Before you even think about opening your boxes of tiles, you need to really look at your concrete floor. If you skip this step, the base won’t be right, and you’ll soon end up with cracked tiles. You need to check for cracks, damp patches, dust, or flaky bits. Run your hand across it, you’ll feel loose grit straight away. If the surface isn’t solid, your marble tiles won’t sit properly and you’ll end up with movement.
Clean and repair the surface properly
This is the bit most people are tempted to skip, but it’s where the job is won or lost. Sweep, vac, and degrease if needed. If you’re researching finishes or tile types, specialists such as irwintiles.ie/marble-stone-tiles help you picture how marble tiles will look once they’re down.
Fill any cracks you find using a concrete repair filler and let it cure. If your floor’s uneven, you’ll need a self-levelling compound. It feels slow while you’re waiting, but you’ll thank yourself later when tiles sit nice and flat instead of rocking when you walk on them. Here, you can read more about how self-leveling compound works.
Prime and plan before you tile
Priming helps the adhesive grip properly, especially on older concrete. Use the primer that’s recommended for your adhesive – don’t guess. Then dry lay a few marble tiles so you can see the spacing and the cuts you’ll need to do. You’ll spot any awkward edges early and this will avoid last-minute stress. It’s a small step, but it’ll make the whole job run more smoothly.
