How to Thinset a Marble Shower Wall
Thinset is a type of mortar used to install tiles. It's smoother and thinner than regular cement, but dries just as hard, ensuring your tiles stay put. It's applied with a trowel that has a row of small notches along the side, which forms the mortar into a combed pattern that increases its holding power, flattening out when you press tile into it. Thinset mortar is preferable to other types of tile adhesive when installing marble, as it's heavier than ceramic. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Level
- Thinset mortar
- Notched tiling trowel
- Marble wall tiles
- Spacers
- Wet saw
- Grout
- Grout squeegee
- Sponge
- Caulk
Instructions
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1
Measure the width of the first shower wall and mark the middle. Make a vertical line from bottom to top, using a level and pencil.
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2
Use a notched tiling trowel to spread thinset mortar onto the bottom half of the shower wall, from end to end.
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3
Press the bottom row of marble tiles into the thinset mortar, starting at the center line and working your way to the edges. Put tile spacers below the tiles to separate them from the shower floor, and between the tiles to separate them from each other.
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4
Use a wet saw to cut the two marble tiles at the ends of the wall, so they fit in the corners with a 1/4-inch gap left there.
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5
Set the next course above the first, in the same manner, starting at the center and building to the sides. Repeat, building up the wall course by course, spreading on more thinset mortar as you progress. Use your wet saw to cut each of the end tiles, and to cut around the shower fixtures as needed.
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6
Tile the whole wall, and the adjacent walls. Let the thinset mortar set for 12 hours. Pull out the spacers.
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7
Spread grout over each of the shower walls with a grout squeegee, using the squeegee to press the grout into the spaces between the marble tiles. Fill all the joints except the ones along the floor and the vertical corners. Wipe off the excess grout with a damp sponge.
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8
Allow the grout to dry for a full day. Run thin, smooth beads of caulk where the walls meet the floor, and in the vertical corners.
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