How to Fit Your Own Bathroom Wall Tiles - By: jackauthors

When it comes to lining the walls of your bathroom or shower area, tiles are the most obvious choice. There are just so many patterns, textures and colours to choose from!

Many people will think that Bathroom wall tiles will have to be fitted by a professional... However, it is actually surprisingly easy to do by yourself, even if you have had no tiling experience whatsoever! As long as you take your time and follow some simple instructions, then you should have no problems carrying out this type of job.

Getting Prepared.

When you are going to fit tiles, preparation is of paramount importance. The wall(s) should be clean, dry and level and any wallpaper or flaky paint must be removed.

You will also need to make your own ‘tile gauge’. This is basically just a wooden batten with your tile widths marked along its edge. Lay a piece of softwood on the floor and place several tiles alongside it (if your tiles are squared edged, then you will also need to put spacers between each of these). Once they are all in position, mark the edges of each tile along the batten. You now have your own tile gauge!

Marking Out.

Firstly, you will need to mark the wall where bottom edge of your lowest row of tiles will be. Nail a temporary batten to the wall on this mark and use a spirit level to ensure that it is straight. Now find the centre measurement of the wall and mark it.

Use your ‘tile gauge’ to set out the rows of tiles on either side of this. This will ensure that you end up with an even gap on each side of the wall. If there is a feature such as a window in the wall, use this as your starting point instead. Again, find its centre and measure outwards in each direction.

Once you have finished marking out to the left and right, fix another batten to the wall where the final full row of tiles will end on the left-hand side. Your bathroom wall tiles will be starting from this edge.

Applying Your Adhesive.

Most tile adhesives will come ready mixed and these are the best ones to use. However, you will need to check that it is waterproof. When you are fitting bathroom wall tiles they will be in constant contact with water!

Once you have an appropriate adhesive, begin applying it to your wall. Working from the bottom left-hand side, cover a square metre with adhesive. Use the serrated edge of a tile spreader to ensure this is applied as evenly as possible.

Fitting Your Full Bathroom Wall Tiles.

Your first full tile will need to be fitted against the two battens in the bottom left-hand corner. Don’t forget that you will need to place spacers between your tiles as you are working.

Gently press each tile into the adhesive and then wriggle it into position. Keep a damp cloth or sponge with you as you work and make a point of removing any adhesive from the face of the tiles.

When you have filled this area, apply another metre square patch of adhesive. Continue to fix your tiles and keep checking that they are flush with one another as you go along.
Once you have completed the wall(s) and the adhesive has had enough time to dry, the battens can carefully be removed.

Fitting Your Cut Bathroom Wall Tiles.

Now it is time to add the border tiles to the edges of the main area. Each tile will need cutting to size and it is important to use proper accurate cutting equipment. Place each border tile face down with one of its edges against the wall. Mark where it has to be cut, but don’t forget to allow for your spacers!

When using a tile cutter, you should always score across the face of your tiles in one clean stroke. After doing this, place the scored part of your tile over a length of wire and gently press down either side. Any rough edges can be smoothed down with a tile sanding tool.

Working Around Pipes or Appliances.

Fitting your bathroom wall tiles around a pipe or other round object can be a little tricky. However, there is a clever way of doing this... Try to work it so that two tiles will butt up to the offending object; this way you will be able to cut partial curves in your tiles rather than full ones!

Mark around pipes or other awkward objects carefully and use a cardboard template whenever possible. To cut a curve it will be necessary to use a tile saw. If you take your time with this, then you should get some pretty accurate results.

Grouting Your Bathroom Wall Tiles.

Remember - Any tiles that will come into regular contact with water must finished-off with waterproof grout!

Always allow at least twenty-four hours for the tile adhesive to dry properly before you attempt to grout between your tiles. Apply your grout with a proper rubber-bladed spreader and push it firmly into each of the joins. Continue with this process until the whole wall is completed and make sure that any excess grout is wiped away with a damp cloth.

After the grout has begun to harden, you will need to run a piece of dowel along each join. This will help to ensure that you have a nice uniform finish between each of your new bathroom wall tiles!

Sealing Around Your Fittings.

Your final task will be to seal around any of your bathroom fittings. Shower trays, baths and sinks will all need a waterproof sealant around them where they meet the wall. It is always advisable to use a silicone-based compound and most of these should include a fungicide to boot!

About the Author

The Tile Depot are a leading online tile store with unbeatable prices. For more information please visit http://www.thetiledepot.co.uk

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