How to Place Tiles in the Kitchen

Aside from the bathroom, the kitchen is the most popular setting for wall tiles. Kitchen wall tiles add a decorative visual element, while protecting the walls from the heat and moisture inherent in the room. Kitchen wall tiles are installed in the same manner as any other wall tiles. You can use any type of tile you want, but make sure they are sealed. Unsealed tiles will absorb stains. Start with a firm, clean wall.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Level
• Tile mortar
• Notched trowel
• Sealed wall tiles
• Tile spacers
• Tile cutter
• Grout float
• Grout
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Make a horizontal line along the base of the wall, using your pencil and level. The line should be at the height of a tile, with an additional quarter inch. So, if the tiles are 6 inches high, the line should be 6 1/4 inches up from the floor.

2. Mark a vertical line through the middle of the wall, from the floor to the top.

3. Use a notched trowel to spread tile mortar along the bottom of the wall, under the line, down to the floor, from end to end.

4. Set the lowest row of tiles into the mortar, beginning at the center line and spanning to the sides. The tops of the tiles should be lined up with the horizontal line, which will leave a quarter-inch space under them. Put spacers between the tiles as you hang them.

5. Use a tile cutter to cut the tiles at the ends of the lines to fit, as needed.

6. Spread additional mortar on the wall, above the bottom row of tiles. Press in the next row of tiles above the first, working your way across. Cut the tiles at the ends as needed.

7. Repeat, working your way up the wall course by course, spreading more mortar as needed. Do the whole wall.

8. Let the mortar set for 12 hours. Pull out the spacers.

9. Grout the wall with a grout float, spreading the grout onto the tiles from the top and working your way down. Press the grout into the spaces between the tiles. Wipe off the excess grout with a damp sponge.

References

• The Tile Doctor: Tiling Walls