Bathroom Tiling Advice

[Bobbya82]

Hi All,

About to start on tiling my bathroom, am using 600x300 tiles that are 10mm thick.

Just wondered, what is the recommended adhesive/trowel thickness, should I be getting a 10mm trowel. Is it also recommended to trowel the adhesive onto the wall and also the same onto the tile as well.

Any preference as to what way you trowel the adhesive on, horizontal or vertical.

Any help/advice appreciated

Many thanks

 

[Millwright]

10mm is recommended for larger tiles, but it's for mainly taking up any deviation in the wall to ensure good spread, I've used 6mm on flat walls before. Yes always 'back butter' the tile too when using large tiles, basically, coat the back of the tile with a thin layer, much like buttering your bread, by using the flat edge of the trowel.

Horizontal/vertical, no preference as it should all squish in once the tile is on. Buy one of those suction cups handle things to help handle the tile, it also helps with squishing and levelling.

 

[Bobbya82]

Many thanks.

 

[RandomGrinch]

After attempting similar myself, I now swear by tile levelling systems.
They really make a difference when using large format tiles, especially if your walls are a little off

 

[Bobbya82]

After attempting similar myself, I now swear by tile levelling systems.
They really make a difference when using large format tiles, especially if your walls are a little off

Which levelling systems do you use, was just going to put a batten round and start?.. thanks

 

[RandomGrinch]

Which levelling systems do you use, was just going to put a batten round and start?.. thanks

That's how I started, but I only realised how bad the lippage was when the first wall of tiles had set!
I didn't know that levelling systems were a 'thing'.
They made a big difference when I tiled the most uneven wall.
There are many systems, but I just picked up the first I came across in a shed:

Vitrex LASH Tile Levelling Clips - Pack of 100 | Wickes.co.uk

Vitrex LASH Tile Levelling Clips - Pack of 100

www.wickes.co.uk

...and use your own spacers in addition to the system for your preferred look.

 

[Bobbya82]

That's how I started, but I only realised how bad the lippage was when the first wall of tiles had set!
I didn't know that levelling systems were a 'thing'.
They made a big difference when I tiled the most uneven wall.
There are many systems, but I just picked up the first I came across in a shed:

Vitrex LASH Tile Levelling Clips - Pack of 100 | Wickes.co.uk

Vitrex LASH Tile Levelling Clips - Pack of 100

www.wickes.co.uk

...and use your own spacers in addition to the system for your preferred look.

What do mean lippage? You mean some tiles higher/lower? Thanks

 

[Millwright]

What do mean lippage? You mean some tiles higher/lower? Thanks

Yes that's what lippage is. I've sometimes found that with good adhesion, the levelling wedges wouldn't pull an edge up, they weren't man (person/woke) enough for it, so I use the sucky cup to pull up.

 

[Mr Chibs]

I recommended Vitrex lash to neighbour, but they were out of stock, so he bought Screwfix's own system, it comes with the pliers tool in the kit. You can use larger spacers if you wish too.

Tile leveling kit

 

[TeaAndBiscuits]

I've had very good experience with 'shmox' levelling clips from ebay. I ended up not using the pliers, I found it easier to do them up by hand.

Just make sure you clean up the edges of the tiles nicely and scrape away a little adhesive from the wall below the grout gap before you put the clip in and the next tile on as it's near impossible to clear excess adhesive around the clips once they are in place.

If this is your first time (sounds like it is) make sure to keep checking with a long straight edge/spirit level as well to keep everything flat - you can get the edges of the tiles nice and level but they can easily be out of plane/out of plumb.

 

[Bobbya82]

Thanks all.

Sorry I have another couple of queries, does anyone have any tips/advice putting up Mosiacs tiles, anything majorly different to normal tiles?

Also, I have attached a photo and I wondered if I could get some advice as to how people would set out this wall.

I think I am going to have the whole wall marked, as Mosiacs. Thought this would make things simpler, not having to line up the lines from the bottom tiles but could also just have part the wall Mosiacs if needed and if there a logical way to do this. Also there will be a sill where the blue lines are,

I was going to put the batten along where the black line is, roughly 2 tiles to the ledge and work off of that.

My main question is where should I start horizontally?

I was also worried where the silver vertical beading is if I have to cut the tile, I will see the cuts? But also if I tried to start inline with the beading it might really difficult to do?

Sorry, hopefully that makes sense, just needed some pointers where I should start the first tile.

Many thanks all, appreciate your help/advice

 

[Bobbya82]

10mm is recommended for larger tiles, but it's for mainly taking up any deviation in the wall to ensure good spread, I've used 6mm on flat walls before. Yes always 'back butter' the tile too when using large tiles, basically, coat the back of the tile with a thin layer, much like buttering your bread, by using the flat edge of the trowel.

Horizontal/vertical, no preference as it should all squish in once the tile is on. Buy one of those suction cups handle things to help handle the tile, it also helps with squishing and levelling.

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone had any advice at all as to where they would start and lay the first tile on the above photo?

Many thanks

 

[TeaAndBiscuits]

What are the dimensions of the wall areas to be tiled and what are the dimensions of the tiles?

As always, setting out is usually down to a best compromise around trying not to have any sliver tiles cuts. Depending on how you do this, you can make life easier for yourself or much much harder where the corner of the recess is as you'll probably have to cut an L shaped tile of some sort.

Use a decent wet cutter and possibly score the tiles first, and you should be able to achieve nice clean chip free edges if that's your main concern.

 

[Bobbya82]

What are the dimensions of the wall areas to be tiled and what are the dimensions of the tiles?

As always, setting out is usually down to a best compromise around trying not to have any sliver tiles cuts. Depending on how you do this, you can make life easier for yourself or much much harder where the corner of the recess is as you'll probably have to cut an L shaped tile of some sort.

Use a decent wet cutter and possibly score the tiles first, and you should be able to achieve nice clean chip free edges if that's your main concern.

Thanks, The tiles are 60 x 30, probably going with 3mm spacers, the width of the wall is 210 wide. Yes one of my main concerns is that you would see where the cuts meet the beading but will try your tip of scoring first. Taking this into account what would you recommend with setting out, should i aim to have a full tile covering the shower pipes or does it not really matter, thanks again.

Also any tips for laying mosiacs tiles?

Thanks all

 

[johnny2007]

I usually find the centre of the wall and check how the tiles will work out starting in the middle of the tile or the edge.
I personally hate small cuts in corners, so at risk of not being symmetric I avoid that.
Don't forget to check the vertical run taking in consideration if you're fitting coving and skirting.
If worse comes to worse in some strange situations, I prefer full tiles showing where one would normally look while on the throne and at the sink.
It's got to please your eyes sometimes and boll@x to geometry.
Although, in normal circumstances, a symmetric tiled wall looks great.