How To Fit Wall Tiles – A Step By Step Guide
| DIY : Home Repair Tiling a wall is far easier than you think; even if you have never considered it before. As long as you take your time and follow the correct procedure, then you should have no problems at all. In fact, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how good it all looks! Here is a step by step guide to help you get some really professional results – 1. Creating a ‘Tile Guide’. Before anything else, you will need to make yourself a ‘tile guide’ from a piece of 50mm x 25mm (2” x 1”) batten. Place this on the floor and put your http://www.thetiledepot.co.uk/products/Wall+ wall tiles along its edge with their spacer’s in-between. Once you have marked all of the tile joints on the batten, you will have a proper ‘tile guide’ to plan out the position of your tiles. 2. Marking Out. Using a spirit level, mark a straight line on the lower part of the wall; Nail another batten to this, but leave the nails protruding so that the wood can easily be removed later on. Next, hold a plumb line against the left hand side of the tile area. After this is done you can use your ‘tile gauge’ to see exactly where each complete row of tiles will end. There should be an equal space where the tiles meet each wall, so adjust your plumb line until it is in the correct place. Once it is, fix another batten to the wall in this position. This will be the edge of your work area. 3. Using Tile Adhesive. You can now begin applying your adhesive to the wall. Begin from the bottom left-hand corner where your battens are in place and work outwards and upwards. Use the notched edge of a tile spreader to apply the adhesive and keep it as level as possible over an area of 50cm square. Note; if you are fixing wall tiles around a shower or a bath, then you should always use a proper http://www.thetiledepot.co.uk/products/Adhesives+%26+Grouts/Tile+Adhesives waterproof adhesive. 4. Fitting the First Rows. The first wall tiles you fit will be the whole ones; any cut tiles will be fitted later on. Position each of the tiles on the bed of adhesive by gently pressing and sliding it into place. Start tiling from the bottom left-hand corner and continue until you reach the end of the adhesive bed. Place plastic spacers or matchsticks in between your tiles as you work. Once you have gone as far as you can with the bottom row, begin on the next level. Again, start from the left and work along, making sure that all of the grouting spaces remain even and keeping the wall tiles level with one another. Repeat this process until you have covered the bed of adhesive. 5. Continuing With Your Tiles. Carry on with this technique until you have covered the wall. If you stick to fixing tiling areas measuring 50cm square, then the adhesive will not dry out whilst you are working. You should hold a spirit level across your tiles every so often to ensure that they remain level. Tiling above a window can be a bit of a challenge, but there is actually a very simple solution... Measure up and fix a temporary batten to where the first row of full wall tiles will need to sit; this can then be easily removed once the adhesive has dried. This is by far the simplest method as you will then only have a small amount of cut tiles to add afterwards and these can be held in place with masking tape until the adhesive is dry. 6. Cutting Your Wall Tiles. After you have fixed all of your full tiles to the wall, it is time to start on your cutting. A tile cutting jig is a very worthwhile investment as it will ensure that you get a nice clean cut. And for curved or shaped cuts it is best to use a proper tile saw. It is advisable to hold a tile in an upright position in a portable work bench when you are sawing as this will keep it steady and result in a more accurate fit. 7. Preparation for Grouting. It is important to wipe away any excess adhesive as soon as possible; a damp cloth or sponge will normally be sufficient for this task. If adhesive is left for too long on the face of your wall tiles, then it can prove to be very difficult to remove. Once this has all been cleaned off, you will be ready to begin with your grouting. 8. Grouting. With a spreader, work the grout into the joins of your tiles and make sure it is pushed right in. Continue in this manner until all of the joins have been filled. Wipe away as much excess grout as you can as you are going along. After your grout has partially dried, run a small length of dowel along each joint. This will give a nice, professional finish to your work! 9. Cleaning Up. Once the grout has set completely, you will need to polish your new wall tiles. Work along one row at a time and give each tile a good rubbing over with a dry cotton cloth. If you come across any small spots of dried grout, then they should come off quite easily with your finger nail.
 Questions about wall tiles:
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