HOW TO LAY A BRICK TILE FLOOR

Laying a brick tiled floor can be a challenge in itself and if the brick tiles are reclaimed you need to pay even more attention to the individual tiles and how they look. Below I go over how to lay a brick tile floor.

SUMMARY

  1. Dry Lay – dry lay the bricks, make sure the pattern and the style fit your room.
  2. Laying – Lay the brick on a screed floor, we recommend using a flexible floor tile adhesive.
  3. Grouting – Use a grout float or squeegee to work the grout into the gaps.
  4. Seal – Seal the tiles to protect.

DRY LAY

Before doing anything it is important to dry lay the bricks. You want to make sure the pattern and the style fit your room, as the last thing you want is to lay the bricks and decide it’s not the pattern or style you desire.

A ton of different pattern options are available – depending on the size of the brick anything from a herringbone pattern to a basketweave layout is possible.

LAYING

Once you have decided on your pattern and style of brick, it is time to lay the tiles. Before doing anything, make sure the area is clean and dust free. Usually, you will lay the brick on a screed floor, for reclaimed bricks, we recommend using a flexible floor tile adhesive (whatever adhesive you use, read the instructions carefully).

Once mixed it is recommended to only lay out a portion at a time so the adhesive doesn’t dry before the tiles are laid. Pour out some of the adhesive and spread with a combed trowel.

Finally, it is time to lay out your tiles. Press the tiles down so they are firmly in place in the position and pattern you desire. Wash away any excess adhesive you find on the top of the tile with a wet sponge before it dries.

Once laid, we recommend sealing your floor before grouting. You can do this either by spray or brush. Allow the sealant to penetrate the surface of the brick and any excess sealant can be wiped away with a sponge. Once sealed, you should leave it overnight, but make sure to read the instructions on your sealant. We strongly recommend a quality sealer as they last much longer.

GROUTING

Once laid, it is time for the grout to be applied. Make sure to always use the same method when grouting to gain uniform results and remove any surplus adhesive on the tiles. Use a grout float or squeegee to work the grout into the gaps without leaving any gaps or holes in the joints. It is important to work the grout well into the gaps to make sure no bubbles are present.

At this stage, it is also important to remove any excess grout from the floor by working your float diagonally across the brick joints while the grout is still fresh. Once the grout has been filled and dried a light dusting will appear on the top of the brick tiles. To remove this use a special grouting sponge to wipe – without any pressure – diagonally across the tiles ensuring you don’t penetrate the joints. Note, it is important to wash and rinse the sponge while wiping away excess grout.

It is important to note here, that cleaning the excess grout away when it is still liquid might wipe away too much. On the other hand, you don’t want to wait too long as once the grout dries completely it will be very hard to wipe away any excess.

Note: we recommend using our range of MUDD grout and adhesives. An alternative is BAL Wide Joint Grout

SEAL AGAIN

Once this is all done and in place. It is important to seal the tiles again. This protects any areas you missed the first time and makes sure your floor is fully sealed.

The whole process can be a tough chore, but done right will leave you with a beautiful looking floor that will last a lifetime.

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