Advice on tiling bottom row of tiles

[CanIEat]

Hi
I am a 1st time tiler, and thanks to careful planning and some handy advice from this forum I have managed to tile/grout the two side walls of the corner shower tray I fitted. All that needs to be done now is the bottom row of tiles (both walls) and the corner column (again both walls).

Along the two edges of the shower tray I have siliconed in a strip of Homelux 'internal coving'. I know some would say just to go with silicone and forget the sealing strip, but after thinking about it I decided to go with it. It's the kind of strip with a slot running along the bottom for a tile to fit in, an upstand running along the wall, and a sort of curved bit which comes out the front and seals against the tray (pics available if needed!).

I'm not sure how to go about laying the tiles in here, as the slot is only really wide enough for a tile? (would be difficult to squeeze any adhesive in). Would it be best/possible to put adhesive on the back of the tile 1st then slot it in? (would it also be best to do this for the corner columns?) Will I need to put more silicone on top of the internal coving after the tiles are in?

I actually think I've managed to pull off not too bad a job (so far) so dont want to fall at the last hurdle... any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[Softus]

I am a 1st time tiler, and thanks to careful planning and some handy advice from this forum I have managed to tile/grout the two side walls of the corner shower tray I fitted. All that needs to be done now is the bottom row of tiles (both walls) and the corner column (again both walls).

OOI, where did you read the advice that led you to tile without starting at the bottom?

Along the two edges of the shower tray I have siliconed in a strip of Homelux 'internal coving'.

Oh dear.

I know some would say just to go with silicone and forget the sealing strip, but after thinking about it I decided to go with it.

Oh dear.

It's the kind of strip with a slot running along the bottom for a tile to fit in, an upstand running along the wall, and a sort of curved bit which comes out the front and seals against the tray (pics available if needed!).

No pics needed. Please just throw it away.

I'm not sure how to go about laying the tiles in here, as the slot is only really wide enough for a tile? (would be difficult to squeeze any adhesive in). Would it be best/possible to put adhesive on the back of the tile 1st then slot it in? (would it also be best to do this for the corner columns?) Will I need to put more silicone on top of the internal coving after the tiles are in?

It sounds like a right jam sponge cake to me.

I actually think I've managed to pull off not too bad a job (so far) so dont want to fall at the last hurdle... any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

Please throw the sealing strip away and just do it normally.

 

[CanIEat]

I did sort of start at the bottom, after putting the strip down I fixed a horizontal batton to the wall at one tile height and began there, as to be honest I was still unsure about the strip thing, so thought I could go back and finish off with the bottom row when I knew more about it.

I am happy to throw it away and do it 'normally', if you could explain what that is....? What are the problems associated with the internal coving? I guess if it was to get damaged somehow then I'd have to remove the bottom row of tiles to get it out...

 

[gcol]

What are the problems associated with the internal coving?

The problem I would imagine you have now, is that if you remove the strip the space you have will be a little too big for one tile; which will mean a wide bead of silicone will be necessary to cover the gap.
Where did you see the advice on here that led you to want to use a strip?

 

[Diyisfun]

Softus
What I read about tiling is you dont start at the bottom, you start from a batten above the bottom tile, ie a straight edge, as the bottom isnt always straight.
Im waiting.

 

[CanIEat]

If I remove the strip, the gap will only increase by about 1mm, which isn't too bad. Do I just silicon the gap between tray and wall, wait for the silicon to dry, then tile directly on that?

 

[Softus]

Basically yes.

I always seal between tray and wall anyway, at the tray fitting stage, which is the day before tiling.

The normal way, is to start with a full tile, spaced off the tray by 2mm (or adjusted to get a level top surface), then grout, then clean off the tiles, then fill the gap with top grade mildew resistant sanitary silicone sealant.

Some people grout the 2mm gap. Those installations leak.

Some people leave a smaller gap. You'll struggle to seal a smaller gap AND have a neat job.

Some people leave a bigger gap. If that works for them that that's fine.

 

[CanIEat]

Removed the strip today, thankfully it peeled off easily and somehow left a neat silicon seal intact between tray and wall... even more luckily, due to my batten perhaps being a bit on the low side, I had an almost perfect gap, 2mm above and 2mm below tile. I've stuck down the tiles and will grout above and seal below tomorrow.

One other question I had, concerning the corner.. should I use grout or silicon to fill the gap? Unfortunately my dodgy wall means that the corner tiles are practically touching at the top but there is a gap of 7-8mm at the bottom.

Your help is much appreciated.

 

[gcol]

Use silicone. 7-8mm is quite a lot. It'll be quite a wide bead of silicone.

 

[makitaman]

If you start with a full tile off the tray there's no guarantee that the top tile meeting the ceiling will be as near to a full height tile as possible. Theres nothing worse than slithers of tile meeting the ceiling.

I always thought you started from a level batten tiled up then cut the bottom tiles to fit to both floor and tray.

 

[Softus]

If you start with a full tile off the tray there's no guarantee that the top tile meeting the ceiling will be as near to a full height tile as possible.

The OP didn't ask for a guarantee - he asked what is normal.

The starting position is to use a full tile off the tray. If there's a reason not to do that, then it's obvious that you start with cut tiles off the tray.

Theres nothing worse than slithers of tile meeting the ceiling.

In my world, a leak is worse than slivers of tile (or just paint) meeting the ceiling.

I always thought you started from a level batten tiled up then cut the bottom tiles to fit to both floor and tray.

I'm curious to know whether this is something you just always think, or always do. If you don't always do it, then why would you even contemplate suggesting that it's the norm?

 

[CanIEat]

I didn't say anything about tiling to the ceiling... I only went about a foot above the shower enclosure (my flat has high ceilings). In fact I don't have any cut tiles at all, never mind slivers.

What I meant was that the two columns of tiles closest to the corner ie at 90 deg. to each other meet at the top but not at the bottom, due to the wall being a bit wonky. Gcol has suggested to use silicon to fill the gap. Did you mean silicon the full length, or just the wider part at the bottom, and grout the top? should there be any grout in the corner at all?

ps I will be learning to cut tiles when I tile round the sides of the raised shower tray, if in a few weeks time I'm satisfied that there are no immediate problems with leaking...

 

[gcol]

Get out of bed on the wrong side this morning Softus?

 

[gcol]

Did you mean silicon the full length, or just the wider part at the bottom, and grout the top? should there be any grout in the corner at all?

Full length, top to bottom. No grout in the corner.

 

[makitaman]

Softus, to answer your question - I always tile off the batten when tiling to ceiling, never off the tray - unless tiles are not going to the ceiling.

Thanks for correcting my spelling re slivers and slithers much appprecciateed