How do you tile?

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Muffin797

Member
Hi everyone,

Up until now I've been using paper towel as a substrate, but my little girl is growing and her nails are getting sharper. Also, I've had to start leaving during the day so she's been throwing temper tantrums and messing up all the paper towel.

I would like to use tile for the ease of cleaning and to help file her nails. What kind of tile should I buy? I've noticed that my beardie tends to slip on our kitchen tiles, but maybe that's just the kind of tile? How do you install the tile? Do you grout in between the tiles or just put them in? Are small gaps in the tile problematic? How much does it cost to tile the enclosure? Can you take the tiles out? Anything else I should know?
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
I simply lay some paper towel
then select ceramic wall or floor tiles at least 6" x 10" , bigger is better ( fewer to lay )
and
I deposit them edge to edge NO GLUE NO GROUT.
Done.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Tile is wonderful --- I know its hard on the stomach but if you put enough decor in the tank where they are sitting on something its not going to bother them--- I also have fleece blanket in the hide for them to sleep on---- slated ceramic tile --- no smooth and stuff that is not too rough for the stomach-- tile needs to be cut to size of tank so figure out how big tank is width and length and go to store find the tile you want and then figure how many pieces you need -- you will need someone to cut the tile w/a tile cutter so you get no ragged edges-- no grouting -- you want it loose so you can pull it to clean -- I put thick paper towels under my tile to catch the water urate so all you do is pull tile clean w/ vinegar/ water 50/50 pull soiled paper towel replace w/ clean one -- if you cut tile to the size of tank to fit there will be little gaps in it --- price is dependent on the piece you pick - mine was around $13 to tile a 4x2x2-- I got it at Home Depot -- here is a pic of the tile we have in Hiccups tank and a pic of the tank itself
97951-5577321257.jpg
97951-632654513.jpg
97951-584949716.jpg
hope that helps
Karrie
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
kingofnobbys":3daivlzi said:
I simply lay some paper towel
then select ceramic wall or floor tiles at least 6" x 10" , bigger is better ( fewer to lay )
and
I deposit them edge to edge NO GLUE NO GROUT.
Done.
+1.

I got some 12" x 24" (Yeah, huge) tiles on sale from Home Despot. They're ceramic, but slate gray, and have a rough natural slate texture. Looks & feels just like slate. I didn't have access to a tile cutter, so I designed the enclosure around the tiles. Enclosure floor is 5' x 2 ', so 5 tiles across. Similar to what kingofnobbys did, I laid some shelf paper under the tiles to catch anything that might fall/leak between the cracks. I taped the seams with blue painters tape, and laid the tiles on that--no grout. I was going to calk them with Silicone I, but it doesn't seem necessary. They can be removed if necessary. :wink:

Some people do grout smaller tiles, but it's advisable to choose the grout carefully. Some grouts don't need to be sealed; others need to be sealed every year or two, so read directions & labels! :)
 

Peach

Hatchling Member
I bought the large 12x14 tiles too. Lowes here will cut them if needed. I only had to have a couple of them cut down to fill in along the back. It makes for very easy upkeep.
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
I bought 6x6" tiles so I wouldn't have to cut, and for easy replacement if something breaks. I laid a layer of newspaper underneath, then just laid the tiles on top of it - no grouting or caulking, it's easier to do a deep clean when you can just pop the tiles out and back in again. Easy peasy. :)
 

Mwcrf450r

Member
KarrieRee":pt5a6uqx said:
here is a pic of the tile we have in Hiccups tank and a pic of the tank itself
97951-5577321257.jpg
97951-632654513.jpg
97951-584949716.jpg
hope that helps
Karrie
That viv looks gorgeous ? I struggle to get mine to look less "thrown together"
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Dont glue them down they will stay in place if you cut them size to tank --- its easier to pull them for cleaning -- mine are laid in there on top of some thick paper towels to catch the urate if it seeps between tiles --- you can clean tile w/ vinegar/ water in a spray bottle 50/50 pull tile if its seeped between the 2 and pull paper towel and replace - your done --
Karrie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Tile is cheap enough you can pull them and redo them ---- what kind of bottom do you have on the tank -- is it glass ? wood? and did you glue just the pieces together or to the bottom of the tank? The piece of tile I have was $1.99 per tile-- if you glued just the tile pieces together take a box cutter and go in and cut in between the tiles so the glue is no longer stuck to the other one -- if you glued it to the bottom of tank I am not sure how to fix that problem
Karrie
 

Mwcrf450r

Member
KarrieRee":1ujrzynh said:
Tile is cheap enough you can pull them and redo them ---- what kind of bottom do you have on the tank -- is it glass ? wood? and did you glue just the pieces together or to the bottom of the tank? The piece of tile I have was $1.99 per tile-- if you glued just the tile pieces together take a box cutter and go in and cut in between the tiles so the glue is no longer stuck to the other one -- if you glued it to the bottom of tank I am not sure how to fix that problem
Karrie
Idk of a way to remove. Online think I could think of would be to find a way to fill the cracks in so it before a nice easy to clean surface, that use that as your new bottom. Place your paper towel down and then a second layer of tiles. You'll probably end up losing 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch tho
 

Moon4wolfgirl

Hatchling Member
the bottom is wood, we glued them to the bottom of the tank and I thinks to the other pieces to, or used sealer or both. thanks
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Mwcrf450r":13hicbi8 said:
Online think I could think of would be to find a way to fill the cracks in so it before a nice easy to clean surface,

You can buy some grout and use the grout to fill the cracks. Just like you would if you were tiling your floor. That would prevent things from going in between the cracks since you most likely won't be able to remove the tiles without ruining your tanks floor.

-Brandon
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Well you can set up a feeding area for him w/ a paper towel under bowl to catch what he messes --- as far as the poop I dont know ---
Karrie
 
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