How to Tile a Tub Surround
Whether you build a new or remodel your bathroom, a tub and shower surround can be the focal point of your bathroom. The job typically averages 80 square feet and involves all of the basic tile-setting skills: designing, measuring, laying out, installing backer board, setting tile on a vertical surface, cutting holes and straight cuts. While it is a complex job, it can usually be completed in a weekend if you have all of the materials and equipment on hand. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chalk line
- Carbide scorer
- 1/2-inch drill
- Mixing paddle
- Square-edged trowel
- 4-foot level
- 5-gallon bucket
- Stapler
- Caulking gun
- Grout float
- Spray bottle
- Snap cutter or wet saw
- Sponge
- Backer board
- Thinset mortar
- Backer board screws
- Fiberglass tape
- 4-mil poly
- Tub caulk
- Asphalt roofing cement
- Tile
- Dry-mix grout with acrylic latex admix
- Masking tape
- Penetrating sealer
- Marker
Instructions
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1
Apply the asphalt roofing cement to the flange of the tub's edge to be used for sealant to the poly. Staple sections of 4-mil poly to the studs. Bed the first layer of poly in the cement, and overlap succeeding sheets by at least 2 inches. Use only enough staples to hold the poly in place.
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2
Install 1/2-inch cement backer board by fastening it to the studs with the backer board screws. Shim the backer board 1/4-inch above the tub so that water on the rim won't wick behind the panels.
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3
Reinforce the corners of the tub walls with fiberglass tape bedded in and skim-coated with thinset. Caulk the gap with clear or white silicone, which is flexible enough to allow for minor tub movement.
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4
Determine the actual tile size by butting 10 tiles together, measuring the total length and dividing by 10. Measure and mark the horizontal mid-height on all three walls. Measure and mark the mid-width of the back wall and use the 4-foot level to draw a vertical line.
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Shift the vertical line by one-half tile if the mid-width divided by the size of the tile results in less than one-half tile at the corners. Draw a vertical joint line at the midpoint of the side wall, starting with a full tile at the outside corner. Repeat on the other side wall.
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Set the bottom row of tiles on the back wall on a 1/4-inch shim strip. First check to see if the rim of the tub is level. If it is not, shim the strip itself until it is level.
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7
Mix thinset and apply it to the backer board using a square-notched trowel. Butter the back of the tiles with thinset and place tiles along back wall, one row at a time.
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8
Continue with tiling on the side wall by first setting a horizontal straightedge with one of the tile joints on the back wall. Once level, apply thinset and set the tiles. Start on the outside corner with whole tiles. If necessary, make a straight cut for any partial tiles that may be required in adjoining corners.
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9
Once tiles are set, remove the straightedge and hang the tile rows below, using masking tape to hold in place by taping to tiles that are set. Place and set all full field tiles before applying cut tiles.
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10
Mark, cut and set tile around the shower arm and shower controls. Allow the mortar to dry overnight.
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11
Mix the grout with a margin trowel, let rest for 10 minutes and then remix. Add liquid only if the grout is too stiff to spread.
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12
Spread the grout with a grout float. Hold the float at a shallow angle to the tile and press to grout into the joints. Remove the excess with the rubber float held at a steep angle to the tile making sure the direction is diagonal to the tiles.
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13
Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge. If the grout is too resistant to the sponge, use a plastic scrub pad, but avoid scrubbing the grout in the joints. Once rinsed, remove the haze left after sponging with a dry cloth. Alternate damp and dry wiping until the tile is clean.
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14
Cure the grout by misting with water several times a day for three days, which will increase the strength of the grout. Once cured, apply penetrating sealer to the grout joints with a sponge. Wipe off any excess within 10 minutes so the sealer does not dry on the tile.
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Caulk the tub and tile joints with bath and tub caulk that matches either the tile or the tub. Smooth the bead, if necessary, with a wet finger.
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Tips & Warnings
Use very clean water to regularly rinse the sponge when wiping off the excess grout. The more you rinse the sponge, the less has you will have to remove later. Once rinsed, remove as much water as possible so that the sponge is barely damp.
Wear gloves when applying grout, as prolonged exposure can cause skin irritation.
