How to Install Tile over Porch Steps
Your house will look extremely neat, smooth and classy with a tile porch flooring. If you wish to give the same look to your porch, you can tile your porch using different varieties of tiles. The porch steps can also be tiled. It is common that you might have a cement porch or a wooden porch. If your porch is cemented, then the tile installation is easy, but if you have a wooden porch you need to first screw the cement board onto the wooden surface. Make sure that the wood is strong enough to withstand the cement and tile weight so that tiles do not crack as time passes by. If you choose to have a ceramic tiles, make sure they are vitreous or frost proof, because tile must be capable of withstanding extreme cold temperature during the winter season and not develop cracks. If you find ups and downs or cracks in your porch steps, fill them because the porch must look even, leveled and smooth surfaced after the tile installation. It is very important to keep the porch surface dry before installation. Otherwise the tiles may not sit firmly. Tile installation over porch step is not a difficult task if the steps given below are followed.
Things You'll Need
- Spirit level
- Grinder
- Concrete
- Trowel
- Chalk
- Wet saw
- Diamond blade
- Thinset
- Plastic spacers
- Cloth
- Grout
- Grout float
- Sponge
Step 1: Level The Surface
First, check whether the porch step surface is levelled or not. So take the spirit level and run it all over the porch steps. When you find a low level spot, fill it with concrete and use trowel to level it off. When you find a high level spot, make use of the grinder and grind the surface and make it equal to rest of the area.
Step 2: Tile Placement
On the porch steps keep the tiles and count the number of many tiles that fit in a step. Check if the tiles are extending the edge of the step and use a chalk to mark the amount of tile that is extending. Now cut off the extra tile section with a wet saw fixed with a diamond blade.
Step 3: Apply Thinset
Spread a thick layer of thinset on the porch steps to attach the tiles on it. Then level and smoothen it using a trowel. Apply small patches of thinset randomly under the tile.
Step 4: Attach The Tiles
Place the first tile on the thinset and press it firmly down. Plastic spacers are inserted along the edges of the tile. The next tile should be placed right next to the edge of the first tile where plastic spacer is inserted. The plastic spacer must get sandwiched between the tiles. Place the tiles on every step the same way until each step is completely covered with tiles.
Step 5: Tile The Vertical Surface
On the verticle surface of the steps that connect to one step to another i.e., from the back end of the lower step to the front end of the step above the lower step, you need to apply more thinset than you did for the rest of the tiles. Press the tile tightly so that the vertical surface is completely tiled up. Separate the tiles on verticle surface with the plastic spacers.
Step 6: Wipe Off Excess Thinset
If you find any excess thinset on the tiles oozing out due to the excess pressure on the tiles, wipe it gently with a cloth so that the plastic spacers are not harmed. Allow the thinset to dry for 24 hours.
Step 7: Apply Grout
Use a grout float to apply grout into the gaps for all the tiles and allow it to set for 10 minutes. Then use a damp sponge and wipe the tiles to remove the excess grout and allow the grout to dry for at least 12 hours.
