Tiling is a great look for any bathroom or kitchen area, and they’re also very easy to clean. When it comes to fitting tiles however, that’s another story. Bathroom tiles might look pretty, but unless you understand the precise skill of getting them up there it can be a nightmare. From buying the right style and quantity of tiles through to cementing, getting the spacing right and finally grouting, the process is one that definitely requires practice although is by no means unattainable on your first attempt. Let’s break down the process into more manageable sections.
What You Will Need
? Tiles – enough to cover the space you intend to tile whilst also including around a 10% margin for error and waste.? Tile cutter – a special tile cutter will save you loads of time later down the line and will be invaluable for fitting around those tricky bits.? Measuring tape – to allow you to space things out accurately and calculate the amount of tiles needed to make for a tight fit.
? Spacers – this allows you to ensure the tiles are all spaced out evenly from one another
? Cement – to secure the tiles to the wall
? Grout – to fill the spaces and finish off the tiled look
? Rough sand paper – to rough up the wall to create better adhesion
? Damp Cloth – for those inevitably grouting mistakes.
Getting StartedTo start fitting your tiles you must firstly remove any tiles that are currently in place. Using a chisel, strike sharply in the centre of a corner tile until it breaks, then use the chisel to leverage the tile from the wall. Having removed one tile, it should be straightforward to continue across the entire tiled spaced by leveraging each corner, or repeating the breaking process where the tile is too firmly stuck.
Next, ensure that there is no left over cement from the last tile fitting before starting to think about the next move. With the rough sand paper, ensure the wall on which the cement is to be placed is a rough surface – this will promote better a bond for the tiles. Starting in the nearest corner, insert the first tile applying a liberal amount of cement to the back of the tile before fixing to the wall. After each tile insert a spacer at each free corner to ensure that you are maintaining a uniform distance in all dimensions. Carry on filling up the wall space, taking care to cut the final tiles in a uniform manner to ensure a close fit should you be tiling up towards a corner.
GroutingAfter installing and cementing the tiles it’s time for arguably the most important part of the process – grouting. Having left the tiles to bond to the wall, remove individual spacers as you begin to fill the gaps with the grout. Ensure you cut the tip of the grout bottle at a forty-five degree angle for best results. Run an even amount of grout between the gaps taking care not to leak excess onto surrounding tile faces – this is easier said than done. Should you end up with too much grout or grout on a tile face, simply run the damp cloth in one direction over the excess to remove. After the grouting process is complete, leave it all to dry overnight to ensure everything settles down and is ready for day to day use before resuming normal bathroom service.
