How to Tile a Shower

How to Tile a Shower How to Tile a Shower How many times have we wondered to change the look of our bathrooms just because it seems monotonous or dull? And how many times have we cancelled this thought from our minds thinking that may be changing the look of a whole bathroom might turn out to be expensive and tough? It is true that changing the interiors of a bathroom can be quite tiring and painful but if the point here is changing the look of it then installing tiles in your shower might just be the answer! Installation of ceramic tiles in your shower can really change the look of your entire bathroom and the process is also not that difficult considering you have a bit of time to spare. Nowadays there are so many patterns and colors available in ceramic tiles; you can increase the look of your bathroom in manifold. So let us first have an idea about the things which are needed for the purpose of tiling a shower. They are as follows:

Trowel
Level
Tile spacers
Ceramic tile mortar
Pencil
Micro cutter
Damp cloth
Grout floater
Silicone caulk
Grout sealer

The method of installing tiles in a shower is actually easy if you follow the step by step guide given below:

First of all you need to mark up a guide for the lowest row of your tiles. This can be done by drawing a horizontal line by using the carpenter’s level. You will also have to set up a mark for the center of the shower wall by drawing a vertical line.
Now use the trowel to apply ceramic tile mortar to the wall. However make sure that you leave a gap between the starting of the tiles and the floor/tub. Later this gap can be filled by caulk. Be very careful while applying the mortar as this dries quickly. So only apply mortar to that big an area where you are confident to tile in quickly before the mortar dries off.
Remember that the first piece of tile will have to be placed from the bottom row towards the center line. Start working in rows by placing the tiles and gradually work upwards and towards the corners. In order to ensure that there is adequate space between tiles, you can use tile spacers. This also helps in achieving uniformity between them.
When you have almost reached the corners of the wall, use a micro cutter to cut and size the tiles accordingly. Here it is advised that you use a pencil to cut out the mark in a tile and then use the micro cutter.
After placing all the tiles in the required places, allow them to dry off for about 24 hours. After 24 hrs remove the tile spacers.
Now is the turn of using grout to the joints. You can use a grout float to do the task. Work in small areas so that after applying the grout you can wipe off the excess with the help of a damp cloth. Leave the grout to set for about 30 minutes.
In order to prevent any water leakages you can apply caulk around the shower fixtures, corners and base of the shower.
Now you have to leave the grout to set for about 3 days. After it has set nicely, you can use a grout sealer to avert the grout from becoming porous.