DIY Tiling  |  Floor Tiling  |  Wall Tiling

Laying Ceramic Wall Tiles:

Preparation:

Wall surfaces must be clean, dry and perfectly level. Remove any flaking paint and fill any holes. When tiling a complete wall, fix a temporary horizontal batten with its upper edge a tile width from the floor or skirting board, and level this with a spirit level. Tiles are laid Symmetrically along the centre line of a wall or window. Aim to have the cut tiles at each end of the same width. Decide at which end of the wall you wish to begin fixing the tiles, and chalk a vertical line at this point. Use an adhesive recommended by the manufacturer and spread it evenly over the section that you are going to tile. (Drying time is about 30 min. therefore only spread enough adhesive to tile in that time). Clean off any "spilt adhesive" as you go, with a damp cloth. Ridge the surface with a notched spreader. Press each tile firmly onto the adhesive and work in horizontal rows. If the tiles do not have spacer lugs, use the proprietary spacers (they come in different sizes) or use matches as spacers.

Cutting tiles to fit:

Tiles around the edge of a wall usually need to be cut to fit. Place the tile to be cut against the wall upside down. Mark off on the edges the cut line, remember to allow for the grout size and you can allow another 2mm for work space (this 2mm will be hidden by the tile on the other wall. Alternatively if the other wall is complete then add 1mm as this would be a grout joint in any event).

So to recap. The tile to be cut is placed upside down in the position where it is to be laid and marked off on the edges. Cut the tile.Turn the tile over and rotate it 180° and presto, the cut is in the corner hidden away. Cut tiles individually even if the border looks straight. For odd shapes, carefully nibble away at the tile using the tile nibbler, until it slides into place. A template cut from cardboard saves wasting too many tiles (it is useful to drill a couple of holes in the tile at the "turning" points as this will help to remove any stress in the tile).

Grouting wall tiles:

Grouting wall tiles and ceramic floor tiles are very similar except that when the grouting begins to harden between wall tiles, you should run a stick with a rounded tip along the joints to give a neat finish. When the grout has set, polish the tiles with a soft cloth.