DIY Kitchen Wall Tile Installation

Kitchen tiles should be chosen with the whole kitchen's decor in mind.

Kitchen walls can be covered in all kinds of different surfaces, but they tend to cry out for tile--especially ceramic, which is the age-old standard for kitchens because of its versatility and durability. Get glazed ceramic tiles (for easy cleanup), and make sure to think in terms of how the tile will work with the countertop, backsplashes and other parts of the kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Level
• Tile adhesive
• Notched adhesive trowel
• Ceramic wall tiles
• Tile spacers
• Score-and-snap tile cutter
• Grout
• Grout trowel (rubber)
• Caulk

Instructions

1. Mark the bottom of the wall at the height of a tile and add 1/4 inch. For example, if the tiles are 5 inches tall, the mark should be 5 1/4 inches up from the floor. Mark a level line across the wall at that height, using a level and a pencil. Re-measure all along the line to make sure there's no floor variation that makes any part of the line shorter than another. Adjust the line if necessary.

2. Use your level to make a vertical line at the middle of the wall's width, from the floor to the ceiling so it crosses the horizontal line from Step 1.

3. Spread tile adhesive over the bottom section of the wall, using an adhesive trowel. Cover an area from the floor up past the horizontal line.

4. Set the first tiles of the bottom row in place on either side of the vertical line, with the tops of the tiles lined up under the horizontal line. Put spacers between the tiles. Build outward along the bottom of the wall, using the horizontal line as your guide and putting spacers between all the tiles. The position of the line should create a 1/4-inch space under the tiles. Cut the tiles at the ends as needed to fit, using a score-and-snap tile cutter.

5. Build up the wall row-by-row, starting each row at the center vertical line and separating all the tiles with spacers. Tile the whole wall. Let it set overnight. Pull out the spacers.

6. Apply grout to the wall with a grout trowel, starting at the top and moving down, pressing the grout into the spaces between the lines. Do all the lines except the horizontal 1/4-inch line along the bottom of the floor. Use a damp sponge to wipe up the excess grout.

7. Allow the grout to cure for three or four days. Run a bead of caulk along the horizontal line at the bottom of the wall.

References

• TheTileDoctor.com: Tiling a Wall