Tiling bathroom yourself is a good way of saving labor cost as well as giving yourself some creative satisfaction. This story takes you through the steps of laying tiles on a bathroom wall and floor.
Adorning your bathroom floor with ceramic tile flooring is a great way to enhance the beauty of your bathroom decor as well as to keep it gleaming for years. Ceramic tiles are cheap, and if you decide upon laying the tiles yourself then you can cut down the labor cost as well.
In short, you can give your bathroom an instant makeover at a very low cost. Although, tiling a bathroom is not a very complicated job, it is always wise to know the correct procedure.
Tools and Materials
Tile cutter
Tile saw
Grout spreader
Spirit level
Tile nibblers
Adhesive spreader
Tile-cutting jig
Homemade gauge stick
Preparation
The most important prerequisite is that the surface to be tiled has to be extremely smooth. Hence, the first step is to create an even surface. Get rid of all the old tiles and anything else that is creating an uneven surface. Apply a coat of stabilizing primer to equalize the surface. Use the homemade gauge stick to plot the position of the new tiles.
Setting the Tiles
Take all the floor and wall measurements correctly. The wall measurements should be taken from the farthest left bottom row. Cut the tiles as per the measurements. Use a tile cutter to cut small tiles, and a tile saw to cut large tiles.
Applying the Adhesive
It is imperative to use a waterproof tile adhesive, since the tiles in the bathroom will constantly come into contact with water.
Most adhesives are available in the form of ready-to-use mixtures, however you may need to add water to some of them. Apply this adhesive mixture evenly on the surface of the wall.
Tiling
The tiles should be laid from the middle of the room if you are laying them on the floor. You need to begin from the leftmost corner when tiling the wall. If the tiles are to be laid around a window, that area should be completed first.
Also, make sure that all the tiles surrounding the window are the same size. Measurements of the fixtures should be taken properly so that tiling around these structures becomes easy.
Finishing Touches
Apply the sealant, and fill the spaces between the tiles with grout. However, the grout should be applied only after 24 hours of applying adhesive or when it hardens completely. Remove the excess grout with a putty knife or a rag cloth. Clean the tiles before the grout hardens.
Tiling a bathroom is an easy job. However, if you need to remove the old tiles, then your task might become a bit tedious. If you are new to this job, you can always hire a professional.