How to Install American Olean Tile

Porcelain Tiles

• American Olean makes both through-body and glazed porcelain tiles in sizes ranging from mosaic to 24-inch. Their mosaics are joined together in sheets measuring 12 inches for easier installation. American Olean's porcelain tiles install like other porcelain, with the exception of the fact that their products often have a built-in spacer on the edges of the tiles, so no additional spacers are needed. To install, dry fit the tiles on the floor where they will be laid to determine pattern. Cut the tiles to fit the perimeter of the installation on a tile wet saw. Use a white, latex-additive thinset mortar spread with a trowel. Beat the tiles in evenly with a beating block and rubber mallet, and let cure for 24 hours before installing.

Stone Tiles

• American Olean carries several lines of natural stone tiles in rustic finishes up to 16 inches in size. These stone tiles install like other stone tiles. Dry fit them on the area where you intend to install them. Take the tiles from several boxes to ensure a good color mixture, and blend them as you lay them down. Use a white, no-slump mortar troweled onto the substrate, and beat the tiles in evenly. Use a level to ensure they are even as stone tiles may sink due to their weight. Install the tiles with a minimum of a 1/8- to 1/4-inch grout joint to accommodate the uneven edges of the rustic stone. Seal the stone with an impregnating sealer once the mortar has cured for 24 hours, then grout the tiles.

Metal-Coated Ceramic

• American Olean's Saxon Metals tiles are ceramic backed with a metal and polymer coating. They cut and install similarly to ceramic tiles and are suitable for wall and floor applications. Cut them on a tile wet saw or with a carbide tipped hole saw. Use latex-modified thinset mortar for floor installations or type 1 organic mastic for wall applications. Spread the mortar with a trowel onto the backs of each tile prior to installation rather than onto the substrate to ensure good coverage. Do not beat in the tiles or lay the tiles face down at any time during installation. Grout the tiles with a soft rubber float and an unsanded grout to avoid scratching the surface of the tiles.

Glass Tiles

• American Olean carries four different lines of glass tiles, including paper-faced mosaic tiles and 4-inch field tiles. Spread a liquid crack reducing membrane onto the surface you intend to install the tiles on first, and allow it to dry. Use a white, latex-modified thinset mortar spread with a 3/16- by 1/4-inch notch trowel. Smooth out any notch marks in the mortar prior to setting the glass in place. Use a beating block and rubber mallet to beat the glass into the mortar evenly. Cut the glass on a tile wet saw that has been fitted with a diamond glass cutting blade. Allow the mortar to cure for a minimum of 48 hours before grouting the glass.