How to Tile a Shower/Tub Surround, Part 1: Laying the Tile

Thinking virtually how to tile a shower or tub surround? Tiling a floor or a backsplash is one thing; tiling a water-heavy area similar a shower or tub environment might seem like an entirely different story.

how to tile a shower View in gallery

Merely, truthfully, the process of tiling is similar in all these instances. But a few tweaks of strategy and technique, and you'll be able to successfully tile your tub surround (or shower) in the nigh water-safe way possible. And nosotros've got a step by step tutorial to prove you just how to tile a shower or tub surround yourself!

You may accept already read our articles on how to remove one-time tile from a tub surround and how to prepare a tub surround for tile. This tutorial will walk y'all through the steps how to tile a shower that non only looks astonishing, only that functions perfectly for you, your family unit, and/or your guests besides. Information technology's a process that requires patience and precision, but it's not terribly hard.

What You Demand to Tile a Tub or Shower Environs

  • Thin-set
  • Tiles of selection
  • Trowel
  • Spacers
  • Tile cutter
DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround - prepare the wall View in gallery

How to tile a shower

Before you brainstorm really tiling the prepped walls, it'due south a good idea to decide where to start, and if starting with a full tile is in your space'due south best interest. The terminal matter yous want to practice is begin throwing tiles up on the wall and realize that your concluding row needs to exist one/2″ tile strips, or something similar.

measure the width of your widest wall View in gallery

One recommendation is to measure the width of your widest wall (or the wall you want to start tiling), mark a vertical line at the eye point, then tile outward from in that location (if your initial measurements accommodate that). This will effect in a perfectly symmetrical tile task.

Another method, and the one employed in this tutorial, is to measure the width of your wall, and then separate by the width of your tiles plus one infinite (in this case, four" tiles and 1/8" spaces means four-1/viii" required per column).

If the number ends upward with more than a half of a tile width left over (which will be the width of your last column), then you can kickoff tiling in the corner. (I personally prefer this method because of the wall corner to aid guide the vertical line of tiles.)

purchase powder thinset or pre-mixed thinset View in gallery

Step 1: Get Thin-set up set

Y'all can purchase powder Thin-set or pre-mixed Thin-set. For this tub surroundings, we used almost 4-1/ii gallons of premixed Sparse-ready – you lot may use more than or less, depending on the cut of the trowel you lot use and the size of your tile, but that might help in your estimations.

Tip: If you plan on using a white or light-colored grout, choose white Thin-prepare. If your grout will be grey or dark-colored, employ grey Sparse-gear up.

Good place to lay tape View in gallery

Footstep 1: Start spreading Thin-set before installing tiles

Wherever your starting point is, spread Thin-set in that expanse in about a 2' foursquare space. You don't want to get as well large with your Sparse-set spaces, considering information technology will beginning to dry before you get all the tiles placed.

Neither practice you want to spread Thin-set on a tiny infinite, because that takes a lot more than time to tile the whole shower that way. It also increases the likelihood of an uneven tiled face across your wall.

Tip: Not shown, merely highly recommended, is to lay painters record along any adjoining surface that you don't desire Thin-set on. This stuff tin can be messy, and your cleanup will be much easier with a bit of prep.

Run your trowel over the thinset View in gallery

Stride Two: Create line for tiles to stick to

Run your trowel over the Thin-set to create lines. Horizontally or vertically, information technology doesn't really matter which management your trowel goes. The important matter is that each of the "crests" of Thin-prepare are of equal depths in terms of coming out from the hardibacker. This is key for a smooth finished tile surface.

Place your first tile in the thinset View in gallery

Step 3: Begin to tile the tub surround

Identify your outset tile in the Thin-fix, pressing firmly and with even pressure. Use a level along the acme edge of the tile to brand sure y'all're starting out foursquare. This is disquisitional, particularly on these first few tiles, considering they volition be the foundation for laying the remainder of the tiles.

If the get-go one is kleptomaniacal, information technology's likely that the residuum of your wall will be kleptomaniacal. Take a little more time hither at the beginning to become information technology perfect.

Make any adjustments necessary View in gallery

Brand whatsoever adjustments necessary to get the tile completely level – both from the forepart and from the side. Then move on to your next tile.

starting your tiling in a corner View in gallery

Step Iv: Use staircase method to tile the shower surround

If you lot are starting your tiling in a corner, I recommend laying the tiles in a format I like to call the "staircase process." It provides plenty of support for each tile and keeps every row and column exactly in line with its neighboring rows and columns. Basically, this ways lay your tiles down similar stairs, working from the top down equally y'all expand the number of tiled columns.

remove this excess thinset View in gallery

Step 5: Remove excess Thin-fix

As each tile is placed, y'all will be pushing information technology into the Thin-set to create a flat tiled face. Sometimes, some Thin-set might squeeze out betwixt the tile and an side by side tile. You desire to remove this excess Sparse-set up, considering that gap needs to be kept clear for grout.

Tip: Employ a spacer to scrape away whatever extra Thin-ready in the gaps.

bit of extra thinset View in gallery

Yous can see a bit of extra Sparse-fix that this spacer wiped abroad. I tossed these bits back into my Thin-set bucket considering they were nonetheless moist; however, if they've started to dry for some reason, you will want to toss them out.

groove pretty quickly View in gallery

Tip for Tiling a Tub or Shower Surround

You'll find your groove pretty rapidly, peculiarly if it'southward a plain wall with no obstacles or obstructions. However, tiling a tub surround or shower is a large job, and there's a proficient chance that the realities of your life won't permit y'all cease it in one fell dive. If for whatever reason you need to take a break, just wipe abroad whatsoever exposed Thin-set with your putty knife.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround - edges View in gallery

You want the surfaces side by side to every tile'southward edges to exist smoothen and flat, so that you can hands pick up where you left off with laying fresh Thin-gear up.

wipe off any thinset drips View in gallery

Step 6: Remove stale Thin-set

If yous do have to interruption tiling for a while, it'south a adept thought to wipe off any Thin-ready drips while the Thin-prepare is still wet. This will save you so much time and effort in the long run. If, nonetheless, you miss some drops, and they harden, all is not lost. Take a file and an former towel.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround - towel cleaning View in gallery

Double the towel up and wrap it effectually the file blade.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- blade View in gallery

Being careful that the file bract never touches the porcelain (it tin can chip the porcelain), scrape away whatsoever stale bits of Thin-set. If the blade starts cutting through the towel, reposition it in another section of towel. There should e'er be a towel buffer between your file blade and the porcelain.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround - staircase tiling View in gallery

Step 7: Continue to tile the tub surround

Continue this staircase procedure for as long as you can, working your manner down each staircase.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround - material View in gallery

Pace Eight: Installing a single tile in a tub surround

Although it's best to lay Thin-set over a relatively large space, you may run into instances where y'all need or desire to lay single tiles. Do this by spreading Thin-ready onto the dorsum of a tile, and so troweling your lines at the same depth as what you've been doing on the walls.

Tip: Y'all tin slightly arrange the trowel line depth by changing the angle of your trowel as you make the sweep – the more perpendicular your trowel is to the tile, the deeper your Sparse-prepare will be and, consequently, the college your tile volition sit down off the hardibacker.

troweled tile back View in gallery

With your troweled tile back, you lot can place the single tile in place. Accept intendance to button it in toward the wall with even pressure level on all edges and corners and so that the tile lines upwardly affluent with its neighboring tiles.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-add spacers View in gallery

Pace 9: Add together spacers

Add together spacers just as you do when every tile is placed. This is key when you tile a tub environment.

Tiling around obstacles such as tub View in gallery

Step Ten: Tile effectually obstacles

Tiling effectually obstacles such as tub or shower fixtures, shelves, or windows, volition require a bit more than time and patience (and, most likely, tile cuts). At this betoken in my staircase method, I needed to cut an L-shaped tile to continue the staircase. Hold up a whole tile in the spot, double-checking the spacing (you lot can even add spacers here if you'd like).

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-pencil draw View in gallery

Stride Eleven: Draw the cut lines

With a pencil, depict along the edge of the window an outline of the L to be cut.

Tip: You tin too brand these measurements and depict onto the front of your tile accordingly; however, if possible, this method tends to be more accurate and efficient than making measurements and accurately transferring them, merely because there are fewer steps to allow error.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-line on the back View in gallery

Step Twelve: Cut the tiles

Your lines will be on the dorsum of the tile, and then y'all will demand to advisedly extend those lines onto the tile edges so they're visible on the front of the tile. And then follow this tutorial on how to utilise a tile wet saw to brand your cuts.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- perfect l shaped shape View in gallery

So y'all've cutting your perfect Fifty-shaped tile. Nice work.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-install View in gallery

Step Xiii: Dry fit the tile in the tub surroundings

Dry fit it into your L-shaped space; if it looks like a perfect fit (which it hopefully does), you're fix to attach it.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- L-shaped space View in gallery

Step Fourteen: Applying the cut tile to the shower environs

Because the Fifty-shaped space itself might be tricky to apply an even layer of Thin-set onto directly, this is an case where applying Thin-set onto the tile itself might be more accurate and effective. So spread on a bit of Sparse-prepare to the back of your cut tile.

trowel over the thinset View in gallery

Run your trowel over the Thin-set to create your even lines.

Attach the L-shaped piece View in gallery

Adhere the L-shaped piece into its space, pressing firmly and evenly so the face of this tile is flush with the faces of its adjacent tiles.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-adjust the angles View in gallery

Pace Fifteen: Adapt and add spacers

Adjust angles so it's squared upward, then place spacers in the gaps to hold it in place.

Scrape away any excess thinset View in gallery

Stride 16: Clear away mess

Scrape away any backlog Sparse-set, if applicative, from the sides of the newly placed tile. Y'all want the window sill to be completely polish and flat for when it'due south time to lay those tiles.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-admire View in gallery

Footstep back. It looks bully; you now know how to effectively and efficiently cut oddly shaped tiles and lay them effectually obstacles. Continue your staircase method of laying tiles.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-draw View in gallery

Pace Seventeen: Continue to tile the tub surround

For the next tier of the staircase method, you may need to simply cut off role of a tile. You tin also apply a measuring tape for this cut, but I preferred the hold-tile-and-draw-line strategy.

For straight cuts View in gallery

Making Straight Cuts When You Tile a Tube Surround

For straight cuts, you can hold the tile upward with the face toward the wall when you lot draw your line so that your line is fatigued directly onto the tile face (as opposed to the line on the back of the tile). This only works for direct cuts, though – don't exercise this for L-shaped cuts or annihilation else fancy, or your cuts will be exactly opposite of what you demand.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-factory cut View in gallery

Subsequently you've made your straight cut, your tile will have one factory-cut end and 1 tile wet saw-cut end. Whichever cut you made should be placed away from the remainder of the tiles, if possible, because information technology volition likely be sharper and not slightly tapered like the factory tile edges.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- window tiling View in gallery

In this instance, place the cut side up toward the window because it will be covered with bullnose tile when we go to tile the window frame. Do a dry fit to make certain your cutting is perfect; adjust if needed.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- spacers View in gallery

And then trowel on your Thin-set and place the tile for real. Add spacers.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-cuts View in gallery

Pre-Cut Tile for the Shower Surroundings

In places where you'll need to cut every tile to proceed your staircase method, you'll need to await ahead and make some cuts before y'all use your Thin-gear up.

This is necessary (to cutting before Thin-setting) because: a) you can mensurate more easily without Thin-set on the hardibacker, b) you tin can make more than accurate dry fits when in that location'southward no Thin-set in place, and c) the Thin-ready will start to harden if you have to brand a lot of cuts and adjustments subsequently information technology's spread out. Basically, to make your calculations, you'll demand 3 main measurements: A, B, and C. (B = one-half the tile peak, which has been the spacing used between tile columns throughout.)

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- measure View in gallery

Tips for Measuring Tiles for Cut

I only measured the width of my window to calculate how many columns I needed, and subsequently how many of each size of tile (Due west, 10, Y, or Z) that I'd demand. Although typically I recommend taking one cut at a time, in this case, I determined it prophylactic (due to equal vertical measurements in a higher place both corners of the window to the ceiling) to cutting all the tiles needed for the above-window section. Here are the calculations:

A + B = Tile Westward

A = Tile X

B + C = Tile Y

C = Tile Z

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-round cut View in gallery

Step Xviii: Cutting tile for pipe hole

Another obstruction that you will likely run into when tiling a shower or tub surround is the plumbing equipment, such as the tub faucet, mixer valve, or shower head. As you can run into from the photograph, this tub faucet falls directly in line with a tile. This tutorial shows how to use a tile drill bit sized perfectly for just such pipe.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-measure and cut View in gallery

Step Nineteen: Measure tile for hole

Measure and mark on your tile where your cut volition need to go.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-drill View in gallery

Attach the tile chip to your drill.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-diamond blade View in gallery

This is a diamond blade, and y'all can see hither that information technology'due south a circular blade that's hollowed out. The fleck is one-one/8" in diameter, a perfect size for standard i/2″ pipe outlets (or even slightly larger).

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-tile on top View in gallery

Footstep Twenty: Cutting hole in tile

Place your tile on top of a scrap board so that when your drill bit gets through the tile information technology has somewhere "soft" to land.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-drill takes time View in gallery

You will probably desire to do on a scrap piece of tile, as the drill fleck takes a little getting used to. I recommend having a partner help yous agree the tile securely as you drill.

If you don't have that option, however, secure the tile with your knees then you lot have both hands free to push – Difficult – on your drill until the chip "takes." I constitute it about constructive to place my drill at a slight angle rather than aimed directly perpendicular at the face of the tile, but this might be but personal preference.

Drill out your circumvolve fleck.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround- drill fit View in gallery

Step 20 1: Dry fit the tile for the tub surround

Dry fit your tile; if information technology fits perfectly (fingers crossed!), then install it with your Thin-set up. Proceed your staircase method on this wall and all others until the entire tub surround/shower is tiled.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-tile saw View in gallery

(Visit our tile moisture saw beginner'due south guide for tips on cut the tile to fit around larger curved areas, such as the tub mixer valve.)

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround-full tiling above the window View in gallery

Step Twenty Two: Tile around shower window

Final, if your shower or tub has a window, you'll desire to lay bullnose tile on the inner window sill surfaces. Many tile types have bullnose tiles available; this oversized subway tile (iv"x12") had accompanying 4" bullnose squares, which were perfect for this window sill.

The important matter to recollect with this bullnose tiling is to keep the bullnose-to-tile-edges smooth and nonetheless there are no sharp tile edges exposed or places for water to inadvertently puddle.

DIY Tile Shower Tub Surround Project View in gallery

Double-check all tiles to make sure they are staying in identify. When you're satisfied that they are, let the Sparse-set dry completely. Congratulations! You're just one step abroad from completing your tiled tub environs / shower! It's looking beautiful. Exist sure to check out our tutorial for grouting and sealing the grout to consummate your project.

Note: The author is an experienced, although not professional person, DIYer. Neither the author nor Homedit is responsible for any injury or damage that may be a issue of following this tutorial.

rangelanings.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.homedit.com/how-to-tile-a-shower/

0 Response to "How to Tile a Shower/Tub Surround, Part 1: Laying the Tile"

Post a Comment

Iklan Atas Artikel

Iklan Tengah Artikel 1

Iklan Tengah Artikel 2

Iklan Bawah Artikel