Supporting Wall Tiles

Mixtiles are beautiful 8 x8 photo tiles that stick and restick to your walls without nails or any damage.

Supporting wall tiles.

Tiles arrive in five days and shipping is always free. Cut tiles to fit along the vertical and horizontal edges of the tile wall. On most tiles though it isn t necessary to wet the back. And that works fine if the base of the wall usually the floor or bathtub is perfectly flat and level.

After all the penalty for poorly installed wall tile is a lifetime of having to look at the stuff. On those type of tiles it s a good idea to wet the back of the tile with water before applying the tile to the wall. Check the upper edge to make sure it lines up. Using a razor blade or scissors cut tiles away from the mesh backing images 1 and 2.

So let s look at the basics of wall tile installation that will make everything go a lot smoother less frustrating and less costly. Line up the tile edges with the vertical and horizontal marks on the wall to ensure that they re level and plum. Set the second tile next to the first sandwiching two 1 4 inch spacers in between for even spacing. The obvious way to tile a wall is to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Remove the ledger later and trim tiles to fill the gap below. On some fired tiles the tile will soak the water form the mortar extremely quickly. If not the tile will simply amplify the. Applying full sheets of mesh backed tile to the wall can be tricky around outlets or other obstacles so it s easiest to cut apart and set individual tiles around these.

However wall tile installation has its own set of rules that you dare break at your own risk. In theory the easiest solution is to build from the bottom supporting the lowest tile course right on the floor and letting the upper courses rest on those. Fasten a straight ledger to the wall to support the tiles. To apply back butter the tiles by spreading a layer of mortar onto the back of each.

But in reality floors. Remember to allow for a 1 8 inch expansion on the bottom of bathroom floors. Make straight cuts with a tile cutter. Put on a pair of safety goggles before you start removing the tile then place the chisel at a 45 degree angle between the tiles and hit the end of the chisel with the hammer to separate the tiles from the wall.

Set the first tile next to where the vertical and horizontal lines meet on the wall. Mixtiles are beautiful and attach easily. Large heavy wall tiles are a challenge to hang because the weight of tiles makes them prone to slip off the wall.