Any tilers out there....help please!!!?

Question

I have decided to tile my bathroom myself. What tools are essential...and where do I start...someone told me to start in the midle of the wall.

Can I tile on top of old tiles...I heard that I can?

Also the bathroom widow is set back into the wall so how would I make a neat edge around the window?

Be so grateful for any tips I can get!

Answer 1

You can tile on top of old tiles, but I always like to get back to a nice clean room before starting. If the walls are level with them on, then feel free. You will need to prepare slightly differently but when you are getting all your tools from B&Q or Focus, pick up one of their 'Tiling' Tips sheets. This will help.

Tools you will need...(by the time you have paid for all these, it might be worth just paying an expert to do the job or I guess you could try stealing/begging/borrowing them off mates!)

Tiles, adhesive, edging strip, spacers...

Spirit level, plumb and chalk line, planed 50mm x 20mm batons (2 x 1"), marking stick, tile cutter, adhesive spreader, tile nibbler or saw, rubber squeegee. For preparation: abrasive paper, filing knife and scraper. You can get these tools from any old B&Q or Focus DIY

Improvements in tools and materials mean that it has never been easier to tile your wall. Master the basics, and it is really quite easy. When tiling a wall, don't try to finish it all in one go. Plan it well and you could have a beautiful wall in the end! Preparation is key, older houses may have really bad plaster when you remove the old tiles - you should re-plaster these walls to ensure there is a good surface for the tiles to stick to. Good luck if you have an odd shape bathroom with alcoves and odd slanted walls, you have a lot of cutting to do.

Planning Tips - setting out the room (if you want the tiles to have even cuts around the edge):


Mark the walls around the room a tile's width above the skirting. Use a batten to draw a level line just under these marks.
With a marking stick plot your vertical layout of tiles remembering to allow for things like wash basins, pipes and windows.
Adjust the base line so that any cut tiles are even at the ends of each column. Fix the batten with its top edge just touching the base line.
Find the wall's midpoint and plot the horizontal layout working outwards from the centre so that the cuts are equal at the end of each row.
Mark on the batten where the last left hand column of whole tiles finishes. Drop a plumb line to this mark and draw a vertical line on the wall.
Nail a vertical batten to make a right angle. Press a tile into the angle. If the battens are positioned well it should fit perfectly.

Corner / edge tip:

External corners such as the ones round recessed windows should always have edging strips on - they will not get chipped and have rough edges exposed then. When the tiling finishes on a wall area and an edge is exposed, use a proper edging strip, border tile or glazed edge tile to prevent rough edges.

The whole thing is quite easy and as long as you have a splodge of common sense, you will be able to complete it. Great big tiles take less time, but mosaics just look fabulous! These can be purchased with mesh backing and are a generally very forgiving tile to lay!

Good Luck. If I were you, I'd ask someone who is tiling their bathroom if you could have a go before you embark on this project but then I have done it before and know what is involved.

Answer 2

Tiling on top of old tiles is a bodge and can be problematical. After measuring the wall you could decide to start in the middle so part tiles at either end can be cut exactly to size. Otherwise start at one end and put the part tile where it notices least. It's all about appearance. You need a spreader to apply the adhesive, a tile cutter (not too cheap and DIY ish) a spirit level and plumb line. You also need grouting and spacersto get the distances between tiles right. The two vital things are planning where to have part tiles and starting off straight and level. You will find that no walls in a house are dead square to each other.

Answer 3

Having installed thousands of sq. ft. I'll offer my opinion and methods.

First, square the area, even diagonally. Find a line that allows the least amount of edge cuts, snap that line and one perpendicular to it, also squared.

For verticle installations I use tile no larger than 6 inch, and bonded on the reverse.

DO NOT tile over, PLEASE!

The window edge, in your choice of tiles can be handled with "bullnose" Though you may also consider the sill/ frame of the window gets tiled?

Where you start should be after measuring no less than twice, squaring, and noting cuts at edges, then begin at that cross snapped line from bottom to top.

The Underlayment is as important. I use concrete backer board, and a rapid set mastik, for walls.

Steven Wolf

Answer 4

i've got continually got here across a sturdy ol' paint scraper does the business enterprise while it includes removing old vinyl tiles, or lino. regrettably nevertheless there's a super sort of scraping, sweating and swearing in touch, after all vinyl tiles are positioned down so as that they stay in place, that's an advantage while in use, yet a diverse draw back once you prefer to do away with them. offering you get the worst up, there could be no issues while it includes utilising the hot adhesive and tiles. Do you have any gullible pals that should have self assurance you, in case you informed them between the domicile's previous vendors became into interior for armed theft, and you have been informed there possibly a stash under the kitchen floor, i'm advantageous they had help? wish i've got been of a few assistance