DIY tips for laying bathroom tiles

You are now prepared to lay your bathroom tiles. We’ve outlined the full below in simple-to-follow stages.

Create a strategy

We’ve all heard the adage about the best-laid plans, but when it comes to tiling your bathroom, you should definitely have a plan!

Determine the walls you’d want to tile. Consider the tile size you want. Do you want the walls of your bathroom to be completely tiled or merely partly tiled? All of these criteria will impact the kind and quantity of bathroom tiles you need. These considerations will also have an effect on the size of the task.

Ensure that you’ve considered each of these points before proceeding to the following stage.

Choose your bathroom tiles and create a pattern

Once you’ve established a strategy, it’s time to choose your bathroom tiles and then choose the arrangement in which they’ll be placed.

When choosing your bathroom tiles, it’s critical to purchase the appropriate quantity to cover your walls. Calculate how many you’ll need by measuring the area to be covered in square meters. This may be accomplished by measuring the wall’s length and breadth. Then add these two numbers together. Divide the area by the size of the bathroom tiles you’ve selected. This last figure will help you determine the number of bathroom tiles you’ll need to purchase.

When calculating the dimensions of tiles, always round up to the next full number if your calculations reach a decimal point. Additionally, add around 15% to account for cuts and waste. Visit https://tileandbathco.com.au to check out the best and different bathroom tiles design.

Numerous bathroom tiles are offered in boxes that provide specific size information.

Tile types There are several tile types available on the market, and determining which kind is best for you is often a matter of personal choice. Certain varieties of bathroom tiles, on the other hand, may be better suited to certain uses or situations.

Allow us to clarify. The table below summarizes the many kinds of bathroom tiles and their common uses (and limitations):

Application of tile type

Terracotta – Only in dry places (unless glazed)

Porcelain or ceramic – Toilets (when glazed), floors, worktops, and walls in slate

Glass – Within mosaics, feature walls

Bathrooms in natural stone (when featuring a waterproof layer)

  • Limestone Flooring
  • Granite Flooring

Floors and walls in travertine

As you can see, some tile kinds are more suited for bathrooms than others. Consider this while making a buy.

Patterns made with bathroom tiles

There is a plethora of possibilities when it comes to the design of your tiled wall. It’s all subjective. You may either adhere to a basic linear grid layout or be more imaginative.

Several tile designs have been popular in recent years, including: • Diamond; • Linear; and • Brick bond.

  • Herringbone
  • 34 Brick Bond
  • Hexagon
  • Mixed Linear

It is critical to purchase bathroom tiles with matching batch numbers. This will guarantee that they all seem identical. Given the production process of bathroom tiles, purchasing sets with varying batch numbers increases the possibility that you will end up with a tiled wall that does not seem ‘quite right’.

Construct the wall

After you’ve bought and prepared your bathroom tiles, it’s time to prepare the wall(s).

To begin, ensure that the wall is clean, dry, and level. If it was previously tiled, set aside a few hours to restore it to its former glory. You do not want to be laying bathroom tiles on top of leftover grout or other debris.

If any holes are discovered in the plaster, they should be filled. Bear in mind that plaster might take months to dry (depending on the kind of plaster used), so keep this in mind when doing any wall repairs.

Once your wall has been prepped, it’s time to consider adhesives and grout…

Grout & Adhesive

It is critical to distinguish between adhesives and grout. While the terms are often used interchangeably, they are really very distinct.

Adhesive

Adhesive is the substance that will really adhere your bathroom tiles to the wall. There are several forms of adhesive that are classified into ‘classes.’ When tiling a power shower or bathroom wall, a class D 2 T E adhesive is often used (don’t worry if this seems confusing. The majority of adhesives sold in DIY shops explicitly mention on their package where they may be used).

A ready-mixed glue will enough for the usual home bathroom. There are several brands available, including Mapei, BAL, and Dulux. Click here to read about Focus on these tips while installing bathroom tiles.

Bear in mind that you will need both adhesive and grout to tile your bathroom effectively. Never adhere tiles to a wall using grout (unless you want them falling off a later date).

Grout

Grout is used to fill in the spaces between your bathroom tiles after they have been installed on the wall. Grout assists in ‘sealing’ the bathroom tiles and preventing water from penetrating the wall behind.

Grout, like adhesives, comes in a variety of grades. Grouts are classified as cementitious, epoxy, or furan. Cementitious grouts are comprised of Portland cement; epoxy grouts are formed of epoxy resins; and furan grouts are composed of a furan resin and a filler powder with an acid catalyst.

Often, the sort of grout that is appropriate for you will depend on the type of bathroom tiles being used. For instance, if you are utilizing natural stone bathroom tiles, you may need to protect them to avoid stains.

Epoxy grout is a very common kind of grout for use in damp areas such as bathrooms and showers. However, since epoxy grout hardens quicker than other types of grout, it might be challenging for inexperienced do-it-yourselfers to utilize.

Arranging your bathroom tiles

You’ll want to arrange your bathroom tiles in a way that considers where the eye is attracted, where the center line should be, and how many cuts will be required. Take your time and double-check everything.

It may be simpler to arrange your bathroom tiles on the floor with spacers between them. Once the tiles are put out, use your measuring tape to mark the points of each tile. Then, transfer these dimensions to your wall. It is preferable to begin in the center of the wall and work your way outward. When using your tape measure and pencil to mark the wall, use your spirit level to check that all of the marks are level.

By the time you’re through, the location of all your bathroom tiles on your bathroom wall should be noted.

Bathroom tiles that have been cut

After marking your wall, you’ll probably discover that the bathroom tiles at the margins will need to be trimmed down. Calculate the required size of the tile using your tape measure (measure against the edge of the wall and the relevant wall marking).

Then apply that measurement to your tile. With your chinagraph pencil, mark the spot at which the tile will need to be cut. This will serve as a reference point for when you use your tile cutter.

Then the tile cutter makes his appearance. Before continuing, ensure that you are wearing safety gloves and eyewear. Cutting bathroom tiles may result in flying pieces, so keep friends and family members away from the work area.

Once all the appropriate bathroom tiles have been cut, it’s time to put them to the wall.