The Home Depot
How to Install a Bathtub and Shower Surround with Tile
The three walls surrounding a shower and bathtub require more than a traditional wallboard surface because of the constant wet and damp conditions. Ceramic wall tile is a great choice. It is tough, easy to clean and it can stand up to all the wetness of busy shower it receives. Ceramic tile can be installed directly over wallboard, plaster or existing tile but it must be attached to a surface that is structurally strong enough to support the weight.
In this demonstration, we will be installing backer board, which most tile manufacturers recommend. Before you start, protect the inside of the tub with cardboard. Start by sealing the edges of the tub flange with asphalt roofing cement. This will seal the tub to the water proof felt or polyethylene plastic will be attaching. Next, staple 15 pound felt to these dots. Embed the bottom layer into the asphalt cement on the tub flange. Overlap the second layer of felt at least two inches over the top of the first layer. Use only enough staples to hold the felt in place. If you are covering an outside wall, use four ml polyethylene plastic instead of felt to prevent moisture problems. Once all the filter plastic is attached, place a quarter inch shims along the top of the tub. The gap will prevent water on the rim of the tub from weaking up behind the backer board. Fasten cement backer board sheets to these using backer board screws. Use fiber glass tape to reinforce the corners and joint. Then use thin set mortar to skim and level them. Finally, seal the gap where the backer board meets the tub with a clear or white silicone. This will allow the tub to expand and contract slightly.
Before you start working with the tile, determine its actual size. Place ten tiles side by side and measure the length of the rope. Divide it by ten and use the resulting number as the tile dimension for your layout. Measure the height of the back wall from the top of the tub to the ceiling or wherever the tub row of tiles will be. Calculate and mark the horizontal mid point of the wall. Measure from the height of the back wall again and divide by the size of the tile you are using. If you end up with less than a full tile as your remainder, shift the mid height line up by that amount. This will give you a row of full tiles along the top of the tub and a row of partial tiles at the top of the wall. Draw a new mid height line and extend it to all three walls. Make sure it is leveled.
Now, measure the width of the back wall and mark the mid width point. Using a level, extend the line to the floor. Measure from the mid width point to either corner and divide it by the size of the tile. If the end tiles will be less than a half tile wide, shift the mid point so the tiles on both ends will be of equal width and draw a new mid width line. Repeat this process for the other two walls. Using a chalk line, snap additional vertical and horizontal lines to create a grid of eight to twelve square foot rectangles on the walls. Once this is done, you are ready to start tiling.
Start by fastening a level 1x 2 or 1 x 3 wooden batten just below the mid height line. Double check to make sure it is leveled. The batten will keep your first row of tiles straight which will make the rest of the tiles on the wall straight as well. Make sure Latex Modified Thin Set Mortar as instructed in the technique section of tiling one, two, three. Using a square notch trowel, apply mortar to one of the marked grids along the top of the batten and comb it into straight, vertical ridges. Press the first few full tiles in place above the batten. Use a slight, twisting motion to be sure it makes good contact with the mortar. Do not slide the tiles. After you have done three or four tiles, lift one off and check the back. The mortar should cover the entire surface. It is in rows. The trowelled ridges on the wall are not thick enough. Scrape the mortar off the wall and re apply it using a trowel with a larger notch. Work up and out in a stair step pattern. Take your time and work
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