How to glue ceramic tiles on the wall with your own hands

For wall coverings in bathrooms, kitchens, and other spaces where longevity and moisture resistance are crucial, ceramic tiles are a popular option. Even though the idea of tiling a wall might seem intimidating, with the correct assistance, many homeowners can complete the project themselves. You can get results that look professional by taking your time and adhering to a few simple steps.

It’s crucial to gather all required tools and materials before you start. Among other things, you’ll need tiles, adhesive, spacers, a level, and a notched trowel. The wall needs to be prepared as well because the tiles need to stick to a smooth, clean surface.

Ceramic tile gluing is a multi-step process that begins with tile arrangement for a well-balanced final product. Next, you’ll place the tiles on the wall using adhesive, making sure they are level and spaced evenly. To finish the look, grout will be used to fill in the spaces left by the adhesive once it has hardened.

Tiling is a gratifying do-it-yourself project that can change any space, whether you’re painting a worn-out wall or designing an entirely new aesthetic. You can be proud of a job well done if you plan ahead and pay close attention to detail.

Features of laying ceramic tiles

Even though installing tiles is a fairly complicated process, everything can be done with your hands if you have a general understanding of the procedure and the desired outcome, which will save a lot of money. The methods for laying the material are depicted in the diagram.

The image displays how the elements are arranged:

• 1 – diagonally.
• 2 – staggered.
• 3 – seam to seam.

The following order should be followed when performing the work:

• Inspect the surface, to be tiled.
• Apply a special ready-made plaster solution or one made independently based on cement (see. Optimum ratio of cement and sand for plastering).
• Apply a primer, to level the walls.

Recommendation: Only rub this layer if it is applied over the remaining oil paint.

• When carrying out work on fairly flat surfaces of concrete or brick walls, they can be immediately tiled, without preliminary plastering. In this case: the surface is thoroughly wetted with water to remove dust and dirt, which will prevent the solution or special glue from firmly adhering to the wall, and the tiles from sticking. This can be done with a spray gun.
• You can beautifully cover a wall only with full tiles, and the scraps of parts should be used in invisible places, such as:

1. corners;
2. near window and door openings.

Preparatory work before gluing tiles

You must ascertain the size of the project before adhering ceramic tiles to the wall:

• Will there be parts on the entire surface of the wall.
• Gluing tiles in the form of panels. In this case, the lower part of the wall is covered with tiles, and the upper part is plastered (see. Technology of plastering walls: how to do it right).

Advice: In order to avoid forgetting to fix the leveling slats, wall treatment should be done after the floor is fully prepared.

Stages of preparation consist of:

• Preparing the tiles, Determining the method of laying the first row.
• Measure the dimensions of the room, and the total number of tiles required is calculated, for laying out horizontal and vertical rows, taking into account the width of the butt joints and their number.
• If a whole number of elements does not fit in one row, you can:

1. reduce or increase the seam thickness;
2. use previously cut tiles.

However, in order to make the cut elements less noticeable, you must precisely determine which side they will be positioned on. The tile arrangement on the wall is roughly depicted below.

• Tiles measuring 560×340 millimeters.
• Arrows indicate the main marks for starting laying with a whole tile.
• The step between elements is 1.5 millimeters.

Advice: Only if the wall being finished is perfectly smooth and all of the seams will be precisely the same width, do you need to cut the tiles for the entire wall at once. If not, there’s a chance that the wall’s height and width will change as the rows are laid, which could result in unexpected part trimming while the job is being done.

Technology for wall-mounting ceramic tiles (see. The statement "ceramic tiling: a job that anyone can handle" suggests that you should begin at the bottom, or floor level. If it’s not ready, slats or unique guidelines are put along the walls to act as barriers when tiling from below.

How to use beacons and a cord

Next, the technology for adhering ceramic tiles to walls recommends mounting beacons on the surface of the walls. These could be tiles that are fixed to the ends of each wall with the intention of finishing them, but only up to the level of the upper row’s elements.

When performing these procedures, the following considerations must be made:

• The thickness of the tile
• The width of the adhesive solution.

• The upper beacons are fixed.
• Two lower beacons are installed, located at the level of the first row, directly under the upper ones.
• The beacons are installed with whole tiles or their parts, but everything should be smooth.
• A distance of 12 centimeters is set aside from each corner so that pins can be driven in between them.
• The fastest way to install beacon tiles is on a gypsum solution. But difficulties may arise – after removing the part from the wall, it will be difficult to clean it from the plaster, which will require some effort.
• From the edges of the beacons, pins are driven in to stretch the cord to control the horizontality of the tiles.
• The cord is stretched over the top of the laid bottom row so that it is no more than one millimeter from the tiles. This will make it possible to obtain a perfectly flat, error-free facing surface, which is laid with tiles.

Advice: After each row of tiles is laid, the resulting wall’s levelness must be checked. The cord’s location must be controlled using a plumb line and a level.

How to glue tiles

How should ceramic tiles be installed on walls?

• A mark is made in the middle of the row, from which gluing of the tiles will begin.
• You need to move directly from the central part of the row in opposite directions, maintaining the uniformity of the seams.
• After the tiles reach the beacons, the latter are removed, and clean tiles are laid in this place.
• Upon completion of laying the first row, the pins and cord are removed.
• The second row is marked in the same sequence as the previous row. And so on until the intended top.

If you lay tiles diagonally, like in the picture:

• Seams are continuous lines perpendicular to each other.
• They are placed at an angle of 45° to the horizontal lines of the walls, ceiling and floor.
• Before laying ceramic tiles on the walls with such a complex pattern, it is necessary to carefully mark and calculate the entire area of ​​the wall to be finished intended for cladding: the same number of halves should be placed along the horizontal and vertical lines.
• Four rows of tiles are laid around the entire perimeter, from which the tiles will continue to be glued into the resulting corners. You can maintain the uniformity of gluing the tiles using stretched cords.

As you lay out in a run, the guidelines advise:

• The walls are divided into two equal parts in width.
• Dry tiles are placed on them to determine their number.
• The tiles are laid in the center of the tiles located in the row below or along the butt joint between them.
• The resulting wall will resemble the pattern obtained with standard brickwork, made in half a brick, which is used to connect the rows.

Tiles should be laid in the following order, seam to seam:

• This method assumes laying the first row in the usual way.
• The second row is glued from the outer tiles. Their placement should be precisely aligned with the corresponding parts of the first row, which serve as beacons.
• The entire second row is laid out along the cord, carefully monitoring the evenness of the seams between the panels.
• You can start laying tiles:

1. from one of the corners, this will reduce the number of scraps;
2. from the center of the row, in this case the cladding will become more symmetrical.

• The adhesive is applied to one of the corners of the back surface of the tile, then it is pressed against the wall.
• After aligning all the tiles, they need to be pressed again, evenly, while tapping with a rubber mallet or wooden pick.
• If there is excess mortar, it will come out, it must be cleaned off with a spatula.
• When laying tiles, crosses are installed between all tiles to ensure an even thickness of the seams.
• After some time, after the mortar has set, the crosses are removed.

A beautiful and sturdy finish can be added to any room with the successful adhesion of ceramic tiles to the wall. Even as a do-it-yourself enthusiast, you can produce results that look professional with the correct supplies, equipment, and patience.

When preparing, don’t forget to take your time and make sure the wall is smooth, clean, and dry. For the tiles to adhere correctly and last for many years, this step is essential. Prior to beginning the tiling process, carefully measure and plan to help you avoid mistakes and achieve a more polished final look.

Proceed methodically as you apply the adhesive and arrange each tile. To make sure everything is in alignment, use a level to frequently assess your progress. Making minor tweaks along the way is always preferable to trying to solve problems later.

Last but not least, remember how crucial good grouting and sealing are. By taking these precautions, you can shield your tiles from wear and moisture while also improving their appearance. You’re going to love how a gorgeous ceramic tile wall can transform your space if you keep these tips in mind.

Whether it’s your living room, kitchen, or bathroom, applying ceramic tiles to a wall yourself is an easy and affordable way to makeover any area. Without hiring a contractor, you can accomplish professional-looking results with the right equipment, a little planning, and patience. This tutorial will take you through all the necessary steps to ensure a long-lasting and beautiful finish, from cleaning the wall surface to applying the adhesive and correctly positioning the tiles.

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