How to Lay Tiles on a Wall
Almost everyone knows how to lay tiles on a wall, but that's theoretical knowledge – in practice, it's a bit more complicated. It's not enough just to place the tiles; they must look beautiful and, importantly, last for a long time. Let's talk about it.
Quality Tools and Materials – A Job Well Done
To make the work go smoothly and be enjoyable, you need good tools. Here’s a list of essential tools for tiling:
- construction levels: short and long;
- notched trowel with a 10–12 cm tooth height;
- electric drill with a special attachment;
- tile cutter, or alternatively a glass cutter;
- electric drill with a circular diamond bit;
- ‘ballet dancer’ drill bit with a hard alloy tip for drilling round holes.
Materials needed for the job:
- tiles;
- specialized tile adhesive;
- grout;
- spacers and tile cross-pieces to create expansion joints.
How to Lay Tiles on a Wall: Step-by-Step Guide
Tiling a wall isn’t complicated, but it requires precision and careful adherence to the proper sequence. Let’s begin.
- Level the surface where tiles will be laid. This is crucial: a flat base is essential, otherwise tiles may shift over time, ruining the entire job.
- It’s recommended to soak tiles in water for 2–3 hours before laying. This isn’t mandatory, but all professionals do it, claiming it improves adhesion between the tile and the base.
- Prepare the specialized tile adhesive. Ready-mixed adhesive hardens quickly in air, so it should be mixed in small batches. Today’s market offers a wide variety of tile adhesives, each with instructions and recommendations that must be followed.
- Lay the tiles using one of the chosen methods.
- Trim the installed tiles as needed.
- Grout the joints.
Tile Laying Methods on a Wall
- ‘Joint to Joint’. Tiles are laid directly above and beside each other, horizontally and vertically. Two variants exist: symmetrical and asymmetrical. In symmetrical tiling, the starting tile is placed exactly in the center of the row, and tiling proceeds equally to the left and right. In asymmetrical tiling, the first tile is placed in the lower corner, and tiling begins from there.
- ‘Diagonal’. This is a more complex method, resulting in more tile waste due to cutting.
- ‘Bonded’ (in staggered pattern). This method involves offsetting each upper row by half a tile relative to the lower row. The resulting pattern strongly resembles brickwork.
