How to Tile a Shower on an Exterior Wall
- 1). Lay 10 tiles in a row, on the floor. Place a 4-foot level underneath the row and adjust the tiles until they are in a perfectly straight line. Measure the row's length and divide by 10. Use this number when planning how to lay out your tiles on the exterior wall.
- 2). Measure the exterior wall's height, from the tub's lip, and divide by two. Transfer this measurement to the exterior wall to mark its center. Divide the height from the tub's lip to the center mark by the number you got in Step 1. If you end up with less than 1/2 a tile, shift the center line up slightly so you end with a full tile. This will ensure that your only row of partial tiles will be along the top of the wall.
- 3). Hold a level against the exterior shower wall, at the center mark. Adjust the level so it runs straight across the wall, then trace along the level's top edge with a pencil.
- 4). Measure the exterior shower wall's length and divide it in half. Measure the distance between the center mark and the wall's left corner, then the wall's right corner. Divide these measurements by the tile's width. Shift the center mark so the row of tiles near both the right and left corners will be equal widths. Hold a level against the wall at this center mark and adjust it so it runs straight up and down. Trace along the level with a pencil. You now have two intersecting lines and four quadrants.
- 5). Apply a layer of tile mastic to the bottom right quadrant, using a mastic trowel. Use the trowel's ridged side to scrap ridges into the mastic.
- 6). Press a full tile into the mastic, starting in the corner where the two lines intersect. Line up two of the tile's sides with the two lines. Push the tile firmly into the tile mastic. Apply a second tile next to the first one. The tiles' spacers should be tight against each other. Work your way across and down until you cannot apply anymore full tiles in the quadrant.
- 7). Hold a full tile over the gap between the last full tile and the exterior shower wall's corner. Mark on the tile where it overlaps the full tile. Place the tile in a tile cutter and line up the mark with the cutting wheel. Push the tile cutter's fence against the tile's edge, now you do not need to measure any more tiles along this edge of the exterior wall.
- 8). Apply pressure to the cutting wheel, using the handle, and score the tile. Bring the cutting wheel near the tile's center and push down to snap the tile at the score line. Set the cut tile in the mastic and cut a new tile to the same width. Continue until you have completely tiled that quadrant, then move on to the bottom left quadrant, the top right quadrant and the top left quadrant.
- 9). Wait approximately 12 hours for the mastic to set. Mix tile grout with either water or latex additive, according to the manufacturer's directions. Scoop some grout onto a rubber trowel and spread it over the tile in a diagonal motion. Push it deep between each tile.
- 10
Wait 20 minutes. Wipe the tiles clean with a damp sponge, but do not wipe the grout out from between the tiles. Wait 24 hours, then wipe the tiles with a clean towel to remove any grout residue. - 11
Put a tube of silicone caulk in a caulk gun. Apply an even bead of caulk along the gap between the tile and the tub's lip. Use your finger to smooth it.
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