When you want to tile bathroom walls, you need to do two things to get the work done quickly and efficiently: the first is to get organized and the second is to work methodically. The entire project can be done in three days for around a hundred dollars.
Get Organized
Make sure you have all the right tools and materials before you even start. It is so much easier to tile a wall when you are prepared, rather than interrupting the flow of your work by rushing to the local home improvement store.
Checklist Of Tools
- measuring tape
- 4-ft. level
- stud finder
- utility knife
- tile adhesive
- drill
- grout sealant
- silicone caulk
- rubber grout float
- tile grout
- notched trowel
- fiberglass joint tape
- galvanized screws
- sponge
- joint compound
- joint knife
- tile stick
- plastic tile spacers
- carpenter’s pencil
- tile cutter
- wood block
- towel
Checklist Of Materials
- ceramic wall tiles
- cement backer board (A backer board is a drywall-like product behind ceramic tile.)
Work Methodically
Once you have all your tools and materials, you should follow a logical order of actions. A step-by-step approach will get the job done much faster and neater than figuring things out as you go.
Here is the entire process explained in twenty steps:
1. Begin by measuring all the areas you will be working on.
2. Once you have your widths and heights written down, take this to your home improvement store to determine the number of tiles and backer boards that you will need.
3. Then, back home with your supplies, draw a height line around the tub by using a level.
4. Check the wall and fix any holes. You should patch before installing the backer board. Using your stud finder, locate and mark the studs.
5. Score the backer board with your utility knife and drill pilot holes in it where the studs will go.
6. After applying adhesive to the wall, screw in the backer boards into the walls. It’s recommended that you use galvanized screws.
7. Using your fiberglass joint tape, cover all the seams.
8. Then using your joint knife, apply one coat of joint compound.
9. Take a short break, giving the compound time to dry, securing your backer board in place.
10. Before applying the ceramic tiles make a note to apply full tiles in the most visible areas. Only apply cut tiles in the areas least noticed.
11. With a tile stick spread out the tiles on the ground and use the plastic spacers. The tiles should be laid out in a row.
12. Mark grout and tile space with a pencil.
13. Find the wall’s center point. With a level, draw a vertical line through it; then, using the tile stick, mark both the horizontal and vertical tile spots. You should end up with a checker pattern.
14. Next, measure for the center point on the wall. This will be the starting point. Using a level, draw a vertical line though the center point.
15. Use your trowel to spread adhesive on a part of the wall, then set your first tile. Maintain level grout lines with spacers. Cut tiles when needed. For the trim, apply round-edged bull nose tiles.
16. After placing all tiles, tap them with a wooden block wrapped in a towel to make sure they’re all settled in.
17, Spread grout and work diagonally from one tile to the next. Don’t grout the joints along the tub.
18. Then wipe the tiles with a dampened cloth, working firmly but also gently.
19. Use silicone caulk to fill the gap between the tiles and the tub.
20. Finally, after two days, seal the tiles by using a square sponge to apply the sealant on the grout lines.
