How to Tile a Wall

Measuring and Cleaning the Walls

Measure the width and height of the wall to find out how many tiles you need. Use measuring tape to take precise measurements of the area of wall you'll be tiling. To find the area of your wall, multiple the length times the width, and then divide this number by the area of 1 box of the tiles you are using in order to determine how many to purchase. When you're purchasing the tile, buy an extra package of tiles in case some get damaged while you're hanging them. For instance, if the wall is 10 by 12 feet (3.0 by 3.7 m), it is 120 square feet (11 m). Then, if each box of tile has 10 square feet (0.93 m) of tile, divide 120 by 10 to find that you need 12 boxes to cover the wall exactly. Then, you should add an additional box to account for potentially damaged tiles. Since the grout doesn't take up much space between the tiles, and your tiles likely won't fit in the space perfectly, you don't need to account for it in your calculations.

Use a chisel and hammer if you need to remove existing tiles. 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. Use the chisel to scrape between the tiles and the wall until they've all been removed. It's easiest to start removing tile from a corner or from the top of the wall so you can place the chisel directly on the grout, which tends to be weaker than the tile. Be careful while you're removing the tile. It's easy to accidentally make a crack or hole in the drywall if you're not holding the chisel at a 45 degree angle while you work.

Fill any cracks or holes in the wall with spackle. Once you've exposed the drywall underneath any existing tile, you'll be able to see any problem areas. Use a scraper to apply the spackle and let it dry according to the package directions, which is normally about 4-6 hours. For cracks and holes larger than 4–5 inches (10–13 cm), you may need to patch them with drywall. If you've never hung drywall, ask a professional for a quote to see how much it will cost to fix that area. If the wall doesn't have tile, it is probably painted or wallpapered. You can use the same method for repairing the drywall without removing the paint or wallpaper.

Sand the walls with coarse sandpaper to smooth any bumps. If you had to remove pre-existing tile or fix holes and cracks, there are likely bumps in the wall. You can tile over it, but it needs to be smooth to prevent your new tiles from laying crooked. Look for 100-grit or 80-grit sandpaper, and wear a mask to protect your lungs from the particles in the air. If you're sanding a large area, it might be easier to use an electric sander.

Wipe down the walls with a damp sponge to clear the drywall dust. Drip a sponge into a bucket of clean water. Then, starting at the top of the wall, drag the sponge all the way down the wall to clear off the dust. Rinse the sponge in the bucket and continue wiping until you've rinsed the entire wall. Wait at least an hour for the wall to dry completely. If you're working on a very large wall, you may need to replace the water after a few passes of the sponge to ensure that the water is clean and the sponge is picking up the dust.

Roll waterproofing sealer over the walls if you're tiling in a bathroom. Pick out a few rolls of waterproofing sealer to cover the areas where you'll be hanging tile. Roll it out over the walls, and use waterproof adhesive to attach it to the walls. Make sure all of the area where you're hanging the tile is covered, and wait 2-3 hours for the adhesive to dry. The sealer prevents the water from seeping into the grout and the wall boards, which can cause rotting.

Deciding on a Pattern

Pick a checkerboard pattern if you want a classic look. This pattern involves rows of tiles lined up like a checkerboard. Every-other tile is the same color, but the rows and columns are aligned in straight lines. You can pick any two colors to achieve this pattern, so don't be afraid to get creative. This is one of the easiest patterns to create, but it can look busy if the room is already full of designs and colors.

Use a running board pattern for a less traditional look. Create an imaginary vertical line in the center of the pattern and organize the other tiles on this line. Place tiles of the same color along the line in each row so that the vertical line is going between two tiles, or it goes through the center of one tile. Overall, the appearance is that each tile is offset slightly but creates a staggered line. This is the pattern used for laying bricks and the popular "subway tile" pattern.

Use a stacked pattern to protect the walls from moisture. This is an extremely simple design that makes hanging the tile and applying grout extremely simple. Just align rectangular tiles so that they form straight lines vertically and horizontally in the space. This pattern can have a stunning effect when done in large scales because it looks so natural and clean. If you're using tiles with one color, this is a great choice for making a bold statement.

Do a dry-lay of your pattern to see which tiles will need trimmed. Lay out the tiles on the ground in your desired pattern with grout spacers in between them, and then measure the width of the wall. Compare the width to the width of the tiles, and then mark which ones will need to be trimmed with a wax crayon. Consider shifting your pattern slightly if you need to trim any of the pieces to be smaller than 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide. It will likely be too difficult to cut these accurately with a wet saw or nippers.

Hanging Your Tile

Apply a ⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) layer of adhesive to the wall. Start applying the adhesive in a bottom corner, about 1 tile length away from the bottom and side of the wall, leaving space for the edge tiles. Scoop out a golf ball sized amount of adhesive onto a notched trowel, and spread enough adhesive in a thin layer over the wall to hang 2-3 tiles at a time. You may need to move the trowel over the adhesive a few times to ensure that it's thin and level. Pre-mixed adhesive tends to be less expensive and work well for wall tiling. If you purchased a powder adhesive, mix it according to the directions until it's the consistency of peanut butter.

Use the trowel to add grooves to the adhesive. Hold the trowel at about a 45-degree angle from the wall. Move the trowel horizontally across the wall to make the grooves, applying consistent pressure as you spread. This will create the necessary ridges in the adhesive to allow for the tile to stick to the wall. Check the packaging of the adhesive to make sure you're using the right sized notches for the tiles to stick to the adhesive. Most trowels will have 2 sets of notches that are different sizes.

Hang the first tiles and continue the row with more adhesive and tiles. Carefully line up your first tile, and press it into the adhesive, wiggling it slightly to create suction before positioning it in its spot. Then, continue adding tiles in rows or columns following your pattern. Once you've covered most of the adhesive on the wall, apply more and continue hanging tiles in your pattern. Remember to work in small sections at a time, only applying the adhesive where you're tiling. You may need to wipe off adhesive that oozes out from between the tiles with a damp cloth.

Add spacers in between each of the tiles to ensure even grout lines. As you're hanging up the tiles, position plastic spacers in between them to make room for the grout later. The spacers fit between the tiles and stick into the adhesive. Some tiles have built-in spacers. Be sure to check yours before you buy spacers.

Cut your tiles with a wet saw or nippers. Gather all of the tiles that you marked with the wax crayon during your dry-lay, and measure the length again to ensure that it's in the right position. Put on a pair of safety goggles and carefully align the tile with the blade of the wet saw or the shears of the nippers. Then, move the tile through the blade or close the nippers to cut the tile. For large tiles, you may need to rent a tile-cutting saw, also called a wet saw, from a local home and garden store. You can cut tiles smaller than 2 inches (5.1 cm) with nippers, which are shears that are used for cutting small pieces of glass. EXPERT TIP Set aside extra time to cut porcelain tiles, especially those with mitered corners, as they are really tough. Mitchell Newman Mitchell Newman Construction Professional Mitchell Newman is the Principal at Habitar Design and its sister company Stratagem Construction in Chicago, Illinois. He has 20 years of experience in construction, interior design and real estate development. Mitchell Newman Mitchell NewmanConstruction Professional

Hang edge tiles by applying adhesive to the backs of the tiles. Take a tile for the edge of the wall and apply the adhesive to the back, as if you were putting butter on a piece of toast. Then, position the tile where it needs to go, and add the spacers. If the tile has been cut, make sure you're placing it in the right spot. If your tiles fit perfectly in the space and you don't need to cut any of them, you should still use this method to do the outer columns and the top and bottom rows. This prevents the adhesive from getting on other surfaces or the pre-layed tiles.

Applying Grout to the Tile

Remove the spacers before you apply grout. While the thinset adhesive is still slightly wet, pull the spacers out from between the tiles. This should be about 1.5 hours after you applied the adhesive and added the spacers. Make sure you collect all of the spacers before you start the next phase of tiling. If you leave the spacers in the adhesive for too long, they can become stuck. Adhesive dries and sets quickly compared to grout, so you may only need to wait about an hour, depending on the brand of adhesive you used. If your tiles came with spacers on them, you should still be able to pull them out of the adhesive. However, some of the spacers are permanent and meant to be left on the wall and covered with grout. Check the packaging for the tile to see if you can remove them.

Mix the grout and apply it to sections of the wall. Grout fills in the space between each tile, protecting and securing them onto the wall. Choose a grout that matches your tile and color scheme, and mix it according to the package directions. About 15 minutes after you remove the spacers, use a grout float to spread it over one section of the wall before moving on to the next section. The grout will cover up the tiles completely, but don't worry. You'll wipe away the grout from the surface of the tiles once it begins to dry. It's especially important to work in sections if you're grouting a larger wall. This will prevent the grout from drying too much before you get the chance to wipe it off.

Use a wet sponge to wipe the grout off of the tiles after 30 minutes. Set a timer after you finish the first section, and set another after you finish the second section. Once the timer goes off, dip a sponge in water and wring it out, then wipe it over the first section to remove most of the grout from the tiles. After you finish the first section, wait for the second timer to go off so you can wipe the grout off of that section as well. Try to work with only 2-3 sections at a time to prevent yourself from getting confused.

Go over the tile with a dry sponge after an hour to remove haze from the grout. Let the grout dry further after you wipe it off of the tiles. Then, take a dry sponge and rub it over the tile surface to ensure that each tile is clean and doesn't have any grout residue on it. If you can still see a film of residue, apply a tile cleaning solution over the tile after letting it dry for an additional hour.

Apply a sealer to block out moisture. Follow the directions with the sealer to apply it correctly to the tile wall with a brush, sponge, or sprayer. Make sure all of the tiles are coated, including corner and edge tiles. Let it dry for 6-8 hours before getting the tiles wet. If you want to test that the sealer worked, put a drop of water on a sealed tile to see if the water beads up. If it does, the sealer worked! If not, make sure the sealer isn't expired and apply another coat. Let it dry for an additional 6 hours before retesting.