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 Once you've established the
layout, you can start setting tile. Be sure your wall surface is
thoroughly clean of dust and debris.
In most
cases you should be able to use a pre-mixed adhesive for your wall
tile. Make sure you check the label to see that it's right for your
situation. Some pre-mixed adhesives won't work in high moisture
areas.
Start
setting your wall tile at your center section near the floor and
work your way out and up.
Spreading out
adhesives
 Scoop some adhesive with
your notched trowel and start spreading it evenly within one
section using the straight edge of the trowel. Try not to cover
up your layout lines, you'll need them to align the
tiles.
Using
the notched side of the trowel, comb out the adhesive. Hold it at a
consistent angle (about 45 degrees) so the top of the adhesive has a
uniform height. The pattern of the ridges isn't important.
Setting and spacing tile
 Set the first tile in a
corner, twisting it a little to set it into the adhesive. Test this
first tile by prying it up by its corner and looking on the back
side. The adhesive should cover about 80% of the tile. If you see
only parallel lines of adhesive, the ridges are too shallow. If the
adhesive is squeezing out the sides, your ridges are too
deep.
Set the
remaining tiles, aligning them to your outside layout
lines.
 Keeping consistent spacing
between the tiles is critical for straight, uniform grout lines.
Some tile are cast with spacing lugs along the edges so you can butt
those up and get uniform grout lines. And some tiles come
pre-mounted on plastic grids so the spacing is already
established.
If your
tile has neither it's helpful to use plastic spacers. You can find
these at most hardware or tile supply stores. Once a section of tile
is set you can remove the spacers and reuse them.
Once
the tiles are in place you want to set them into the adhesive and
get them all at the same height. You can do this by putting a padded
2x4 across the tile and gently hit it with a hammer. You can also
use a rubber mallet or grout float to set the tile.
During
installation, some sagging can occur so use a straight-edge to check
this periodically.
You
should also remove any plastic spacers before they dry in the
adhesive.
Cutting around obstacles
 If you're tiling a shower or
bathtub surround, you'll have to mark tiles for cuts to fit them
around the plumbing. Set the neighboring tiles first, and use those
to line up the tile you're marking.
You can
make these cuts with a tile nippers, but don't try to go too fast.
Nip off smaller chips to avoid taking off more than you
need.
Don't
try to be perfect with these cuts, most plumbing fixtures come with
escutcheons that'll cover up the rough edges.
Cut
straight lines with a tile cutter or tub saw.
Back Buttering
 Sometimes you won't be able
to trowel the adhesive directly on the wall, like around obstacles
or for small cut tiles in a corner. That's when you need to "back
butter" the tiles individually.
Spread
the adhesive on the back of the tile with a notched trowel. If the
tile is too small you can also use a margin trowel to spread the
adhesive and scratch in notches with the edge of the
trowel.
Set the
tile giving it a little twist to insure good contact with the
underlayment.
Tub and shower accessories
 As you are tiling showers and
bathtub surrounds, leave opening for soap dishes and corner
shelves.
After
the tile adhesive is dry you can install these. Butter the backs
with tile adhesive or use a silicone caulk.
Use
masking tape to hold these pieces in place until the adhesive or
silicone dries. |
