HOW- TO HOW-TO FIX CERAMIC WALL TILES

Tiles provide an attractive decorative surface that is water resistant, tough, long lasting and easy to clean.
It is the most practical surface to use in kitchens, bathrooms and showers.
The secret of good tiling is painstaking preparation, carefully planned setting out and accurate cutting and
fixing.
HOMEBASE stock a range of tiles and adhesives, as well as the tools needed to complete a successful job.

MATERIALS
• Tiles • Silicone sealant, available in various colours
• PVC trim for corners, available in colours to • Masonry nails, 25mm
match the tiles
• Wooden battening, 8mm x 50mm and dead
• Adhesive: thin bed adhesive for smooth level straight, for setting out and supporting tiles
surfaces and waterproof adhesive for bathrooms,
showers and kitchens • Tile spacers, usually plastic and available in
various sizes
• Grout, waterproof where needed, available in
various colours • Masking tape

TOOLS
• Tile cutting machine with hole cutting facility • Edge trim mitre guide
• Mini grinder fitted with stone cutting disc • Tile scriber, tungsten carbide tipped
• Sealant frame gun • Grout finishing tool
• Electric tile cutter, water-cooled diamond wheel, • Sealant tool for smoothing silicone sealant
which may be bought or hired and is very useful • Filling knife, 100mm
OR Rod saw
• Craft knife
• Tile frame saw
• Safety glasses and face dust mask
• Junior hacksaw
• Tile file or pad
• Tile nippers
• Steel measuring tape
• Claw hammer
• Steel rule, 300mm
• Spirit levels for horizontal and vertical lines:
1200mm, 600mm and 225mm • Grout spreader or squeegee
• Plasterer’s steel trowel • Spirit-based pen, fine point
• Serrated tiling trowel, 5mm x 5mm notches (Some • HB pencil
ready-mixed adhesives come with a small serrated • 3 clean buckets: one large for water, one large
spreader, which is quite adequate for small projects.) for adhesive and one small for grout
• Plasterer’s small leaf and square • Sponges
• Combination try square • Scrim or old towels for polishing after grouting

HOW - TO 1
E S T I M AT I N G TILES
Tiles are sold by the box. Unopened boxes will be credited on return to the HOMEBASE store within 28 days of
purchase.
Measure the area to be tiled. Do not forget to include window sills and reveals (the four sides of the window
recess) and to allow 10% extra for cutting and wastage. Divide the total area by the coverage area shown on
each box of tiles.

The website’s calculator will help for metric and imperial conversions:
1 yard 2 = 1.2m 2 and 1m 2 = 0.8yard 2. Round up to the nearest whole number. This is the minimum number of
boxes you will require.

E S T I M AT I N G A D H E S I V E
To cover approximately 4 square metres, use 5 litres of thin bed adhesive.

E S T I M AT I N G G R O U T
Use approximately 1kg to cover 3.5m 2 or 2kg for mosaic tiles.
Always check the manufacturer’s instructions, which vary from make to make. They should confirm both the
coverage and suitability of purpose.

TIME BY SKILL LEVEL

To tile a small bathroom that is 2.4m x 2.7m x 2.4m with basin and WC removed, it will take around 56 hours for
a novice, 45 hours for intermediate skill levels and 35 hours for the advanced tiler.

C O L O U R VA R I AT I O N S
Minor shade variations occur in the production of tiles, so it is advisable to buy all the tiles you need at the same
time. It is also a good idea to mix or shuffle the contents of boxes of tiles, so the tiles shades harmonise. It is
essential to do this before beginning to fix the tiles.

P R E PA R I N G W A L L S
How-To: Repair Plaster Walls and Ceilings and
How-To: Prepare Walls and Ceilings for Decoration are relevant to tiling projects.
Make sure the surfaces you wish to decorate are suitable for the purpose. Tiles may be fixed to most
smooth surfaces – plaster, sand and cement rendering, plasterboard or plywood.

S U R FA C E S U I TA B I L I T Y COMMENTS

Plaster or sand and All uses, but sand and Must be smooth and sound, stripped of wall
cement rendering cement rendering is preferable coverings and free of dust, cracks and bumps.
over brick- or to lightweight plaster in showers Tap it all over with a small hammer; any areas that
block-work and steam rooms. sound hollow (click) must be cut out and re-plastered.
New plaster or rendering should dry out for 14 days
before tiling. Some adhesive manufacturers recom-
mend priming plaster and rendering with 1:10 PVA
solution. Read the instructions.
Plasterboard, skimmed OK for most areas, except Must be stripped bare, with cracks and blemishes
with a finishing coat of showers and steam rooms. filled and sanded down.
plaster

HOW - TO 2
 F1 F3

F2 F4

S U R FA C E S U I TA B I L I T Y COMMENTS
Plasterboard, Only use in dry areas, never Carefully remove previous coverings, fill cracks and
not skimmed in showers or against baths, dents, then coat with dilute PV adhesive 1:10, 45
sinks and basins. minutes before filling. If plasterboard is new, fill on
the grey side.
Plywood and medium OK in all areas. Must be exterior grade (moisture resistant), a
density fibreboard minimum of 9mm thick and supported on 50mm
(MDF) thick timbers at a maximum of 300mm centres
(F1).
Coat with dilute PVA adhesive 1:10, 45 minutes
before tiling. Fix the boards with sheradized
(corrosion-protected), jagged plasterboard nails or
plasterboard screws and waterproof PVA adhesive
chipboard, such as ‘Contiboard’.
Ceramic wall tiles OK in all areas, according Thoroughly degrease with strong detergent.
to substrate. Score the surface (make criss-cross scratches) with
a tile scriber (F2) or, better still, use a mini-grinder
fitted with a stone cutting disc (F3). Repair any
damage, remove loose tiles and fill holes with one-
coat plaster. Do not tile until the plaster has dried out.
Painted surfaces OK in most areas, Scrape off loose material. Key the surface by
depending upon substrate. scratching with a heavy-duty craft knife, which
creates a bond between the surfaces.
Scour with very coarse abrasive paper (40 grit),
wrapped around a cork block (F4).
Do not use chemical strippers.
Chipboard and Not recommended
hardboard

HOW - TO 3

F5
F6
F7
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
1 Remove items of wall furniture, such as bathroom
cupboards and all fittings.
2 If possible, remove hand basins and toilet
cisterns. It is easier to re-fix them than to tile
round them.
3 Take up any carpet or loose-laid floor coverings.
4 Protect lino, vinyl or cork tiles. Lay down polythene
sheet and place cheap hardboard on top, held in
place with ‘DUCK Tape’.
5 Protect shower trays, baths, sinks and work
surfaces with heavy-duty polythene sheet held
in place with masking tape.
6 When working in a shower or over a bath, protect
them from damage. Place a piece of old carpet
or folded dust sheet over the polythene.
HINT
Never assume that a work surface or skirting
board is horizontal. Always double-check.
F8
F9
SETTING OUT (PLANNING) THE TILES
Make a gauge stick or ‘rod’
1 On a flat surface lay out a row of tiles against a
batten 1.5-1.8m long.
2 Insert spacers between the tiles.
3 Set the batten one spacer in thickness beyond
the right-hand tile.
4 Use a sharp HB pencil or fine-tipped fibre pen to
mark the spaces between the tiles onto the batten
(F5).
5 Use a combination try square to mark the tile
widths and spaces across one side and one
edge of the batten (F6). If the tiles are rectangular,
mark the short edges on one side of the batten
and the long edges on the other side in a different
colour.
6 Mark vertical and horizontal lines centred on the
middle of the wall.
7 Use the rod to mark the best possible positioning
of the tiles, both horizontally and vertically.
8 Try starting with the rod adjacent to the vertical
line (F7A). If this leaves a very narrow cut
against the wall, centre a tile over the centre line.
This should leave a wider cut tile at each end of
the row (F7B). This not only looks better, but
the tile will be easier to cut.
9 Do the same vertically, but this time try to have a
longer tile at the top of the wall than at the bottom.
Provided the bottom cut is not less than half a
tile, the visual effect will be better (F8).
10 Windows are no problem, unless they are set off-
centre in the wall. In this case, centre the tiles on
the window instead of on the whole wall. It is aes-
thetically more pleasing to have evenly cut tiles
round the window, even if the tiles against nearby
walls are of different sizes (F9).
HOW - TO 4
 F10
F11
B AT T E N I N G
1 Cut straight battening to the length of the wall.
Don’t use the gauge rod if you will need it later.
2 If the bottom row has to be cut, use masonry
nails to attach the batten horizontally to the wall,
level with the top of the penultimate (second to
last) row of tiles (F10). Leave the nail heads
proud to enable easy removal.
3 Nail a batten against a vertical tiling position
(F10). Ensure the batten is aligned with the
edge of the penultimate row adjacent to the window.
Make sure the batten is exactly vertical and at a
90-degree angle to the horizontal batten. Use the
3:4:5 principal (F10) where distance A=600mm,
distance B=800mm and distance C=1000mm
(1m). If C is more or less than 1000mm, adjust
the vertical batten to achieve a 90-degree angle.
F12
F13
FIXING THE TILES
1 Adhesives are available ready-mixed in large
tubs or in powder form that is mixed with water
or a special additive. The former are convenient
and easier to use. If powdered adhesive is used,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
2 Use a plastering trowel to apply a 3mm skim of
adhesive to the wall, covering no more than 1m2.
3 Use a notched tiling trowel, held at 45-degree
angle to the wall, to pull the adhesive into ridges
(F11). Scrape excess adhesive back into the
bucket.
4 Use the plasterer’s leaf and square to remove
adhesive immediately adjacent to the battens.
5 Apply the first tile 12mm above and 12mm to
one side of the battens and slide it into position
(F12). The sliding gives added suction to the
adhesive. Repeat with the next tile, placing a
spacer between the tiles. Carry on until you run
out of adhesive-covered area. Apply more adhe-
sive and continue up to the last two tiles of each
row (F13).
6 As you tile, use a damp sponge to remove
excess adhesive from the face of the tiles and
the gaps between them. The adhesive will be a
different colour from the grout.
7 Once the first areas are covered, carefully
remove the vertical batten and continue tiling in
the opposite direction.
8 One hour after the bottom row of tiles is completed,
the horizontal batten can be removed and the
remaining tiles cut and fixed.
HOW - TO 5
 F14 F16

F15 F17

CUTTING AND ‘BACKMARKING’

1 Hold a tile next to a previously stuck tile and
place another tile over this, resting it on the skirting
or worktop. ‘Backmark’ its position on the bottom
tile with a fibre spirit pen (F14).
2 Lay the tile flat and mark three spacer widths
back from the cutting line (6mm for 2mm spacers)
(F15).
3 Hold a steel rule on the line and score the tile
once using a tile scriber (F16).
4 Place the scored line on the tile over two match
sticks. Apply even downward pressure and snap
the tile (F17). Use a tile file to smooth out the F18
rough edges.
5 Cutting is easier with a combination tile cutting
machine (F18). If all the tiles are to be cut
square and to an identical measurement, set the
stop on the cutter to that measurement and run
off as many as needed. Keep the waste pieces,
as they may be useable elsewhere.

HOW - TO 6
 F19 F21

F20 F22

Cutting a shape
Backmark the tiles, allowing for spacing. Use the
rule and tile scriber to scratch the tile surface. Make
the first cut using the rod saw (F19), then snap off
the waste (F20). Alternatively, use a water-cooled
diamond blade tile-cutting machine (F21). When
cutting to a curve, make a series of cuts and snap
off the pieces with tile nippers.
Tiling round corners
Tile to the edge of a corner. Cut and fit plastic tile
trim (F22), mitring (cutting at an angle) the corners
where required (F22 inset). Set it on a thin bed of
adhesive onto the adjacent surface, then cut and fit
the tiles for that surface.

HOW - TO 7
F23
F24
Tiling round a pipe
1 Backmark the position of the pipe’s top, bottom
and sides onto the tile (F23). Mark the centre
of the hole (F23 inset) and cover the position
with masking tape.
2 Adjust the hole cutter to the size required, at a
minimum of 28mm and a maximum of 80mm.
3 Line the tile up under the cutter and turn the handle
until the hole is cut (F24).
4 If fitting round a plumbed-in pipe, drill the hole
and score a line across the tile passing across
the centre of the hole. Snap the tile and position
the pieces either side of the pipe.
F25
F26
GROUTING
Grout is a cement-based material for sealing the
gap between tiles. Use waterproof grout where
appropriate and other specialist grouts are available,
such as for food preparation areas or exterior use.
1 After 24 hours of drying time, use a sponge or
rubber squeegee to fill the joints with grout (F25).
2 A grouting tool will smooth the grout to a uniform
finish (F26). Remove excess grout with a
barely damp sponge and re-use the grouting tool.
When dry, polish the tiles with a clean, dry,
coarse cloth, such as hessian, scrim or an old
towel.
3 Once the tiling is finished, replace and plumb in
any sinks or lavatory cisterns.
HOW - TO 8
F27
F28
DRILLING HOLES
Place a strip of masking tape over the area to avoid
‘drill slip’. Mark the position of the hole and then drill
using a tungsten carbide-tipped drill of the correct
size. Drill until the plug lies below the level of the tile
to avoid damage when tightening the screw (F27).
F29
SEALING TILES
1 When in use, most baths sink, enlarging the gap
between the bath and the tiles. To reproduce this
effect, fill the bath with water before sealing
the edges. Leave the water in the bath for
24 hours afterwards.
2 With masking tape of minimum 25mm width, mask
off adjacent surfaces, leaving an 8-9mm gap
(F28).
3 Use a frame gun to apply a bead of suitable
silicone sealant (sanitary or kitchen). Work back-
wards, thus forcing it into the gap between
adjoining surfaces.
4 Immediately scrape off any excess using a
sealant smoothing tool moistened with water
(F29). Take off the masking tape within
15 minutes of applying the sealant.
HINT
If you have any tiles left over, keep a few to
replace damaged tiles later.
HOW - TO 9