Plumbtile: Jeffrey Court Tile

Tiling bathroom walls has become a very popular trend in home remodeling right now- as it is a quick way to totally change the look and feel of your bathroom but also fairly simple for a homeowner to do themselves. 

First thing you need to do is to prepare your walls.  Strip off any wall coverings, such as wallpaper, and scrape away loose paint. Lightly sand any walls with a sheen. Use patching compound to fill any holes and sand when patching compound is dry. Wall Style PatternsThen,  you need to plan your design.  Since most walls are not perfectly square, itis best to start from the middle and move out to the edges, so that you will have equal size tiles on the ends.  The two most popular layouts are the Jack on Jack and Running Bond layouts shown here.

Planning your Layout

Step 1

Make a layout tool. Lay out a row of tiles on the floor. (Consider both the width of the tile and the grout lines. If you plan to use tile spacers when doing the job, include them as well.) Align a straight stick (1 by 2) with an edge against or on top of the row of tiles. Mark the tile and grout spacing on the stick. This tool will be used in combination with a level to accurately lay out the tile spacing on the walls.

Step 2

Mark the planned location of any cabinets or accessories that you plan to hang on the wall.

Step 3

If you’re tiling a bathroom, measure up one-tile width plus 1/8 of an inch from the lowest spot where the top of the tub or shower base meets the wall and make a mark. If you’re tiling a room with no tub or other obstruction, make a mark one-tile width from the floor’s lowest point. With this mark as a beginning reference, use the layout tool to get an estimate of how the tiles will lay in a vertical line. If necessary, adjust the reference mark and try again. If you discover that your layout will leave an unacceptably narrow band of tile along the ceiling, shift the reference mark down about half a tile.

Plumbtile: Bisazza Tile

Step 4

Use a level to extend your final reference mark into a horizontal line. This line will be where you begin laying the tile.

Step 5

Place another reference mark on the horizontal line near the center of the room. Now use your guide to see what will happen at the corners of the room. Shift the reference mark to the side to get the tiles in the corners to line up as you wish. When you’ve established the desired final placement of this reference mark, use your level to draw a plumb vertical line.

Step 6

Begin laying the tile where the two reference lines meet. They should cross at perfect 90-degree angles. The first tile row must be as close to centered as possible. The appearance of the whole wall will depend upon it. Any error you make here will compound itself as the tiles are laid. Use the level and layout tool to mark a grid on the wall to help with the placement of tile. For more information on supplies and other household projects please see our website at Plumbtile.com. Plumbtile.com carries glass, stone and tile products made by major brand designers from around the world. Featuring collections from glass, tile and stone firms such as Adex TileAmerica UniversalCosa MarbleHirsch GlassJeffrey Court,Spec Ceramics and Stone & Pewter Accents, Plumbtile stocks a selection to satisfy all your glass, tile and stone product needs.