How to Do Shower or Bathroom Tiling
Tiling a shower or bathroom can be a complicated household project. The addition of a moisture rich environment requires that you select your materials carefully. You'll have to choose mortar, tiles and grout that are moisture resistant, and set the tiles to the bathroom surface flawlessly to avoid weak bonds made worse by the water in the air. With all the elements of the project working together though, you can build a tiled wall that shrugs off the water and adds an attractive decorative element to your bathroom walls. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Moisture resistant drywall
- Tape
- Sandpaper
- Hammer
- Nails
- Chalk line
- Thin-set mortar
- Bucket
- Notched trowel
- Bathroom tiles
- Rubber mallet
- Plywood sheet
- Carpenter's level
- Grout
- Grout float
- Sponge
- Water
- Lint-free cloth
- Caulk
- Grout sealer
Instructions
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Prepare the surface of the walls for the installation of the tiles. Remove anything on the surface that may get in the way of your laying the tiles, such as shelves, fixtures, baseboards or trim. If tiling the shower, cover the drain with tape to prevent anything from falling down the drain. Remove wallpaper if present, and if the walls are painted sand the surface of the paint to remove any glossy finish.
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Install a moisture resistant drywall to the walls of the shower if you are tiling that area, to protect the walls from moisture leakage. To install the drywall, nail it securely in place to the existing wall or to the wall studs surrounding the shower enclosure.
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3
Chalk a guideline for the tile placement. The tiles should begin one-eighth of an inch above the shower basin, or floor of the bathroom wall. Measure the necessary distance above the starting level and string a chalk line between two points along the chosen height. Snap the chalk line against the wall to create a straight and level guiding line.
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Mix a batch of thinset mortar in a bucket. Spread the mortar onto the bathroom wall using a notched trowel. Spread the mortar to a uniform height and then tilt the trowel 45 degrees and use the notched edge to raise a series of ridges in the mortar. The ridges will provide an even spread of the mortar to the back of the installed tiles.
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Place the tiles into the spread mortar. Press the tiles firmly into the mortar, using the chalk guideline to set the first tile evenly. Use a slight twisting motion when setting the tiles in place to ensure the mortar spreads evenly along the back of the tiles. Remove the first tile and check the back for mortar coverage. If the surface of the tile is fully covered than the layer of mortar is sufficient, if not, spread more mortar to the wall's surface and reapply the ridges notching them higher by adjusting the trowel angle to 90 degrees.
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Continue to place the first row of tiles, using the guideline to keep the tiles even. Place two tile spacers between each tile to allow room for the tiles to move when the surface of the wall expands and contracts with temperature changes.
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Check that the tiles are placed levelly on the wall by overlaying a small plywood plank on the tiles, covering several at the joints and gently hitting the plank with a rubber mallet.
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Check the level of the rows of tiles by placing a carpenter's level atop a row of laid tiles. If any are out of position, adjust the tile placement while the mortar is still wet. Continue to lay the rows of tiles until you reach the desired height. In the shower enclosure, make sure that the rows of installed tiles extend to a height several inches above the shower head fixture, to guard against water backsplash. Cut the partial tiles surrounding the fixture so that they lay flush against the fixture opening and are covered by the fixture's base, when replaced.
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Finish the tile rows by placing trim tiles along the top row wall tiles if you aren't ending at the ceiling.
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Cut partial tiles when necessary using a tile cutter. For smaller cuts or curved cuts use tile nippers to snip the tiles as needed.
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Finish the installation by grouting the tiles. Remove the tile spacers and then apply the grout to the surface of the tiles using a grout float. Fill in the joints between the tiles completely. Wipe away any excess grout using a damp sponge. Wait 30 minutes for the grout residue left on the tiles to turn a dull haze, and then wipe away the grout residue using a clean lint-free cloth. Place a line of caulk at the edges of the tiled surface. Allow the grout to set for two weeks and then apply a layer of grout sealer to the surface of the tiles.
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Replace all fixtures, baseboards and trim removed prior to tile installation.
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Tips & Warnings
Safety goggles and gloves should be worn when mixing mortar to prevent skin and eye irritation from the material.
