Bathroom Tiles Installation
- 1). Remove any existing wall coverings. Peel off wallpaper or break up and remove earlier bathroom tiles. Sand the walls as smooth as possible to remove grout, adhesive, or uneven surfaces. Wipe the walls down with a damp sponge and allow them to dry completely.
- 2). Measure the horizontal and vertical distances of the wall for the tile with a tape measure and make pencil marks at all four points. String a chalk line between the two horizontal marks and snap a line. Then string it again between the two vertical to snap a line there. This marks the exact center of the wall and provides your initial guidelines.
- 3). Spread adhesive over a section of the wall using a notched trowel. Start with the trowel aligned against the bottom section of the vertical line and draw it away toward the wall below the horizontal line. Cover an area approximately 2 feet square as evenly as possible to a depth of about 1/8 inch.
- 4). Place the first tile at the junction of the horizontal and vertical lines and press it fully into the adhesive. Align the sides with the chalk line to get it perfectly straight. Remove the tile and center it again if it comes out of alignment.
- 5). Insert a plastic spacer at the center of the side of the tile for the next piece to rest against. This ensures a consistent gap between tiles. Press the spacers lightly into the adhesive just to keep them in place. Continue laying tiles in this manner until you reach the end of that run.
- 6). Measure the remaining space in the wall with a tape measure and cut a piece of tile to fit this space using either tile snips or a wet saw. Lay these pieces in just as you would a full size tile.
- 7). Lay subsequent tiles and add additional adhesive as necessary to completely fill the wall. Use spacers and cut tiles just as you did previously. Leave the adhesive and tiles to dry in place overnight.
- 8). Mix grout mix and water in a 5-gallon bucket. Follow the manufacturer's instructions closely to use the appropriate amount of water for the grout mix needed. Stir the grout until it has the consistency of peanut butter and is thoroughly mixed.
- 9). Spread grout over the tile with a rubber float to fill the gaps between tiles. Work in small sections, just like with the adhesive. Pass over the tile in one direction to force grout into the gap and then come across the tiles a second time from a different direction to ensure a consistent fill.
- 10
Wipe excess grout from the tile faces using a soft sponge dipped in a bucket of warm water. Clean the tiles smoothly and don't press down while doing it to keep from pulling grout from between the tiles. Rinse the sponge regularly. Let the grout dry for 24 hours. - 11
Apply sealant to the grout lines to help protect the new-tiled wall from water damage in the bathroom.
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