Tiling a bathroom wall yourself can save you some serious money, but you still want to do a decent job. Get it wrong and you will be calling in a professional to rectify your mistakes, which will prove costly. If you are not confident, call in trades. But, if you're a competent DIYer you will be able to do a decent job with the help of this guide.
Before you dive in check out our tiling a bathroom guide to help you determine what you need and what you can expect to pay to get the bathroom you want.
Tiling a bathroom wall: Where do I start?
If you are tiling a bathroom wall where a bath resides the best place to start is along the centre of the top of the bath. This gives support to the tiles so they won’t slip and if the bath is fitted properly it should be level. This starting point will also help work out the placement of the rest of the tiles for other walls.
Alternatively, if you have a clear wall with no obstacles – like a bath – then the best place to start is in the centre at the bottom, either from the floor or skirting board. But this rule only applies if you are tiling a single wall or multiple walls with no obstructions, typically a wet room or bathroom with a shower.
Starting at the top of a wall can lead to slippage and leave you with misaligned tiles, which will be obvious, especially if you have a contrasting colour grout.
Tiling a bathroom wall: Step-by-step guide
Before you start make sure you have your tiles, tools and adhesive to hand. You will need a notched trowel like this Faithfull Soft Grip Notched Trowel from Amazon, a manual tile cutter, spirit level, tile spacers and felt tip pen.
1. Prep the area
Make sure the walls to be tiled have been prepared properly (see below) and you have cleared the area that you are going to be working in. Lay down some dust sheets to stop adhesive getting on the floor and cover the bath – if tiling next to the bath – and any other bathroom fittings. If you do drop any adhesive where it's not wanted, clean up quickly.
2. Mark your start point
After deciding where you're going to start you will need work where the tiles will lay. Place a tile in the middle of the area and measure – or dry lay tiles – to work out how they will lay in corners. You don’t want thin slithers in a corner, ideally you want a half tile.
Now you have your central point you need to make sure the tiles will be level and straight. Get a spirit level like this Rolson 900mm Alloy Spirit Level from Amazon and mark out level lines to use as your guide.
If you’re tiling around a bath, place a tile on the bath edge by the wall – in the centre of the bath and get your level from this. Spend time getting the centre and level right as this will dictate how the rest of the tiles will lay.
3. Lay tiles
There are two options here, apply the adhesive to the wall and place the tiles onto the adhesive or add the adhesive to the tile and place on the wall. The first method is best for those with little experience.
Add enough adhesive for three or four tiles square at a time. Place tile spacers on the vertical and horizontal edges to ensure even spacing.
4. Cut tiles
At some point you will need to cut tiles to fit into corners or around obstacles. A manual cutter like this Vitrex 630mm Manual Tile cutter from B&Q is used for straight cuts. Mark the tile with a felt tip pen where you need the cut.
Place the tile in the cutter, line up the cut, hold the tile and pull down the handle and drag the cutter across the tile. Now push the handle down to break the tile. Check the tile fits before laying.
Check our how to use a tile cutter guide for more help on getting the job done correctly.
5. Grout tiles
When finished tiling leave the adhesive to dry as recommended by the manufacturer, typically 24 hours. To finish up, follow our How to Grout Tiles guide.
FAQs
How many tiles do I need?
This will obviously depend on how many walls you are tiling and whether you are tiling from floor to ceiling. So you will need to measure up the different areas that you want tiled to get an overall measurement to work with.
You also need to add 10% extra for wastage and breakages. Check out our How many tiles do I need guide to help make sure you’ll be buying enough.
What do you put on bathroom walls before tiling?
This will vary depending on the current state of the wall. If you have bare plaster, plasterboard or render you want to apply a primer like this Mapei Plaster Primer from Toolstation to seal the plaster. Make sure the wall is clean before applying.
If the wall has been wallpapered you will need to remove the wallpaper, and clean and prime the walls before adding any tiles. If the wall has been emulsioned you will need to remove the paint before putting up any tiles. Use a wallpaper steamer and a scraper or an orbital sander like this DEWALT Orbital Sander from Amazon with a medium/fine grit – P80 or P120 are good.
If you have tiles on the wall you can tile over tiles, but you will need to make sure that the existing tiles are secure and clean before you start.
Can you grout the same day you tile?
Typically no. The tile adhesive needs to be completely dry before any grout is applied. But drying times will be affected by the temperature and humidity in the bathroom and what type of adhesive is being used.
Ideally you want to leave tile adhesive for 24-48 hours before grouting, but you may be using a fast setting adhesive and only tiling a small area. If this is the case you may be able to grout on the same day. Check manufacturers recommendations for drying times.
If you grout before the tile adhesive has dried you will trap in the moisture and the tile adhesive won’t cure properly. This means the tiles won’t bond as strongly to the wall as they should and can lead to tiles falling off the wall.
Tiling a bathroom wall isn’t always as straightforward as expected. Check our Tiling around a window, Tiling a corner and How Much Tile Adhesive Do I Need? guides to get more pro pointers and help. And don't forget to find out how to fit tile trim if you want to add a final finishing touch.
