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There is nothing mysterious about tiling a wall. With the right surface, materials and tools, it's a project even a beginner can complete easily and quickly.
Material
Your local dealer will be happy to assist you in selecting and estimating the tile and other materials for your project. These will include; tile, mastic, mastic solvent or clean up, grout and tub caulking.
Tools
Gather the following tools before you begin. The list includes several items commonly found around the house, plus a few special tools you may wish to rent or buy. Consult your local dealer.
- Measuring tape (preferably steel) or yardstick
- Pencil. A chalk line can also be useful.
- Level. A plumb line (a string with a weight tied to the end) will also be needed if your level does not determine vertical lines.
- Furring strips: 2 x 1/4. Optional, but very helpful. These must be very straight or their value is lost. If you use them, you will also need a hammer and 1 finishing nails.
- 1/8 V notched trowel (adhesive spreader).
- Tile nippers or a pair of strong pliers.
- Pointed trowel, putty knife or old knife.
- Tile cutter, or glass cutter and short length of dowel or coat hanger wire. Note; glass cutters dull quickly.
- Whetstone for smoothing rough cut edges.
- Container for mixing grout (1 gallon bucket).
- Rubber surfaced trowel, squeegee or firm sponge.
- Popsicle sticks, pencil erasers, or tooth brush handles.
- Polished cloth (old towels or cloths).
- Rubber gloves if you wish to use them.
With the tiles and tools at handy you are ready to follow these four simple steps to complete a professional looking tile installation.
Step 1: Prepare the wall surface
Surfaces onto which tile may be applied are:
- Plaster-new, completely dried; or old with paint well scratched to provide enough gripto hold tile.
- Various types of wallboards-walls of this type must be firm with no warping or give. Dry wall should be waterproofed if it is not already.
- Cinderblock
- Exterior grade plywood
- Smooth concrete
- Other-surfaces, such as existing tile, maybe tilled over, but require special treatment. Talk it over with your local tile dealer. Then go ahead.
Any painted walls must be well scratched as mentioned before.
The walls are ready to receive tile when the surface is CLEAN, grease and soap free, WATERPROOF, DRY and FLAT, with no loose particles of paint, plaster, dust, etc. This may require washing, sanding, scraping or filling.
Step 2: Square-off the walls.
This involves finding the appropriate horizontal and vertical lines on which to begin applying the tile.
First use the level to locate the lowest point of the wall you are tiling. Floors and tubs are often uneven. At this point, use the level to draw a perfectly horizontal line one full tile height above the floor or tub line.
You may choose to nail a very straight furring strip below and against this line to assist in the even application of tiles and to prevent tiles from slipping out of the line and down the surface of the wall.
Find the center of the wall. Lay tiles side by side along the floor from this point to the right corner or end of the area to be tiled.
If this is not possible, mark off a strip of wood in tile widths
and use this to calculate the location of the tiles. If less than 1/2 a tile would be needed to finish the row, move the center point to the left 2 1/4. This adjustment will insure a larger piece of tile at either end, and thus a more attractive installation. Use your level or plumb line to draw an exactly vertical line at the center point from bottom to top of the area to be tiled.
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Step 3: Apply the tile to the wall.
Decide where to start. If there is an outside corner or edge, start there and go to the inner corner. Otherwise, start at the center point. Proceed in the order shown.
Holding the notched trowel at a 30-45 degree angle, apply the mastic evenly. Cover only a few square feet at a time until you get the hang of it. Apply no more than you can cover with tile in 30 minutes. For hard to reach areas, spread mastic on the back of each tile before placement.
Place the tiles carefully, in the order shown.
Either flop them up into position form the bottom edge, or press them into place with a slight twist. Too much sliding will force mastic up into the joints. Press firmly into place. Use the level often to check horizontal and vertical alignment of the tiles as you work.
After all whole tiles have been applied, wipe away any mastic in unoccupied spaces. Do not allow it to dry. Allow the tiles to set for 4-5 hours before removing the furring strips (if used) and applying the cut tiles.
Cutting tiles is not difficult. If a tile cutter is not used, scratch the glazed tile face with a glass cutter and a straight edge at the desired cutting line. With glazed side up, lay the tile on top of a dowel (a pencil or coat hanger wire will do). Press downward on both sides of tile for a clean break.
Smooth cut edges with the whetstone. To make curved cuts or notches, mark area to be removed with a pencil. Use the nippers or pliers to cautiously nip away the waste, a little at a time. If cuts are to be covered by the fixture plates, perfection is not required. To apply a tile completely around a pipe, first cut tile in half then nip away the space for the pipe.
Remove any mastic on the face of the tile with mastic solvent of a razor blade. Allow tiles to set at least 24 hours before proceeding with step four.
Step 4: Apply the grout.
Mix the grout according to package instructions.
Use the rubber faced trowel, squeegee or firm sponge to spread grout diagonally across the face of the tile, and thus into the joints.
Wipe excess grout away with a clean damp sponge. Use a popsicle stick, eraser or toothbrush handle to remove excess grout from joints.
Remove any grout that accumulates in the spaces between tub and tile. The space should be filled with tub caulking to insure a tight waterproof seal. After the grout dries enough to form a haze on tile, polish the surface with a dry cloth. To insure the lasting beauty of your tile installation, coat the grout with a silicone sealer to protect it from dirt or discoloration.
And that's all there is to a professional looking tile job. So go ahead and do it! |
