Cement Tile Installation Guide

Please read through this guide thoroughly before beginning your installation.

Preparation Surface
Requirements
Installation requires a level, clean, and dry surface. A wet subfloor can cause issues such as sediment formation on the tile surfaces.
Keep boxes dry and store materials in a moisture-free area to prevent surface stains on tiles. LiLi Cement Tiles are products of natural materials, exhibiting significant variations in tone. For a visually pleasing and consistent color arrangement, it is advised to perform a dry lay of the tiles on the designated surface before starting the installation.

Materials and Tools
Use an uncoupling membrane like Schluter®-DITRA to reduce the risk of cracking from foundation shifts.
Adhesive should be evenly applied using a notched trowel both to the installation surface and the back of each tile.
Only a wet saw should be used for cutting tiles to ensure clean edges.
Important note on brass embedded tiles:
Cutting tiles with brass inserts is not recommended and is extremely difficult. Please account for this during layout and design. Matching solid tiles are available and should be used where cuts are required.

Installation Process
1. Preparing the Substrate:
Ensure the substrate is level, clean, and completely dry before beginning the installation.

2. Installing Underlayment
While both thinset and mud bed installation methods are acceptable, it is highly recommended to use a suitable underlayment system. Ditra by Schluter is strongly advised as the preferred underlayment. It offers excellent crack isolation and vapor management benefits when used beneath cement tiles. Ensure the substrate is properly prepared
(including self-leveling if needed) prior to Ditra installation.

3. Applying the Thinset:
Apply thinset evenly to the substrate using a notched trowel.
Also, apply thinset evenly to the back of each tile. This method, known as back-buttering, ensures full coverage and adhesion.

4. Laying Out the Tiles:
Lay out the tiles without hammering them into place. Use hand pressure to level them, accommodating any slight variations in thickness.
Maintain a small gap of 1/16” between tiles for grouting, if desired.

5. Cutting Tiles:
For any necessary cuts, use a wet saw to ensure clean and precise edges.

6. Drying:
Allow the installed tiles to dry completely before proceeding with the priming, grouting, cleaning, and sealing process.
Clean the installation area with a pH-neutral cleaner, promptly removing any debris. Ensure no liquids are left on the tile surface before they are primed and sealed.

7. Priming and Sealing:
LiLi Cement Tiles are pre-sealed with a water-based sealer at the factory for handling purposes only. Once cement tiles have been installed, they must be primed and sealed, as cement tiles are extremely porous. The following primer and sealer are recommended:
Tile Armor Poseidon's Tile Primer followed by Tile Armor Zeus' Tile Sealer Poseidon’s Tile Primer & Zeus’ Tile Sealer are fully catalyzed after 24 hours, at which optimal performance is achieved.

8. Grouting:
DO NOT USE standard powder grouts, which contain color pigments or any other type of grout that contains color
pigments because these grouts will stain cement tiles. Only use Quartz Base Grout, the following are recommended: Mapei Flexcolor™ CQ Grout 1-800-992-6273
Laticrete® SPECTRALOCK® 1 Pre-Mixed Grout 1-800-243-4788 Apply grout with a thin plastic spatula, avoiding spreading it across the tile surfaces, and clean excess with a wet
sponge immediately.
Perform a second sealing after grouting, removing any excess sealer diligently.

9. Cleaning:
Use any type of pH neutral cleaners to clean cement tiles for your daily use. Primed and sealed LiLi Cement Tiles are acid-resistant and can be cleaned with any type of grout cleaner.
Recommend to use Tile Armor Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner to remove tough stains, grout haze, wax & sealer removal, or regular maintenance. Resealing is required after using Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner.

Disclaimer
LiLi Tile is not responsible for incorrect installation of tiles on cement or different conditions. Please consult a professional who is
familiar with this type of tile.
For more detailed information or for a more up to date version of this installation guide, please visit our website at lilitile.com.
Thank you for choosing LiLi Cement Tiles for your project.