A very good way for increasing the durability of your bathroom interiors and fittings is by installing tiles. Bathroom tiles are available in a wide variety of designs, styles, materials and finishes. Some bathroom tiles are very expensive and requires skilled professionals for installing them, whereas others are considerably budget friendly, and you can install them yourself. The best tiles for a shower wall are ceramic or porcelain. They are durable, easy to clean, budget friendly and are easy to install as well. There are many shower tile ideas, and you can choose them based on your bathroom decor and style.
How to Tile a Shower Wall
The right bathroom tile selection should not only be based on color, design and shower tile patterns, but also on the amount of moisture it will absorb. Many tiles which comes with the label of "Nonvitreous" or "Semivitreous", should be strictly avoided, for tiling a shower wall, since they absorb water. You need shower wall tiles to be high density glazed tiles that will absorb no water at all. Since shower enclosures remain moist, if the tiles absorb water they will rot and damage the walls. So, the best tiles for a shower wall is porcelain or bathroom ceramic tiles.
For installing bathroom shower tiles, the first step is to prepare the wall surface on which the tiles will be installed. To support the tile and to protect the shower wall, you need to first install ? inch or ? inch cement wallboard. With the help of a circular saw or carbide blade cut the cement board to fit into the area that is to be tiled. Apply thinset mortar and fasten galvanized screws to anchor the board into place. Once this is done, you need to think about the layout of the tiles. Draw a horizontal line by using a level to give you an idea of where the first row of tiles is to be installed. Mark a vertical line to signify the center of the shower wall.
With the help of a trowel, apply a pre-mixed thinset mortar on the cement boards. Make sure that the mortar is applied evenly over a 3 by 3 feet area. Now take a single piece of tile and starting from the bottom left hand corner, press it firmly in place. Ensure that the bottom edge of the tile is level with the horizontal line you had made earlier. When this first tile is firmly set, install the next tile. After you are done tiling the first row of the shower wall, check with a level to make sure that you have tiled in a straight line. A tile spacer can be used to make sure that the distance of the tiles, as well as their position, are precise.
When you have to cut a tile, to accommodate bathroom fixtures, make sure that you first measure at what distance you have to cut the tiles. Trim the edges of the cut tile with a micro cutter evenly. Install cut tiles the same way as regular tiles. Once you are done with shower tile installation, leave the tiles to dry and set for 24 hours. With the help of grout float, apply grout one tile at a time. A damp and clean cloth should be used to clean the surface of the tile, if any grout gets on it. Allow the tiles to set for another 24 hours before using the bathroom shower.
You can also tile the rest of the bathroom in a similar way. Although, tiling a shower wall might seem intimidating, you can reduce labor cost by simply doing it yourself. This home improvement project can be done on a weekend and you will love the end result. Now that you know how to install bathroom tiles, you too can give it a shot next time you are remodeling your bathroom. Shower tile installation is all about getting the right bathroom tiles and installing them accurately and precisely.
