;
• To adjust the position of the tiles, you can use a rubber hammer or press in manually;
• After laying the first row, all the remaining finishing material is laid in the same way;
• Excess adhesive (from under the tiles) should be immediately removed using a rag;
• If possible, it is best to place the cut ends of the tiles under elements of furniture or household appliances;
• Seamless tiles should be cut using specialized tools;
• At the end of the work, the surface is cleaned of glue and the tiles are grouted with specialized compounds of the appropriate shade.

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One of the varieties of finishing ceramics is seamless tiles, otherwise cut, rectified. The name of the material “seamless” is arbitrary, because when laying the seams between the tiles are still arranged, but minimum thickness– up to 1.5 mm.

Seamless tile laying does not mean that there will be no seams at all

It is impossible to lay the tiles end-to-end, that is, absolutely without seams, since the tile adhesive on the base can shrink over time, which must be compensated for by the seams between the tiles.

The technology for finishing floors or walls with such ceramics is more difficult to implement, but this does not make it perfect. It’s just that under certain conditions, it is tiles without seams that allow you to achieve your goal. However, this same technology forces us to abandon floor heating devices, since the minimum size of tile joints does not compensate linear changes ceramic geometry under significant temperature fluctuations.

We list the situations when seamless cladding is used:

• For aesthetic purposes:
• imitation of a monolithic coating made of natural stone;
• installation of artistic panels.
• For technical purposes (increasing tightness floor cladding bathroom).

Characteristics of edged cladding material

Seamless ceramic tiles differ from the usual high precision of a given format, which is achieved by rectification - additional trimming of the edges of the tile. After rectification, veneering ceramics are sometimes also subjected to lappating - mechanical abrasive treatment of the front surface.

Seamless ceramic tiles are easy to recognize among other types of finishing materials; they do not have an edge chamfer

Let's look at these operations and their purpose.

Rectification of ceramics

Rectification (trimming) of tiles is the processing of the ends of finished ceramics in order to achieve the following characteristics:

• minimal deviations of product geometry from specified parameters;
• strict perpendicularity of the ends of the tile to the plane of the tile;
• absence of chamfers on the edges of the front part.

Rectified tiles are marked on the packaging with the word “rectified” and are 20-30% more expensive than regular tiles. The rectification procedure minimizes discrepancies only linear dimensions tiles

Lapping tiles

Rectification of ceramics aggravates the problem of deviation of the front surface of the tile from the horizontal plane - a joint with a small seam width of deformed products creates a small but sharp difference in the level of the edges on the floor, which is fraught with injury when falling. Therefore, deformations of the plane of the front surface of high-quality ceramics are eliminated by an operation called “lappating”.

Lappating – additional decor and originality

The tiles are partially cut off on a special machine upper layer in one plane, which aligns the front side of the product and at the same time makes the ceramic surface spectacular and safe - consisting of glossy and matte areas. Seamless laying of porcelain tiles, which have undergone lappatation, gives the floor covering an antique effect while at the same time showing no signs of wear.

Seamless cladding material

Seamless tiles are made from natural stone(marble, granite, limestone), porcelain stoneware (gres) and broom. Products from natural material and gres, as a rule, are large-format (90x30, 60x60), so laying porcelain stoneware without seams perfectly imitates a monolithic coating made of natural material.

Highly artistic panels on the floor are laid out from small-sized metlakh tiles, produced in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Seamless cladding of floors and walls with edged tiles is used for finishing internal surfaces and is effective only when high quality execution. This technology requires the performer to have professional skills and quality instrument. Let's look at the nuances of this type of finishing that distinguish seamless cladding from regular cladding.

Seamless installation is more labor intensive

Preparation of the base surface

The high quality of the geometry of seamless ceramics places increased demands on the preparation of the base for installation. A leveling screed is placed on the floor in a horizontal plane, followed by modification of the base until there are no differences in height of more than 2 mm. The preparation of the wall surface is also carried out to the appropriate quality.

When using heavy natural stone or porcelain stoneware for seamless finishing of walls, the load-bearing capacity of the base must be sufficient and the water absorption coefficient must be minimal. This means that leveling the surface with plasterboard for a seamless finish is excluded.

It is better to prime the bases with a primer deep penetration in two layers, for example Ceresit CT17, Bolars or Unis.

Tile adhesives: Ceresit CT17, “Bolars” Unis

Seamless styling tool

Considering the high density of natural stone and porcelain stoneware, as well as the increased requirements for precision fitting of the finishing material, they are used for cutting tiles. electric tile cutters(better - with the ability to supply water to the cutting point) and discs with continuous diamond coating. This perfect tool, designed, among other things, for cutting ceramics at an angle, will allow you to veneer the corners of the joints without the use of decorative metal or plastic corner covers.

Surface marking is also done very carefully, using a laser level to apply control lines and marks.

To place large-format material on the design site without disturbing the uniformity of the adhesive layer, vacuum rubber mounting suction cups are used, but of high quality, preventing the tiles from falling during installation.

Tile adhesive for rectified tiles

The adhesive composition for seamless cladding is selected depending on the tile material, but in any case it must be with high degree adhesion, elastic and moisture resistant after curing. Modern assortment tile adhesives on a cement basis will allow you to make right choice for any base and cladding material. For example, Knauf Flisen, Unis 2000 or Litoflex K80 compositions fully comply with the requirements for adhesives for seamless tiles.

Tile adhesives: Knauf Flisen, Unis 2000 and Litoflex K80.

Seamless finishing joints

The fixed width of the seams is ensured by using plastic crosses with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm at the joints. The connection between the seamless floor finishing and the wall surface is carried out with a compensating seam 3-5 mm wide, which will then disappear under the plinth.

The joints are grouted with a moisture-resistant elastic mixture containing antifungal additives. In this case, the grout is selected as close as possible to the finishing material in color in order to hide the presence of seams and enhance the effect of the monolithic coating. Seams using mounting gun with a flat tip are filled to the full depth with grout flush with the cladding surface. For void-free filling, the grout solution must be sufficiently liquid. In case of shrinkage and failure of the grout, additional filling of the joints is carried out using rubber spatula. After 1-2 hours, excess solution is removed with a piece of damp foam rubber.

The tone of the grout should be matched to the tile to make the seams invisible

Conclusion

Due to the relatively high cost of the material and the complexity of execution, laying seamless tiles requires greater financial costs than traditional ceramic finishing with inter-tile joints. Therefore, before making a decision on choosing the type of cladding, it is advisable to assess the commensurability of the upcoming costs and the need to carry out repairs using this particular technology. If general class finishing of housing is quite high, then the use of seamless cladding technology, subject to professional execution, will certainly meet your expectations.

There are 2 methods of laying tiles - seamless and with seams. The article discusses the first. Laying seamless tiles is the most practical, beautiful and durable method. Precision and patience when laying tiles are the main aspects when working. The tiles must be perfectly sized for maximum density during installation.

Seamless tile laying is performed on a perfectly flat surface for an impeccable appearance and durability of the material.

Laying seamless tiles prevents dirt, fungus and moisture from collecting at the joints. This makes caring for it easier.

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Pros and cons of this method

Pros: Seamless tiles are the most attractive. Laying the tiles in this way prevents dirt, fungus and moisture from collecting at the joints. This makes caring for it easier. The advantage is an easier installation process.

Disadvantages: laying tile products using this method is undesirable in new houses, since the house tends to sag, thereby causing the tiles to fall off. This may not occur in a separate part, but over the entire surface. It is important to match the tiles to one for perfect symmetry, which takes a lot of time and effort. Seamless installation must be done in full accordance with technology.

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Materials and tools

Seamless tile installation does not mean that there will be no seams at all. But with the right grout this type styling will look like a single whole.

• Tiles (it is better to choose expensive ones, for example, Italian or Spanish production).
• Tile adhesive (the composition must be suitable for the selected tile).
• Grout (cement-based, silicone or epoxy).
• Silicone (liquid sealant and sealant).
• Tile cutter (preferably with forced water supply to avoid chipping).
• Roulette.
• Level (small and medium).
• Spatula (notched, rubber).
• Rubber hammer.
• Container for solution.

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The base must be level, dry, clean, have good bearing capacity. First you need to fill the cracks and uneven areas with a trowel or trowel.

The surface of the base must be carefully prepared. It is necessary to perfectly level the base until there are no cracks, bumps or depressions. The flooring must be without displacement and at the same level. For more long service For this type of installation, it is better to use a concrete screed, which is suitable for any tile products. Wooden base not suitable due to fluctuations in humidity and drying out, which subsequently leads to a change in the adhesive layer and cracking of the tile covering.

It is worth taking seriously the choice of cement and sand. The sand must be well sifted, all large particles must be removed from it. The cement should be taken from a recent production date, otherwise the installation will be damaged. short term service due to cement losing its qualities. If the cement is of high quality, then it is homogeneous and flows freely.