How To Install Tile On Walls In Shower

Stagger large format tiles in thirds.

How to install tile on walls in shower.

Measure the width of the shower walls on either side of the door. In our project one wall is 31 inches and the other is 36 inches. Prep the shower area for tile layout to start tiling prepare by running a bead of silicone caulk around the perimeter of the area you are tiling to seal it image 1. The staggering of tiles in thirds helps limit this effect.

Measure up from the bottom of the backer board the height of a tile minus 1 2. Use the back of a plastic spoon to smooth the caulk. If you wait to install the cut pieces use a notched trowel to scrape the thinset from the wall so it doesn t dry before installation. Add up the wall areas and add 10 so you have extra tile for mistakes or future repairs.

Mix a small quantity of tile adhesive in a construction bucket. For our shower we chose a running bond pattern. Set the tile panels on the side walls with thinset the same way as for the back wall using the starter board. Use a wet saw with a diamond blade to cut all the tiles.

If your shower enclosure walls are not perfectly square or if you plan to install accent tiles the layout of these tiles becomes increasingly important. Install full piece tiles first and fill in with cut pieces as you go or install them at the end. Dry lay the panels and measure them to see where you need to make cuts. Determine how much tile you ll need.

One way to limit tile lippage is to stagger large format tiles into thirds. Fill about 1 4 of the bucket with clean water and pour the thinset powder. Spread thin set along the first section of your tile row. This will give you a 1 2 overlap over the tile lip on your shower pan.

Large tiles tend to cup or bow upward in the middle of the tile. Measure each wall area calculating the width times height. Run a damp sponge over the backer board in the area you intend to tile. In our project one wall is 31 and the other is 36.

Then you should leave the adhesive to soak water for 5 minutes. Set the tile panels on the side walls with thinset the same way as for the back wall using the starter board. This in turn creates a slight lip between two adjacent tiles. When installing cut pieces apply the thinset to the back of each tile.

Turn over the trowel to the notched side and comb over in one direction. You ll need a design plan before you start attaching the tile. Measure the width of the shower walls on either side of the door.