There's no limit to the type of wall tile you can install in the bathroom. The only limit is your imagination, and your budget.
Keeping that in mind, the most popular tiles are 4 x 4 solid tiles with a glossy finish. You can use smaller or larger tiles depending on your needs. Larger tiles require less grout and give the illusion of a larger room.
Supplies:
- Wall tiles
- Wet tile saw
- V-notch trowel for applying the acrylic mastic
- Spacers for keeping tiles straight
- Grout
- Caulk
- Rubber float for applying grout
Measure the wall and purchase enough tile to cover the square footage. When purchasing, get extra tiles for cuts and waste as well as future repairs. Sometimes the tile may not exist or be hard to find when you need to make repairs to the bathroom.
Clean the wall thoroughly. Make sure it's free of dirt or debris before applying the tiles. Wall tiles can be installed directly onto drywall. If the wall is painted, though, you may need to degloss the paint so the tiles will stick. There are products that can do that easily.
Measure the walls. The middle of the wall is where you'll want to start laying tiles. Cut and angled pieces for corners and edges should be left for last. Mark the middle point with a thick line. This will be the starting point.
Start at the bottom of the wall by applying the acrylic mastic with the trowel. Use upward motions holding the trowel at a forty-five degree angle. Use spacers between the floor and the first tile.
When placing the tiles, do not slide them together. This will cause mastic to fill the spaces between tiles. It can be incredibly difficult to get mastic out of the lines between the tiles. Instead, shimmy them lightly to create a suction bond then install spacers between each tile.
Continue this until the whole wall is covered except for the edges. These tiles will need to be cut with the special tile saw. Measure the wall to find out the size of the tile needed. If all the tiles are the same size, cut all the tiles at once and adhere them to the surface of the wall. For the corner and side pieces, you can apply mastic directly to the back of the tile. Tiles that require different cuts should be applied individually.
Make sure the tiles fit into the spaces after you cut them with the tile saw. Do not apply mastic to the tiles until you are sure that they fit perfectly.
Use this method for all the walls that need to be tiled in the bathroom.
Allow the mastic to dry according to the instructions. This usually takes ten to twelve hours, but to be safe you could leave it to dry for twenty-four hours.
Mix the grout in the method you prefer. You can do this by hand or with a drill attachment. Load the grout float with the mixture and spread the grout using upward strokes of the float. Be aware of the amount of grout that is forced between the tiles and make them uniform. If any holes form, use your finger to fill them immediately.
Only fill the seams between the tiles for fifteen or twenty minutes. When that amount of time has passed, go back over the tiles you have filled. Clean the grout off the tile faces with warm water. Continue in this manner until the whole wall is finished.
Allow the grout to dry for a few days. At that time, wipe any grout film off the tiles and apply a grout and tile sealer.
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