How to Do a Shower With Ceramic Tiles
- 1). Remove any existing tile in the shower, rotten drywall and rotten wood, being careful not to damage the tub, shower head and faucet. Removing tile can be a time consuming and labor intensive task, so it may be easier to cut the drywall around the tile and remove both the existing tile and drywall together instead of attempting to separate the tile. Clean up the debris created by the demolition.
- 2). Attach cement backerboard to the wall studs with hot-dipped galvanized nails or screws. Use the fasteners recommended by the backerboard product manufacturer.
- 3). Mix thinset mortar with water following the manufacturer's instructions and apply a thin layer of thinset to the joints between the pieces of backerboard with a trowel. Press fiberglass mesh joint tape into the thinset at the joints, making sure that the tape is flush and even. Do not create a lump or high spot at the joints with the mortar and thinset.
- 4). Apply a skim coat of thinset with the trowel to cover the entire backerboard surface.
- 5). Measure from the top of the shower pan or tub to the top of the desired tiled area on the back wall of the shower and mark the wall in the center of this measurement. Measure one tile to determine the number of tiles necessary to cover the wall area to the mark and adjust the mark to minimize the number of tile cuts needed. For example, if your mark is located 35.5 inches from the shower pan and your tile is 4 inches, move your median mark to 36 inches so that you can use 9 full tiles from the shower pan to the median.
- 6). Snap a level chalk line horizontally through the mark.
- 7). Measure the back wall horizontally from corner to corner and mark the center. Use the same procedure as in Step 5 to determine the number of tiles needed for each side and adjust the mark.
- 8). Snap a level vertical chalk line on the wall through the mark.
- 9). Mix tile mastic according to the manufacturer's instructions and spread an even layer on the wall in one of the corners created by the intersecting chalk lines. Rake a notched trowel through the mastic to create grooves. Work quickly in small sections.
- 10
Press the tiles firmly into place following the chalk lines and working your way both down and across the wall. Press two plastic spacers between each connecting tile. - 11
Measure and mark any tiles that need to be cut with a pencil and cut the tiles with a manual tile cutter or wet saw. - 12
Continue spreading mastic and laying tiles following the chalk line guide until the wall is complete. Complete the process on each wall, cutting the tile to fit around faucet pipes and supply lines with tile nippers or a wet saw. - 13
Install bullnose tile along exposed edges if needed and allow the tile to set overnight. - 14
Mix unsanded tile grout with water following the manufacturer's directions. - 15
Remove the plastic spacers and spread the grout onto the tile and into the joints between the tiles with a rubber float. Do not grout between the bottom tile and the shower pan or the bathtub Allow the grout the dry for 20 minutes. - 16
Wash the tile with a large sponge to remove grout residue from the surface of the tile and to smooth the rout lines. Watch the grout lines as you wash the tile with the sponge and fill in any thin areas as needed. Allow the grout to dry overnight. - 17
Buff the tile with a dry cloth to remove any remaining grout haze and apply a bead of silicone caulk between the bottom row of tile and the tub. Smooth the caulk with your finger if needed and allow the caulk to dry before using the shower.