Laying tiles with your own hands. How to lay tiles on a wall correctly: a master class on tiling a bathroom Laying tiles with your own hands

Not all novice craftsmen know how to lay tiles on a wall, but they strive to complete this work on their own, without the help of qualified specialists. Wall cladding with ceramic tiles is not one of the most complex manipulations carried out during renovation, however, failure to comply with certain rules and requirements can lead to the entire cladding falling off the wall surface. This can only be avoided if all work related not only to laying tiles directly, but also to preparing the surface, is carried out accurately, correctly and consistently.

Features and types of facing material

Starting work on installing tiles on the walls involves choosing finishing material. The final result depends on the quality of individual products. First of all, you need to decide on the quality of the tile:

Tiled.
Ceramic.

There is no particular difference in the strength of the products, but tiles, thanks to the application of glaze, look more aesthetically pleasing, although it is more difficult to work with, since the glaze coating is quite fragile and with the slightest carelessness the products will crack and break. Ceramic wall tiles are highly durable and are often used to decorate bathrooms or bathrooms.

Laying tiles on a wall with your own hands begins with a detailed study of the material. It is important not only to choose the most attractive products in appearance, it is also necessary to check the geometry of each individual part.

Even slight unevenness of the ends or minor defects on the surface can cause cracking during installation. Laying tiles on the wall requires great care and utmost attention. This is especially true for pruning. Fragile components must be cut carefully and accurately; cutting or leveling twice to eliminate inaccuracies is strictly prohibited. Products cannot withstand such treatment and crack.

How smooth the surface of each tile is is equally important. Minor deviations (convexity) within 1 mm are not visible at first glance, but when laying tiles on the wall, all defects sometimes appear with unexpected force. You can avoid such troubles by choosing more expensive imported products, but if you cannot spend a lot of money when purchasing facing material, you will have to adapt to less expensive, but also less quality types.

The next step is checking the corners. Their value must strictly correspond to 90 0, otherwise the seams will diverge, which cannot be aligned using crosses and changing the distance between the tiles.

The so-called calibration is also important. The length and width of all individual tiles from one batch must completely match, otherwise the novice master will again face a discrepancy along the seam.

The thickness of the tiles must be checked in the store by opening each package. Despite the fact that, in accordance with existing standards, differences in thickness between individual products of up to 2 mm are allowed, working with such parts will be quite difficult. When purchasing facing materials, you should try to choose those whose thickness difference is minimal (no more than 1 mm).

What to put it on

Modern manufacturers offer to use a variety of adhesive compositions for laying tiles on the wall, differing in the quantity and quality of the components included in their composition. However, all marketed compositions are divided into:

Mastics. Ready-made mixtures packaged in buckets and having a certain shelf life after opening the container.
Dry mixtures that require independent preparation. They are strongly recommended to be used when laying tiles on the wall by qualified craftsmen.

Dry mixtures have a number of advantages. They are prepared in the right quantity, they retain elasticity longer, but most importantly, using such a composition, you can correct (correct) minor defects on the surface of the walls.

If there are small voids or gaps and cracks no more than 2-3 mm deep on the walls, such a surface should not be plastered. These defects can be eliminated using an adhesive composition prepared from a dry mixture. In those places where minor unevenness is found, the glue is applied in a thicker layer, then, controlling the level, they achieve a perfectly flat surface.

The technology of laying tiles on the wall requires the use of a ready-made mixture or adherence to exact proportions when preparing adhesive solution with your own hands.

When choosing adhesive for tiles, you need to pay attention to the features of its composition and purpose. Some mixtures are created specifically for laying tiles on walls in rooms with high humidity, while others are designed to perform finishing work in conditions of constantly changing temperatures. The choice depends on the characteristics of the room in which the walls will be tiled.

Preparing to start work

Preparatory work is the most important stage. How well the surface is prepared will determine how long the tile cladding will last on it. The surface preparation process is lengthy and requires not only patience, but also a certain skill:

Work begins with removing the old decorative covering. If there was wallpaper on the walls of the room, then it must be removed without leaving any residue. Even the smallest pieces of paper should not remain on the surface. If you do not pay attention to them during the preparation process, after applying the adhesive composition to the surface, such islands of paper will absorb moisture and begin to peel off from the wall. They will, as they say, “pull” the mortar along with them, and the tile will move away from the wall.
Cleaned walls are treated with a primer using the composition deep penetration with the addition of antiseptics. This will not only strengthen the walls, but also protect them from the appearance of fungus and further mold growth.
After the soil has completely dried, you can begin leveling the walls. To do this, you first need to make sure that there is no blockage. If it exists, you will have to plaster the walls, creating an even and regular plane.

If the tiles are to be laid on smooth but painted walls, then before tiling, notches must be made on their surface to ensure a high level of adhesion. Final stage preparatory work- priming. The primer chosen is the “Concrete contact” type. After it has completely dried, the surface of the walls is covered with protective film, and it becomes slightly rough, which guarantees high-quality adhesion of materials.

Applying a primer is a mandatory procedure. Otherwise, there will be no high-quality adhesion of the tile adhesive to the wall surface and no protection from negative impacts moisture, mildew and mold.

Marking

In accordance with the technology developed for wall cladding with ceramic tiles, you can begin laying tiles after full, accurate markings have been completed. When starting marking, you should decide what you need to achieve in addition to creating a pattern or design. Laying technology ceramic tiles There are two marking options on the wall:

Using small trimmings.
WITH minimum consumption tiles

In the first case, only solid tiles are first laid and only at the last stage are trims laid, closing the remaining small space between the last row of parts and the corner. In the second, before laying the tiles on the wall, they measure the area of the surface to be decorated and cut the tiles in such a way that there are no small undercuts at all.

The rules for laying tiles require determining the height of the first row. If we are talking about work in the kitchen and installing an apron above work area, then, having marked the lower border for the tiles of the first row, a line is drawn strictly according to the level, which will later serve as a guide for attaching the metal profile. This profile will serve as a support for the tiles that will make up the first row.

Laying tiles on the wall in a bathroom, toilet or other room begins from the floor. From this point the markings are made. In accordance with the height of the individual parts and the width of the seam, the number of rows to be laid and the size of the trims are determined.

When marking, take into account the size of the crosses, which will help maintain the same width of seams between the rows on all surfaces.

Tile crosses are not always used during installation. Facing tiles can be laid using a seamless method, joint to joint. It all depends on the pattern being created, the preferences of the owner of the room or the designer’s decision.

Installation

Having figured out how to properly lay tiles on the walls, you can begin to carry out the work. Start from the bottom marking line (start line) and the middle of the wall. It is on this that the central seam should fall, which always catches the eye and attracts attention. Trimmings should be left for laying in the most remote corners, where they attract the attention of strangers.

Tile adhesive is applied to the wall surface with a wide spatula, covering a space slightly larger in height than the size of one tile, and 3-4 parts in width equal to this parameter.
Remove excess glue with a comb spatula.
Glue is applied to the tile so that the layer thickness at the edges approaches 0, and in the middle it is at least 3 mm.
Using a notched trowel again, remove excess glue.
The tile is applied to the wall, leaning on the starting line ( metallic profile or gender).
Now you need to tap it with a rubber hammer, leveling it.
Lay the second tile in the same way, inserting tiled crosses between them in the upper and lower corners.

Thus, all rows are raised, leaving space from the last tile in the row to the inner corner. It is laid last, after a special decorative strip is installed in the corner.

Completion of installation - laying of trims. They are left until the last minute, since this work requires special patience and diligence. Small pieces of tiles must be laid in strict accordance with the created pattern or design, using tile crosses and checking the correct installation with a level.

And the last manipulation is grouting the seams. To do this, use dry mixtures, which are prepared in the required quantity, adding cold water and bringing to the consistency of thick sour cream. Place the grout into the seams between the tiles with a soft rubber spatula, moving across the seam. Having filled the space between the tiles with a grout mixture, wipe the lined surface of the wall with a dry soft cloth, removing excess grout and cleaning the surface.

More details on the process in the video:

Complete all installation work facing tiles you can do it on the walls yourself, it is only important to follow the sequence of manipulations, carefully and seriously approach the choice of products and strictly follow the recommendations of professionals.

Before laying new tiles, knocking down old ones is a matter of course.

In fact, this labor-intensive step is not at all necessary.

It is quite possible to lay tiles on tiles and below we will tell you how this is done.

On untreated ceramic tiles, the cladding does not adhere well due to low adhesion.

The latter is due to the following surface properties:

smoothness;
no pores (does not absorb glue).

To fix the cladding on such a base, you will have to tinker with its preparation. But this process is less labor-intensive than dismantling the old cladding, followed by removing debris and leveling the wall, so this solution is completely justified.

Its only drawback is that the double cladding will “eat up” a large amount of space, which is unacceptable for small rooms.

Preparing the surface for installation

First you need to make sure that old tiles holds firmly. If this is not the case, the weight of the new cladding will cause the material to fall off. Proceed as follows:

The tiles are inspected for chips and cracked areas. When found, they are marked with a marker.
The coating is tapped and places with a booming sound, indicating the presence of voids, are also marked.
Using a hammer and chisel, knock down cracked and peeling areas and fill in empty cells cement-sand mortar. If you intend to use tile adhesive on cement based, then it itself can act as a leveling mixture. The maximum thickness of a layer of such glue is 30 mm; the packaging should be marked “thick layer”.

completely remove gloss;
make notches;
prime the surface special compounds.

Work on dismantling tiles is carried out with safety glasses: there is a risk of splinters getting into your eyes.

Removing the glossy layer

The glaze covering the tiles is cleaned off with a grinder equipped with a wheel for working on stone or concrete. The exposed base material of the tile is rough and porous, which is required for good adhesion. This operation is also performed with protective glasses, since it happened that the circle was torn apart by centrifugal forces and its fragments injured the master’s eyes.

A drill equipped with a grinding attachment is also suitable for cleaning.

Processing tiles with abrasive tools is accompanied by the formation large quantity dust, therefore you should wear a respirator and cover equipment and furniture with plastic wrap.

After treatment with an abrasive tool, the cladding surface is cleaned of dust and degreased.

Laying tiles on the floor

Creating notches on tiles

If the new facing material has small sizes and thickness, and therefore is light, the glaze can be partially peeled off - in the form of stripes in increments of 2 cm. With such a notch, the adhesion force will be sufficient, and labor costs and consumables ( abrasive wheels and nozzles) will require much smaller ones than with continuous stripping. The total area of the notches must be at least 60% of the total area of the base.

Punching

Instead of removing the glossy layer, you can drill many holes in the old coating.

A similar method is used when making bricks - round depressions are pressed into it.

The advantage of the method is the absence of dust.

Flaws:

labor intensity;
low strength: also only suitable for lightweight tiles.

After the holes are drilled in the tile, it is cleaned of dust and degreased.

Primer

The “Concrete-Contact” primer, consisting of the following components, helps to make a smooth surface rough:

acrylic (base);
cement;
sand;
modifiers.

The old cladding is washed, degreased, dried and a layer of thoroughly mixed primer is applied with a roller or brush.

Protective equipment is required: glasses and gloves.

After 2-4 hours, the primer dries and hardens, turning into a rough crust.

The disadvantage of this method is the cost of purchasing a primer. If there is no “Concrete contact”, it is replaced with quartz primer.

It is recommended to cover furniture and equipment near the work site with cloth or plastic film: the Concrete Contact primer is difficult to wash off.

Technology for laying new tiles

To lay tiles on tiles, glue with increased adhesive strength (adhesion) is used.

The latter is measured in MPa, its value is indicated on the packaging.

For different brands of adhesives, this indicator varies from 0.2 to 1 MPa.

According to adhesion strength, they are in the following order (from weak to strong):

cement;
dispersive;
epoxy.

The latter type is expensive and is used in special conditions: for covering floors in areas with high traffic, and structures exposed to constant direct exposure to water. There are also polyurethane adhesives- for “warm floors” and structures prone to deformation and vibration. Under normal conditions, dispersion adhesive is sufficient. It is only available in finished form, has a paste-like consistency.

For cladding with glass mosaics or tiles made of marble or other light stone, white glue is used. In other cases, color does not matter.

To work you will need tools:

metal spatulas: straight and serrated;
rubber spatulas: ;
tile cutter or glass cutter;
bubble level.

Notched spatulas differ in tooth height - from 6 to 12 mm. This parameter determines the thickness of the glue layer. Since the spatula is held at an angle when leveling the composition, followed by pressure on it with a tile, its thickness as a result is 0.3-0.5% of the height of the spatula tooth. Accordingly, a No. 8 spatula is used to apply a layer 2.4-4 mm thick.

On a flat base, the adhesive layer varies from 2 to 6 mm and depends on the weight of the tile: the larger and thicker it is, the larger the adhesive layer. For convenience, glue manufacturers do not indicate the thickness of the layer, but the number of the spatula recommended for laying tiles of a particular size.

Stages of tile laying work:

When facing a wall from below, a starting strip is attached strictly horizontally to it with dowels, which prevents the facing material from slipping. The position of the rack during installation is controlled by a level.
Wall cladding begins from the far lower corner. There are no clear recommendations for the floor: start from the walls, from the corner or from the center.
On small area Apply a layer of adhesive to the wall or floor with a straight metal spatula. It is also recommended to cover large facing products with a layer of 1 mm of adhesive mixture.
Using a notched trowel, level the surface and give the desired thickness.
Glue the tile, pressing it down and controlling the position with a level. The tiles are placed so that the seams in the new and old cladding do not match.
Remove excess glue with a rag: this is done immediately, before the composition hardens.
Glue the next tile in the same way, placing a plastic cross between it and the previous one to give the seams an equal width. The position of the cladding elements is constantly monitored by level. Optimal width seams - 2-3 mm. If the width of the joints is larger, the grout will crumble; if it is smaller, the coating will look unattractive, since it is difficult to fill such gaps with a fugue.

If the starting rail was not installed, when gluing the wall, lay the tiles in no more than 3-4 rows, and then stop for an hour while waiting for the glue to set. With more rows, the coating will slide under its own weight.

For laying at the end of the row, the tiles are trimmed. The procedure is as follows:

measure the width of the remaining gap;
measure this size on the tile and mark it with a marker;
Applying a straight strip to the drawn line, run a tile cutter or glass cutter along it, pressing the tool;
easily hit the tile flat on the floor - it will split along the cut line.

Having completed the wall cladding, dismantle the starting rail and glue the trimmed tiles in its place.

After the glue has dried, begin grouting the joints. The ceramic tile base does not absorb water well and the glue on it takes longer to dry than usual, so it is recommended to start grouting no earlier than 3-4 days after finishing work.

Filling the seams is carried out with a rubber spatula. Such tools with different widths Usually sold in a set, the widest one is often used.

After 15-20 minutes. After starting work, return to the first seam and wipe off traces of grout from the tiles with a rag or damp sponge. By this time, the solution will have dried enough so that it will not fall out of the seam during careless manipulation with a rag, and at the same time it will not yet harden so much that it cannot be washed off.

How to lay tile on tile in a bathroom?

In the bathroom, the tile covering is installed using the same technology, only the glue and grout used are moisture-resistant and with the addition of an antiseptic. Such compositions are also called fungicidal. Their use is due to high humidity: mold and mildew colonies develop on regular grout.

Cement-based adhesives are made moisture-resistant by mixing with liquid latex instead of water. Dispersion, polyurethane and epoxy adhesives moisture resistance is inherent from the very beginning.

Moisture-resistant grouts are also divided into:

cement with latex sealing;
epoxy.

The latter are extremely reliable, but extremely difficult to install. In everyday life, they are usually used only with expensive tiles: silver or gold powder is added to the epoxy resin, which gives the cladding an impressive look.

Finished finishing

Silicone and acrylic sealants are not used as grout: they are difficult to wash off from tiles and often turn yellow over time.

They fill the gaps between the cladding and plumbing fixtures (bathtub, washbasin, etc.).

In places where splashes come into contact with beveled seams, it is advisable to apply a special grout sealant.

Since moisture-resistant adhesive for tile coverings is expensive, they prefer to limit themselves to the use of moisture-resistant fungicidal grout. If the joints are filled well, moisture will not penetrate under the tiles.

When not to lay tiles on tiles

Using old tiles as a base is not permitted in the following cases:
The room is small: a thick two-layer finish will steal a lot of scarce space.
The old coating does not adhere well, as evidenced by a booming sound when tapped.
The surface of the old cladding is uneven, with bulges and depressions.
When finishing the floor: if with a new layer of tile covering it ends up above the threshold. This is especially true for the bathroom: here the floor should be lower than the floor in the hallway, so that when flooding occurs, water does not pour out of the room. Pipelines are laid under the old cladding and access to them is not provided. Old pipes will soon require replacement, which will require knocking down. It is better to knock down the old cladding, replace communications and lay new tiles on a clean base.

Also, old floor coverings are knocked down if necessary to change the slope of the floor.

Installing tile on tile saves a lot of labor and time, so if conditions allow, this solution is quite reasonable. It is only necessary to properly prepare the base, strictly following the recommendations of specialists, and then new cladding will be strong and durable.

Range construction stores pleases with constantly emerging new products designed to fulfill modern finishes housing. But be that as it may, ceramic tiles do not lose their popularity at all, and remain one of the most popular materials for cladding floors and walls in rooms with specific operating conditions - with high humidity, with direct contact with water on surfaces, with a pronounced abrasive load , with the need for frequent wet cleaning using detergents. According to these criteria, this includes bathrooms, toilets and kitchens, hallways and corridors, balconies and loggias, entrance areas and some utility rooms.

In a word, in any house or apartment there will definitely be such a finish. wide application. That’s why the question is so relevant: how difficult is it to lay ceramic tiles with your own hands? Is it worth inviting a professional, or can you do it yourself? We cannot agree with the opinion of the authors of individual articles who claim that tiling is a very simple task. Such finishing requires strict adherence to technology, knowledge of many nuances, a certain skill and increased accuracy. However, it doesn’t seem impossible either - many homeowners have successfully completed Finishing work on one's own. We hope that this article will help the portal visitor understand the basics of ceramic tile laying technology, carefully assess their capabilities and make the right decision.

In places such as the kitchen, toilet and bathroom, ceramic tiles are often used to decorate the walls. Tiles are one of the most popular building materials, and this is understandable. It is easy to clean and performs well in damp environments. But when using ceramic tiles, there is a drawback - the cost of its installation is high, and can reach (and sometimes exceed) the cost of the tile itself. There is a way out of this problem - laying tiles on the wall with your own hands. In this article we will talk about how to lay tiles on a wall, as well as all the necessary preparations.

Preparing the wall for laying tiles

Regardless of whether expensive or cheap tiles are laid on the wall, the quality of the finished surface will largely depend on how well the rough base is prepared. With a perfectly flat base, the process of gluing tiles to walls occurs many times faster, which is why hired craftsmen often increase the price for their work if there are large irregularities on the walls. To save time and nerves, pay special attention to all stages preceding the installation of tiles.

So, preparing a wall for laying tiles begins with checking its evenness and, if necessary, leveling it. Using a long rule and a water level, the walls are checked in several places for the presence of large gaps, blockages and differences. Small unevenness on the wall surface (up to 1-2 cm) can be leveled tile adhesive directly during installation, but you need to understand that this requires some experience. In addition, the time for tiling work with this approach increases significantly. Therefore, for a beginner, the best option would be high-quality preparation of the base, since it is much easier to do it yourself.

As a rule, leveling is carried out using plastering, but also a common method is in which the walls are leveled by erecting plasterboard structures, onto a perfectly flat surface of which tiles are installed.

We discussed the process of self-plastering a wall using beacons in, which is required reading before finishing. It is only worth noting that in wet areas It is not recommended to use compounds for plastering on gypsum base. This is due to the ability of gypsum to absorb water, which can lead to the formation of fungus on the walls.

If the surface of the wall is sufficiently smooth and does not require plaster, it must be cleaned. To do this, use a spatula to clean the wall down to the plaster layer, completely removing the remnants of old paint, whitewash, exfoliated pieces of plaster, and repairing all chips and cracks. All these defects are covered with ordinary tile adhesive until a smooth surface is obtained. Presence of crumbling areas or areas with old paint or whitewashing significantly worsens the contact of the tile adhesive with the wall.

After leveling the wall, it is primed. The primer, absorbed into the plaster layer, improves the adhesion of the tile adhesive to the base, binds all dust, and also prevents the appearance of fungus on the wall surface. The primer is applied to the wall with a regular roller or with a wide brush in several layers, allowing it to be completely absorbed into the plaster.

For better contact of tiles with the wall, special compounds are often used with the addition of coarse river sand or granite chips. This composition - concrete contact - creates a rough structure on the flat surface of the wall, which contributes to better adhesion of the coating to the base. If it is impossible to purchase concrete contact, it is necessary to make notches on the plaster in order to adhesive composition fits better on the wall.

Choosing ceramic tiles for walls

The selection of tiles is an important step not only from the point of view of the design approach. It so happens that the lower the price of the tile, the worse its geometric shape, which in turn leads to difficulties when laying it. When laying tiles irregular shape It is difficult to get identical seams and a smooth surface without differences. This also leads to the fact that when using such a material it is difficult to achieve a thin seam at the joints of the tiles. Therefore, if the size of the seams matters to you great importance, choose either foreign samples or domestic tiles in a price range above average. The photo below shows the differences in the shape of tiles from one pack:

Close attention should also be paid to the format of the tiles. Laying large-format tiles alone will be quite problematic. In addition, if you lack experience, you may encounter overuse of material, which, given the high cost of such tiles, will lead to unjustified expenses. For beginner tilers, it will be most convenient to work with small and medium format tiles.

In addition to size, the shape of the ceramic is also important. When choosing its type, you need to rely on the design project of the future room and the need for trimming. For example, when using wide rectangular tiles in narrow room You may be faced with either the need to glue small fragments in the corner, or the need to double the number of tiles to finish a given wall.

All these nuances are individual for each specific room and project, so there is no universal solution for all rooms.

When choosing tiles, it often happens that the option you like is intended for laying on the floor. It is not prohibited to lay floor tiles on a wall, however, such tiles are often made of porcelain stoneware, which is many times stronger than ordinary ceramic tiles and is more difficult to cut and drill. This must be taken into account, since when laying wall tiles, much more cutting is done than when laying.

The last piece of advice when choosing tiles is that when purchasing, you need to check the lot numbers on each pack of material and purchase tiles of only one article and lot number, as this will protect you from differences in color scheme one party or another.

Tile layout

An important point in laying any ceramic tile is its layout. IN modern renovation It is important to avoid the formation of narrow undercuts and tile residues along the edges. To do this, precise markings are made in advance and laid out either on paper or in computer program. The idea is that there should be equal parts of the tiles on all sides along the edges, and the solid elements should be in the center. This layout is considered the only correct one.

Tools and materials for laying tiles

The main device needed to work with tiles is a tile cutter. The lack of a tile cutter is a barrier for many craftsmen who want to lay tiles with their own hands. A high-quality tool is usually expensive, but today there are many services and stores offering all necessary tool for rent.

To lay tiles on the wall, you can use either a manual or electric tile cutter. An electric tile cutter is convenient because it does not require special skills to use - it works like a regular one. a circular saw, only instead of a saw blade it has diamond wheel. Dust in such a device settles in a water bath. Advantage electric tile cutter is the speed and quality of cutting even small pieces of tiles, as well as the ability to cut tiles at 45 degrees. The disadvantage is the need for maintenance, cleaning and washing after each working day.

In addition to the tile cutter, the main hand tools The tiler's tool is a notched trowel - a trowel, with which the adhesive is applied to the tiles and walls, and also distributed over its surface. The convenience lies in the fact that using the teeth on a spatula, a uniform thickness of the tile adhesive seam is achieved. The teeth come in different sizes, so a different size is selected for each specific case. For convenience, we have compiled a table to help you quickly determine the size of the notched trowel for your needs:

In addition to the spatula, you will need the following tools:

Before directly laying the tiles, they are sorted to identify defects, tiles of uneven shape, differing from others in size and shades of color. This procedure carried out for both cheap and expensive tiles. High-quality, smooth tiles are used in places that are visible. Tiles with imperfections or minor defects are allowed to be trimmed or used in hidden places.

Cutting and trimming tiles

If the room has smooth walls and the correct dimensions, experienced craftsmen tiles are cut for all walls at once in accordance with a pre-designed layout. This is done in order to save time and not have to cut the tiles after gluing each subsequent row.

If you are not sure that you will be able to get the dimensions, taking into account all the errors and the thickness of the seams, we recommend cutting locally to avoid mistakes.

Laying ceramic tiles on the wall

The process begins with marking the room. As for the horizontal layout, it is determined by a pre-prepared layout diagram. All you have to do is accurately cut the tiles according to the dimensions. When marking vertically, there may be several options.

As a rule, laying wall tiles begins not from the floor itself, but from the second row; this is done to obtain a perfectly even row, which is impossible to do when laying from an uneven floor. But often the layout is made so that the beginning of the tile is at the same level as the top edge of the bathtub; in this case, the starting row is measured taking into account the dimensions of the bathtub.

There can be many options for tile layouts, so in the most simple version The marking of the second row is done as follows: a distance equal to the thickness of the floor tiles and adhesive layer is set aside from the floor (6-8 mm if there is a flat floor) and this point is taken as the level of the future finished floor. A distance equal to the sum of the heights of the wall tiles and the seam between the floor and wall tiles is set aside from the finished floor level. At the resulting point, a line is drawn around the entire perimeter of the room. It will correspond to the bottom border of the seam between the tiles of the first and second row.

The first row of tiles will be glued last after all the wall and floor tiles have been laid. In case of an error in the calculations, this row can be trimmed without damage appearance, since the joint at the bottom is filled with sealant and will be invisible.

Along the border of the marked line, a metal profile is mounted on the wall, on which the first working row of tiles will be installed, and which will prevent them from sliding down. After the glue has hardened, the profile can be dismantled.

After marking and preparation, begin mixing the tile adhesive. Here you need to pay attention to two points - consistency and quantity. The consistency of the glue is chosen such that the ridges after distribution notched trowel They didn't spread, but they weren't too thick either. The composition should be elastic and easy to apply to the wall. The amount of solution is selected in such a way that its lifetime does not expire before it is completely used. The lifetime of the solution is indicated on the packaging; after this time, the glue loses its elasticity and dries out. If you do not have much experience in laying tiles, we recommend mixing a small amount of glue first, then the necessary required quantity will come with experience.

The tiles are laid, starting from the corner of the wall, on an even layer of adhesive, which is applied to the wall with a notched trowel. If there are smooth walls, the adhesive should only be applied to the wall. If there are uneven surfaces, apply the adhesive both to the wall and to the tile itself with a regular spatula and level it with a notched trowel. Modern technology for the production of ceramic tiles does not require that they be wetted before laying. On the contrary, this can lead to a violation of its correct connection to the wall.

In order to maintain the parallelism of the planes of the tile and the wall in the horizontal direction (in the vertical this parameter is controlled bubble level) in the first row, you need to mount the so-called beacon tiles. To do this, a whole tile or any scrap is temporarily mounted on the opposite side of the wall. After that, a long rule is applied to the first and beacon tiles. If there are gaps between the rule and the plane of the tiles, then their position is adjusted until the gaps are completely eliminated. In parallel with this, the vertical installation of the tiles should be controlled.

After gluing the first ceramic element, install the second one according to the same principle, checking the correctness of its installation using the rule and level, not forgetting, in addition to parallelism, to control the horizontal level of gluing. After this, the beacon tile can be dismantled, and control can be carried out using two already installed tiles.

At the junction between two tiles, it is necessary to install plastic crosses to adjust the gap between them. Crosses must also be installed under the tiles to simulate a seam between the current row and the first row, which will be installed at the very end. In addition to the seams, crosses are installed in the crosshairs between the tiles to form correct junctions. They should be removed immediately after the tile adhesive begins to set and dry. If you wait until the glue has completely dried, removing the plastic from the seams may be a problem.

The entire further installation process is repeated in the same way. It is important at each stage to control the vertical and horizontal installation of the tiles and adjust its position if necessary.

After laying all the wall tiles and drying the glue, they proceed to cleaning the seams and filling them with grout. To do this, it is convenient to use a small spatula. The grout is rubbed into the joint cavity, distributed evenly and allowed to dry a little. After a few minutes, the grout is carefully rubbed with a moistened sponge until a smooth, even seam is formed. After this, it is left to dry completely for about a day. After a day, all excess grout is wiped off the tiles with a wet cloth. It is important not to leave the grout on the tiles for several days, as it will become more and more difficult to remove it every day.

The seam between the floor tiles and the wall is usually filled not with grout, but with sealant. To do this, choose either a white sanitary sealant or a sealant that matches the color of the grout. This is done in order to compensate for the thermal expansion of the tiles and to avoid cracking of the grout in the joints. This is especially true when present in a screed. The video below shows how easy it is to make a neat seam between the wall and the floor using sealant.

As a rule, after laying tiles with their own hands, many admit that their fears were in vain, because the whole process is not particularly difficult. A good help in this matter will be the use of high-quality tools and good preparation of the rough surface.

Finally, we invite you to watch a video in which the master describes in detail the process of laying ceramic wall tiles:

Ceramic tiles are one of the the best materials for finishing rooms with special operating conditions. Such cladding is not afraid of exposure to high humidity, temperature changes, abrasive loads, and is itself very attractive in appearance and easy to clean. In a word, for kitchens, bathrooms, bathrooms – you can’t find anything better. And what’s also important is that you can handle the installation process yourself.

Why does it make sense to try doing the cladding yourself? It’s just that even if the surfaces to be laid are perfectly flat, you will have to pay about the same amount for the services of a specialist as the material itself costs, and this is even in the best case. Such expenses can be completely avoided. Having become acquainted with our article-instruction how to lay tiles on a wall, the reader will get a clear understanding of all stages of the work, from preparing surfaces and choosing tiles to sealing joints. And you will certainly be convinced that there is nothing supernaturally difficult in performing such finishing.

Preliminary stages

Preparing surfaces for finishing

It's completely pointless to start facing works on a wall unprepared for this. Some novice home craftsmen naively believe that a layer of ceramic tiles will reliably hide all the “ugliness” of the surface, and the result will be a straight line. beautiful wall. They are sorely mistaken!

What does the preparation process include?

IN mandatory need to get rid of old decoration walls It will not, for example, hold adhesive tiles on a painted surface. Completely excluded or even small fragments thereof. If there was previously a tile on the wall, then after dismantling it, all sagging and drops of hardened glue should be removed.

The quality of the plaster layer, if any, must be checked. All problematic, crumbling areas are removed immediately. It is necessary to tap the entire area and identify areas of instability that must also be removed. And most often it happens that if a peeling area is found in one area, then everything else will be pulled from it, that is, the plaster has to be knocked down completely.

In no case should it be ignored if traces of biological damage are found on the walls - mold stains, fungal colonies, etc. Antiseptic priming is carried out on all surfaces without exception, but if this microflora has already settled, then a preliminary “treatment” of the wall will have to be carried out

There should be no gaps or cracks on the surfaces. If they are identified, appropriate renovation work according to their quality of sealing.

The wall must be flat, that is, it must be a plane, and not a twisted, piled-up, protruding or concave surface. The tiles can be laid on leveled walls without any problems. Yes, there are methods for leveling walls by installing ceramic cladding. But, believe me, not all experienced craftsmen like to do this, since this task is extremely difficult. And if a newcomer has to “debut”, there’s no need to even think about it. It will be much easier to carry out leveling - and the finish will definitely be of high quality.

There are many ways to level, and some of them, for example, using moisture-resistant drywall or gypsum fiber slabs are not so complicated and will not require much time.

Prices for moisture-resistant drywall

moisture resistant drywall

How to level the walls yourself for finishing?

Don't be intimidated by this task in advance. There are many available technologies that even beginners can quickly master. Moreover, laying tiles does not require a perfectly smooth surface - the correct geometry is sufficient.

are discussed in detail in a special publication on our portal. Ceramic tiles are most often installed in rooms with high humidity, so it is worth thinking about reliable waterproofing. This applies to a greater extent, of course, to the floor, but it also makes sense to provide on the walls waterproofed “belt” at least 100÷200 mm high from the floor along the entire perimeter. In addition, it is advisable to reinforce with waterproofing the areas of passage through the walls of water supply and sewer pipes

, areas around water outlets.

Finally, the wall must be carefully primed with a deep penetration compound. This measure will completely remove dust from the surface and eliminate the phenomenon of moisture absorption. That is, the wall material will not take water from the tile adhesive, allowing it to harden in optimal conditions. Achieved best performance adhesion. In addition, many primers also have antiseptic qualities, and such preventative treatment will never become redundant.

If the absorbent qualities of the material are high, then the primer treatment is performed twice, always waiting until the first layer has completely dried. As a rule, the primer is applied immediately after completion of the preparatory work. But if for some reason there is a significant time gap between this stage and finishing, then it would be advisable to apply the primer again - a day before the start of installation of the tiles. This way, a high-quality result will be guaranteed.

Prices for primer for walls

primer for walls

Drawing up a project and selecting the required tiles

It is clear that these two issues are closely intertwined.

In this publication, we will not analyze design approaches to choosing the interior of a room - we will only focus on some practical aspects.

Planning the placement of tiles on the walls

Of course, the owners should already have an idea of what they want to see in the end. You've probably gotten acquainted with the approximate range of tiles presented in the store. That is, they just have to “fit” the selected collection into the specific dimensions of their premises. Here you should not rely on your eyes. The best option – compilation graphic scheme

for each wall separately. Moreover, if it is not intended to be a continuous cladding with one type of tile, but with decorative inserts or friezes, or divided into sections. Some material manufacturers offer online programs on their official websites that allow you to optimally place tiles on the walls. If this is not possible, you will have to sit on your own either in a graphic editor, or simply on paper diagrams. In horizontal rows, you can start with a whole tile from one of the corners, that is, the cut edge will be on walls. Naturally, in this case the least noticeable angle is chosen. But you should immediately figure out which fragment will remain in the corner? If it is too narrow, then it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove this area accurately. And on the front side of the room, that is, attracting the gaze of those entering, such placement will also look very ugly. Therefore, it often makes sense to choose a location such that you start from the center of the wall - AThenfrom It is laid to the edges with equal trimming on both sides.

It all depends, of course, on the size of the wall and tile. It often happens that the optimal layout seems to be when the vertical axis of the wall coincides with the center of the tile, and then the layout goes to the sides with, again, symmetrical trimming along the edges.

The cut edges can be easily hidden by laying solid tiles from the corner on the adjacent wall. If in inner corner If two cut edges converge, then this too can be solved by grinding one of them. On external corners A decorative corner copes well with this task. More details will be discussed later.

They also show the necessary “creativity” when planning vertical rows. So, the installation, which ends in a narrow section under the ceiling, does not look particularly advantageous. It is better to plan a solid tile for this place, especially since its upper edge is very often covered by a suspended or suspended ceiling.

But the narrow section can be removed first from the floor - there it is hardly noticeable, and the cut edge of the tile will become completely unnoticeable visible in the corner between the floor and the wall. More precisely, it is generally recommended to lay out this bottom row last, so no problems with precise trimming are expected. All this will be shown below.

However, other circumstances may also influence the choice of the starting horizontal line. These may also be features design project(for example, the use of contrasting rows or friezes), and the placement of plumbing fixtures. For example, it is always recommended to place the tiles near the bathtub so that the horizontal seam is hidden below the side by 20-30 mm. This will not disturb the aesthetics of the installation, and will remove the vulnerable seam from the “wet” area.

When planning the placement of rows, vertical and horizontal, do not forget about the thickness of the tile joints. Let this not seem like a trifle: when using not very large tiles, but on a large wall, the difference is considerable.

When laying on a wall, too thick joints are most often not required. Usually limited to gaps of 1.5 ÷ 2 mm. Moreover, after grouting the joints with a fugue, the visual effect of the thickness will change somewhat - the gaps will appear wider.

It is clear that when drawing up diagrams, it takes into account the number, size and location of inserts - friezes, borders and others decorative elements. If a fully developed plan for each wall is always at hand, then during the installation process there is much less chance of making a mistake.

Some nuances of choosing ceramic tiles for walls

Tiles designed for walls are much easier than floor tiles. Indicators of its strength, abrasive resistance, roughness, etc. fade into the background, since they do not play a decisive role here. You can concentrate on decorativeness and, of course, the quality of the material.

We will not talk in detail about all the intricacies of the choice - this is a separate topic. But several important points still worth emphasizing.

Prices for ceramic tiles

ceramic tile

There are a lot on sale big variety formats. But you shouldn’t immediately chase the tiles large sizes. Firstly, it doesn’t look appropriate everywhere. Secondly, when laying it there can be a lot of waste, and since it is usually not cheap, it turns out to be expensive. And thirdly, installation of such cladding requires some experience, and a novice master may not be able to cope with the task - any mistake will be visible.

If there is a first DIY installation tiles, it is better to proceed from its average size, for example, up to 300÷400 mm on the long side.

should have a water absorption of no more than 3% - this is usually indicated on its packaging.
If you plan to cladding walls in unheated rooms or even on the street, you should look for material marked with a snowflake icon - it is not afraid of freezing.
It is mandatory that all purchased packages of tiles of the same type are checked for batch matching. The fact is that the same article, but released on different shifts, may differ slightly in color tone. This is most often not noticed visually in the store. But after laying on the surface, even a small difference can spoil the overall appearance.

Of course, they try to purchase tiles of the highest possible grade. Even at factories, products are sorted, and products with distorted shapes go on sale as second- or even third-rate. You can be exhausted when styling them.
Manufacturers also sort tiles by caliber. It is clear that they always try to approximate the sizes finished products to the stated standard. However, the specifics ceramic production does not yet allow achieving a unique match in the sizes of all tiles without exception. The packaging of the tile may indicate its caliber - alphabetic or numerical designation, and attach a plate with its decoding.

It is clear that tiles of the most accurate caliber have a higher price. But all preference should be given to it, since unjustified savings can lead to unsuccessful finishing, and in in the end the total costs will be clearly “minus”.

In any case, it will not be possible to do without tile waste. And sometimes it becomes impossible to purchase the missing quantity - the required batch may not remain on sale. That is, the stock is made in advance. Usually they start from 10% - with proper layout and high-quality cutting of the material, this is enough. If a diagonal layout is assumed, then the margin can be increased to 15% - there will be more waste in any case. But let us immediately note that it is not recommended to get involved with diagonal installation without good work experience. Therefore, in this article, intended more for beginners, it will not be considered.
Do not hesitate to ask the store to check all purchased tiles - there is no guarantee that they will not be damaged during transportation. Yes, and obvious defects sometimes come across.

Even first-class tiles from the same batch and the most precise caliber should still be carefully sorted into several groups at home. The highest quality, with perfectly matching dimensions, is best set aside for lining the most visible critical areas. The tile is a little worse - pushed “to the periphery”. And those with the most significant dimensional distortions or with minor defects should be used for cutting to fill areas along corners or the floor.
The quantity of tiles is usually calculated individually. This can be done if high-quality scheme. And even more so, you will have to do this when you plan to use several varieties to create a special decorative interior.

But in the case when it is intended to cover the entire area with one type of material, you can also use the calculator, which is located below. There you will need to indicate the finishing area, the dimensions of the tiles and the width of the tile joint. The reserve 10 or 15 percent will be taken into account when choosing the layout principle.