Tiling
Bathroom wall tiling; geometry in action.
Tiling a bathroom from ceiling to floor has been a temptation for countless DIY enthusiasts over the years. It seems to be the most practical solution to decorating the wettest room in the house until you cost up the project. Once you’ve chosen anything but the cheapest tiles, included the cement and grout and some of the special tools needed you could be looking at a bill of $600. A pot of paint begins to look really attractive.
However big the project, whether you are tiling the whole room or just splashbacks for the sink and the bath, there are some tips that the professionals take for granted and that you should know about.
As with any DIY project, your tiling will only be as good as your preparation. Check horizontally, vertically and diagonally with a metal straight edge to make sure there are no unexpected lumps or bumps. Chop them out with a hammer and bolster and re-plaster the area. Once the plaster has cured, sand it smooth and wash down all surfaces with sugar soap to remove all traces of grease. After fitting plastic edging profile to all external corners you are now ready to plan your tile layout.For a sink splashback ensure a neat finish by running the tiles behind the sink. This might be achievable by unscrewing and supporting the sink while you work. Measure out using a rule and pencil to calculate how you will use your tiles. Start with a whole tile at the centre line of the sink, add an eighth of an inch between tiles and observe what happens when the tiling meets obstacles like pipes, electrical fittings and cupboards. You can minimize cutting with a little thought.Apply the tile cement to the wall unless an awkward corner prevents you from doing this. Use a serrated cement spreader to form a series of cement ribbons onto which you push the tiles. Plastic spacers make your tiling look more consistent. It is worth buying or renting tile cutting equipment to prevent too much wastage and remember to measure twice and cut once.Grouting is a tedious but straightforward chore and can be made easier using a rubber faced float which forces grout into the joint, cleans the tile and leaves the correct curved grout profile all in one go. Add 24 hours drying time and its all done!