Are you plotting for a bathroom remodeling? Do you have a plan of tiling your bathroom wall? There are many factors that you should consider. You will note that tiling your bathroom is an excellent way to renovate your bathroom.
Besides tiling the floor, you can consider tiling the walls of your bathrooms. The good news is that these tiles will be easy to clean and maintain. For instance, if you choose ceramic tiles, you can trust that such tiles will be water repellent and need little maintenance.
When it comes to tiling your bathroom wall, you can use large tiles for this purpose. By using large tiles, you will make the bathroom look bigger. This is because the larger the tiles, the fewer the grout lines there are.
As a result, the grout lines usually makes the room appear to open up and look more streamlined. If you want to tile your bathroom wall with large tiles, there are several steps that you should follow. These include:
Contents
Cleaning and preparation
Before you start tiling your bathroom wall, you should first ensure that the surface is well prepared. Here, you should ensure that the wall is smooth and is freshly prepared. This goes a long way in ensuring that you get professional results in the end.
In any case, fixing any mistakes after you have tiled your bathroom wall can be very expensive. Therefore, there is a need to take more time in this undertaking.
The first step here is to wash your wall. When tiling your bathroom wall, you should ensure that the wall will be waterproof, smooth, and stable.
In this case, you should consider applying a tile backer board. However, before you do this step, you should first prepare the wall underneath.
If you already have an old adhesive or paint on the bathroom wall, you should remove it. Thereafter, you can consider washing it using a TSP solution.
This solution will help you remove any dirt and grease from the surface. Also, this will help your tile backer board and the tiles to stick to the wall properly.
Use a gauge stick to lay your tiles
You will note that one of the easiest ways to lay your large tiles well is to create your own gauge stick. A gauge sticks basically refer to a piece of wood that you have marked the side of your tiles along it. The good news is that this stick can help you to space your tiles well.
You should take your tile and align it horizontally against the gauge stick. Then, you can mark the end of the tiles on the stick. Follow this trend all along the stick until you run out of space.
Also, you should not forget to include a room for a tile space between each tile. This process should not take you long since you are using large tiles to calibrate the stick.
Once this is done, turn the tile vertically and then repeat the same process on a different stick. For correct measurements, you should ensure that you have a gauge stick for measuring the length and the width of the tiles.
Apply a tile backer board
For you to create a strong, dry surface that you can tile onto, you should consider using a tile backer board. It is worth noting that a tile backer board is usually compatible with different types of tiles.
Regardless of the material used to make your tiles, you can be sure that they can be affixed to a tile backer board.
Also, this tile backer board usually provides a completely waterproof surface. This makes it ideal for wet areas such as the bathroom walls.
If you are looking for an easy way to prepare the surface of your bathroom walls, you should consider applying this tile backer board. It is usually available in most DIY stores.
When buying this board, you should ensure that you have taken the measurements of the space that you want to tile so that you can know how much you will eventually purchase. It is advisable that you apply the boards according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Map out your guidelines
Here, you should consider using a spirit level across both the width and the length of the wall to find the center point. You will realize that this line can be used as a guide point and will ensure that your tiles look right.
You should now use that gauge stick that you had used earlier on by placing it on the end of the wall to align the width of the line that you have drawn. Thereafter, you can draw the guidelines that are marked along the gauge stick onto the wall. This will actually act as a map to guide you when you are applying the tiles on the wall.
At the edges and the corners of the bathroom walls, you should trim the larger tiles down to size. Here, you can mark the smaller end tiles on your wall so that you can know the size to cut the large tiles down to. By doing this, you will make accurate cuttings.
Install the large tiles on the bathroom wall
Having undertaken the above-mentioned step, time is ripe for you to install the tiles on the bathroom wall. For you to have an easy time doing this, you should start laying the tiles from the bottom of the wall, moving upwards.
Here, you should place the tiles against the wall and then add a tile spacer to the side of it. By doing this, you will be able to leave room for the adhesive that will help secure the tiles onto the wall. You can install one tile after the other until you are done.
There is no need to cut the tiles unless it is the end tiles that complete the row. Tile cutter can help you cut the tiles that you want. All you need to do is to mark where you need to cut the tile using a pencil. You can then draw on the back of the tile to avoid discoloring it.
For great results, you should align the pencil mark with the tile cutter. You should do this all the way along the width of the wall. Once you have laid the tiles in the bottom row, start applying the adhesive onto them. Thereafter, you can lay the second row and so on.
Mix and apply a waterproof tile adhesive
For effective results, you should choose an adhesive that is waterproof. This kind of adhesive will prevent mold formation in the bathroom. The good news is that most modern tiles adhesives usually come pre-mixed. Therefore, you will not need to mix them on your own.
To apply the waterproof adhesive, you can consider using a notched trowel. This will ensure that the adhesive is spread evenly.
Add wall trim to eternal corners
As you tile your bathroom walls, you can encounter an external corner. Here you need to add wall trims. By doing this, you can be sure that you will end up with a high-quality finish.
You should take a wall trim and then cut it into the right size, such that it fit your bathroom. Using the adhesive that you had used earlier on, you can attach it. Then, you can use a scraper to embed the trim into the wet adhesive.
Mix the grout
Since you are installing these tiles in an area that is usually moist most of the time, you should ensure that your sealant and waterproof is excellent. Thus, there is a need for you to mix and apply your grout well.
Apply the grout
A trowel and a sponge will help you apply the grout. Here, you should trowel the grout onto the sponge and then start working it into the wall, directly onto the tiles.
As you do this, you should pay attention to working the grout into the exposed gaps between each tile. It is important that you take time to apply the grout by dealing with each section at a time. If you notice that a particular area has too much grout, you should consider using a clean sponge to wipe it.
Also, it essential that you wait for the grout to sink into the surface well before you carry on. Thereafter, you can then sponge the surface again. Then, you can add more grout to the area that you have worked on and then leave the area to dry on its own.
Conclusion
Large tiles can make your bathroom look bigger. Your bathroom will have a different look. Accordingly, you should consider giving your bathroom a new look by following the steps mentioned above. Consider them today, and you will not regret it.