Wall cladding with ceramic tiles. Do-it-yourself wall tiling with ceramic tiles in the bathroom. Wet veneer

Wall covering ceramic tiles bathroom, bathroom and kitchen can be called a traditional finish. Ceramics is not afraid of moisture, does not require special care and is quite durable. does not conduct electricity because it is an insulator. She doesn't stand out at all. harmful substances, which makes it an environmentally friendly facing material.

Facing for walls is represented by a great variety of forms of colors and shades. This may confuse the buyer. However, for the choice of wall there are simple rules:

 If the room is not large, then it is necessary to choose wall light tones and shades. This will visually expand the space.
 Ceramic for walls is thinner than for the floor
 High-quality ceramic facing tiles must have regular geometric shapes

It's important to know! In order to check the quality, take two tiles from the package and attach them to each other sides. There should be no gaps. There should also be no gaps if you attach two ceramic tiles with their faces.

 Demand from the seller a certificate for the purchased batch
 If you take several packages, be sure to check the color in each box (sometimes it may differ if the batches are different)
 Ask the seller what glue is recommended to use for laying the purchased facing material

Preparing the walls of the room for cladding

The quality of the work performed is directly related to how smooth the walls are. It is easy to check this and use a construction plumb line for this - this is a weight on a strong rope. It is applied to each wall along the perimeter and the curvature of the walls is determined.

It's important to know! If you lay ceramic tiles on curved walls, this will lead to an overuse of expensive tile adhesive.

In addition, it is very difficult to glue tiles on a thick layer. This is because the glue solution will float down and you will have to sit over each tile for 15-20 minutes until the glue sets. A thick layer of glue will not give a strong connection between walls and tiles

Wall tiling requires even walls. There are two simple ways to level the walls:

 Plastering with cement mortars
 Alignment of walls with moisture-resistant drywall

The first option is quite complicated and requires certain skills. In addition, plastering is a long process. Before laying the tiles on the plaster, it is necessary that it is completely dry, and this process takes 3 weeks.

Plaster leveling technique:

 Installation of vertical beacons on the walls and with an interval of no more than 1 m
 Preparation of sand-cement or lime mortar
 Throwing the mixture on the space between the beacons
 Mortar screed by the rule on beacons

The second option is devoid of such shortcomings. You can throw drywall on the walls in one day. The next day, tiles are laid on the walls. Save time on the face. Special skills are not required, so any master can handle it.

Technique for leveling walls with drywall:

 The wall is pre-primed with a deep penetration compound
 To keep the sheet on the wall stronger, tile adhesive is applied to it with slaps around the perimeter and center
 A slab of moisture-resistant drywall (it is covered with greenish paper) is attached to the wall with dowels 6 x 40 mm
 The verticality of drywall is checked by the rule of 1.5 m with a level
 Level adjustment is done with dowels, tightening or releasing them
 Walls leveled with drywall are primed for the best adhesion of tile adhesive and plasterboard sheet

Wall laying

The technology of wall cladding with ceramic tiles requires laying them out against the wall in order to determine how many whole tiles will fit in a row. Cut ones are recommended to be placed symmetrically (in the corners).

After that, it is necessary to prepare a solution of tile adhesive. The dry mixture is added to a plastic bucket with water and thoroughly mixed with a drill or perforator with a nozzle for mixing liquid solutions. The proportions for mixing are indicated on the packaging, and they must be strictly observed.

After mixing into the adhesive, it should not contain lumps. Do not make the glue liquid, as the tile can slip. It also cannot be made rigid - in this case there will not be good adhesion to the wall and tiles.

The finished adhesive is applied to the wall with a notched trowel. A whole tile is applied to the wall and pressed tightly with your hands. If the tile is large, then it can be tapped with a rubber mallet. Verticality and horizontality are checked by a rule with a level.

Plastic crosses are inserted between adjacent tiles. They allow you to make the tile seams the same.

It is possible to level a tile after its laying within 10-15 minutes. If the time is not met, the solution is removed from the wall and tiles, after which the operation is repeated.

A tile cutter is used to cut tiles. The whole tile is marked with a ruler, pencil and placed in the device. Slightly pressing the lever of the cutting tool, spend on the tile 1-2 times. After that, it will easily break off at the incision site.

In the corners of the room you can lay plastic corners. Cut tiles are inserted into its grooves, which makes the seams in the corners perfectly even. If the wall has water pipes, then they must be bypassed by cutting holes in the tile. To do this, you can use a diamond crown of the required diameter and a drill.

If there are no such tools, then use tongs for ceramic tiles. They bite a rounded segment from the edge of the tile and lead it under the pipe. They complete the bypass of the pipe with a second tile with the same bitten segment.

Grouting or jointing of tile joints

When the ceramic tiling is completed, the adhesive must be allowed to dry for about 24 hours. After that, the crosses are removed, and the seams are cleaned of tile adhesive with a spatula. Gypsum grout is used for walls. It can be produced in different colors, so it should be selected to match the tone of ceramic tiles.

Important! For grouting floor tiles, mixes based on sand and cement are used.

The solution is diluted with water in a shallow container and applied with a rubber spatula to the tile joints. In this case, the composition must penetrate deeply into the seam for reliable fixation. Excess grout is removed with a damp sponge.

After 2 hours, the lined tile is washed from the remnants of the grout (fugue) with warm water and a rag. If you have any questions, it is recommended to watch the wall cladding with ceramic tiles on the video presented on this page.

Laying ceramic wall and floor tiles is not a very difficult job that requires special qualifications and skills. But there are several principles, applying and being guided by which, even novice tilers can do an excellent job. We should not forget that wall tiling is the final stage of work, a kind of make-up. The main part of the work remains invisible, namely the quality of the hidden work (preparation of the base) and the quality of the finish depends.

When choosing a tile, in addition to colors, you need to pay attention to the physical and chemical properties of the tiles. First of all, you need to check whether they have the same colors, patterns and sizes, paying attention to the geometry of the tiles, whether their edges have a right angle and whether the surface of the tiles is even.

Sequence of work

1. Surface preparation.

The base for the tiles must be solid and accordingly even, free from dirt, dust, lime, grease and paint residues. All loosely adhering plaster elements must be removed. Applying a rule 2 m long, we check all deviations of the wall from the vertical and “to the light”. If deviations from the vertical and gaps between the rail and the wall are more than 5 mm, the wall must be leveled.

Wall alignment is done in several ways. Full alignment of the wall is done by replacing the plaster layer with the alignment of the new plaster on the lighthouses. Alternatively, the walls can not be plastered, but lined with waterproof drywall (GKLV) or DSP sheets (cement particle boards). The lining of the walls of the DSP is carried out similarly to the lining with drywall, with the only difference being that it is desirable to additionally attach relatively heavy sheets of cement-bonded particle boards to the wall by doweling with “fungi” and / or self-tapping screws.

Partial alignment of the "failures" of the walls, identified during the clearance test, can be done with tile adhesive, which will be used to glue the tiles.

Highly absorbent or dusty substrates, such as old lime plasters, must be primed. Priming strengthens and stabilizes the base, and also increases the adhesion of the mortar to the base. The primer emulsion is used undiluted. Evenly apply the primer to the wall with a brush or paint roller. On highly absorbent substrates, such as aerated concrete, priming is carried out twice. The first time, using an emulsion diluted in half with water, the second - undiluted primer. We perform wall priming not only before gluing the tiles, but also before partially leveling the "failures" of the walls with tile adhesive. It must be remembered that the tile adhesive shrinks slightly during setting, so you should not try to level the wall “to zero”, the main thing is to reduce the gaps. Watch the thickness of the applied layer of glue, you do not need to make it thicker than the manufacturer recommends, it is better to apply another layer of glue to the “failure” place, waiting for the bottom layer to dry.

If the wall is tiled with securely held even tiles, the new tile can be laid on top of the well-washed (degreased) old one. Almost every tile adhesive manufacturer has an adhesive in their product line that is suitable for working on old tiles. Typically, these adhesives have a dual purpose: for lining pools and for working on old tiles. Non-absorbent substrates (old tiles, concrete wall etc.) are treated with primers “for non-absorbent surfaces”. The most famous primer is Betokontakt. However, before deciding to clad on an old tile, it will not be superfluous to tap it with a spatula handle or a rubber mallet for “bumping” and peeling. If the tile makes a popping sound, then most likely it has peeled off the base, it must be removed and the “hole” sealed with tile adhesive. Also, it will not be superfluous to glue one test tile on top of the old one and leave it for half an hour, and then remove it. If the tile is removed only after prying it with a spatula, then it can be glued. And remember that cladding over old tiles “steals” the area of already small rooms. For example, in a bathroom, cladding over old tiles may not allow for a tub to be installed the same size as it was before the tiling.

Facing can be done on walls painted with oil paints, but only in cases where the paint and plaster under it do not peel off. Otherwise the paint must be removed building hair dryer, washes or mechanically. Before facing walls covered with oil paints, they must be washed with soapy water (degreased) and primed with a primer for non-absorbent surfaces (Betokontakt).

When facing walls on plasterboard sheathing in places subject to direct moisture, Knauf-Flechendicht waterproofing must be applied to the bases of plasterboard sheets.

2. Marking rows of cladding.

First, it must be said that modern tile adhesives allow you to stick tiles in any way: if you want, glue it from top to bottom, if you want, from bottom to top. The usual gluing of tiles from the bottom up is more of a tribute to tradition than a practical necessity, but this method is still recommended for beginner tilers, as it is simpler and “forgiving” small mistakes in pasting technology.

Before you start laying tiles, you need to accurately plan the location of the tiles on a given wall. If the size of the wall is not a multiple of the size of the tile, taking into account the width of the joint, then the tiles will need to be cut. Visually, a wall with a symmetrical arrangement of tiles looks better (we cut the tiles in both corners). We start laying with the second row of tiles from the center of the wall in any direction. The first, so-called basement row, of wall tiles is best glued after laying the floor tiles. This is done in order to hide uneven edges. floor tiles, which cut worse due to their hardness.

Rice. 123. Marking the wall for tiling

When determining the height of the second row, it is necessary to take into account the height of the basement tile and the size of the two seams (Fig. 123). We start work by marking a horizontal line on the wall and attaching a wooden or aluminum rail in this place. The lath should be smooth and straight, as it determines the level from which we begin laying the tiles. Most often, for this purpose, a profile is used for the manufacture of a frame for plasterboard sheathing, for example, a PNP 28 × 27 guiding ceiling profile.

After taking out the horizontal line and fixing an even bar or profile, we find the center of the wall and take out the vertical line. By applying tiles to the wall or with a tape measure, we calculate the number of tiles in a row to the corners of the walls. Applying the first tile with its edge to the axis of the wall or the center, we ensure that the tiles in the corners of the walls will be cut off by no more than 1/4 of the width of the tile. Do not forget about the thickness of the inter-tile seam. Laying without a seam requires very high quality tiles and high professionalism. The seams "forgive" the slight skewness of the tile and technological errors.

It is not recommended to place tiles less than 1/4 of the width in the corners - they are difficult to cut. It is better to start laying tiles from the center of the wall so that cut tiles are obtained in the inner corners of the walls. If an integer number of tiles fit on the wall, then this is very good, but this is a single case, so the rule of symmetry is observed and the cut tiles “go” into the corners. However, this rule is not a dogma, if equipment is located in the room to be lined and you know in advance where it will be located, then it is better to put a whole tile into the visible corner, and lay the trimmings in an invisible one. External corners are recommended to start with whole tiles. Niches and narrow walls usually make a symmetrical cladding, placing a cut or, conversely, a whole tile in the center.

Sometimes not the entire height of the wall is tiled, but only part of it, this part is called a panel. In this case, it is more advisable to stick the tiles from top to bottom. With this method of gluing, the top row will consist of whole tiles, and the basement row will consist of cut tiles. The marking for such laying is done in the same way as described above, with the only difference that the horizontal bar (or the outlined line) is installed at a strictly defined height of the cladding panel.

The adhesive solution is prepared according to the instructions on the package. We evenly apply the adhesive solution on the wall with the smooth side of the spatula, and then spread it evenly over the surface of the wall with the serrated side (Fig. 124). We apply the adhesive solution on the surface of no more than 1 m2, since the solution retains its adhesive properties for 10–30 minutes. This time depends on the type of substrate and temperature, as well as air humidity. Mortar that has already dried on the wall and has lost its adhesive properties should be removed and a new layer applied. The size of the trowel teeth should be selected depending on the size and depth of the profile of the back side, as well as the size of the tile. The principle should be followed - the larger the tile, the larger the size of the spatula teeth.

Rice. 124. Spatula for tiles

For thin tiles, use spatulas with V-shaped teeth 3-5 mm high, for example; for wall glazed tiles, for larger tiles (150-200mm) use 6mm high square notched trowels, and U-notched trowels are used for large tiles (300mm and above) and irregular shapes, suppose to be made manually tiles. The high ridges produced by a large-toothed trowel cover the back of large tiles and ledge tiles well, but if small tiles are laid on them, excess grout will squeeze out into the joints between the tiles. Conversely, using a small-toothed trowel will produce ridges that are suitable for small tiles, but will not be high enough to completely cover the back of large tiles or tiles with ledges.

To determine the correct choice of a notched trowel, a small test is performed. The glue is applied to the wall and "combed" with a spatula. After processing the adhesive with a spatula, strips of adhesive of a certain height are obtained on the wall. Tiles are glued to them. When pressed into the adhesive, the tile flattens the ridges of the strips, so a layer of adhesive of uniform thickness is obtained under the tile. We immediately remove the tile from the wall, turn it over and watch how the glue covers the back of the tile. If the adhesive covers the entire tile, then the height of the trowel teeth is selected correctly. If there are places on the tile that are not covered with glue, you need to replace the spatula with another one with higher teeth.

Handmade tiles with very uneven backs, mosaic tiles mounted on sheets, and some cut ceramic and stone tiles require additional adhesive to be applied to the back of the tile with a rectangular trowel to achieve full contact between the tile and the substrate. Applying the adhesive to the back of the tiles is an additional measure and does not replace its distribution on the substrate. Insufficient or uneven application of the adhesive leads to a weakening of the bond and causes cracking of tiles and grouts.

Rice. 125. Recommended sequence of wall tiling

We start laying tiles from the bottom (Fig. 125). Usually, first a vertical row is laid to a height of 3–5 tiles, then a horizontal row (in any direction from the beginning of the cladding) to a width of 4–6 tiles. Verticality is checked by a level. Then the tile is laid with a ladder. However, such a sequence of facing, although generally accepted, is not fundamental, you can glue the tiles in a different sequence, it is only important to observe the verticality and horizontality of the seams. To make the seams the same, we use distance crosses, selecting them according to the width of the seam.

Rice. 126. Wall tiling

After laying the tiles on the wall, we press them with our hands, and if the tiles are large, we knock them out with a special rubber hammer (Fig. 126). In the process of work, we constantly check the correctness of the lining by the level and the rule. If necessary, freshly laid tiles can be besieged with blows of a rubber mallet or shifted, then, when the adhesive solution sets, it will be more difficult to do so. Recall that the “life” of the adhesive solution is approximately 30 minutes. Excess mortar in the seams is removed until it has hardened. During breaks in work, we remove excess mortar from the walls.

Trimming tiles should be done with special tools, remembering that they are of the appropriate size. Glue the cut tiles separately, last. Remember to respect the appropriate joint width. We finish facing with seams in all corners. Never install tiles against walls or ceilings (floors). In the future, the building may give a draft and the tile, placed in the spacer, will peel off. Let there be a seam at the junction of the tiles to the walls, ceiling and floor, it will partially relieve the tension of the building's settlement.

In the process, hard-to-reach places will appear, for example, behind a heating radiator. It is sometimes impossible to apply a solution there and level it with a notched trowel. Therefore, the pasting technology is being changed: it is not the wall that is smeared with glue, but the tile and it is leveled with a notched trowel. It is easier to reach a hard-to-reach place with a hand with a tile than with a spatula.

When facing a wall around pipes, it is required to drill tiles. This is done with a drill bit of the appropriate diameter. However, having the right tool is not always necessary. Holes of any diameter can be drilled in tiles with a single drill (Fig. 127). A circle of the desired diameter is drawn on the tile and drilled with a small drill, then the jumpers are bitten out with wire cutters or pliers. When drilling a tile, first place any drill bit in the drilling site and chop off the glaze with light hammer blows. Then you can drill with a pobedit or diamond drill. When drilling with a hammer drill, it must be switched to drilling. Never drill a tile "with a blow" - it will crack. Even if you then drill the tiles already on the wall, for example, in order to hang a cabinet, the glaze is first pierced, then the tile is drilled, and as soon as the drill passes through the tile, you can switch the puncher to strike and drill the wall.

Rice. 127. Device in the hole tile

At the end of the wall cladding with whole tiles, carefully remove the rail so as not to cause shedding of the lower row of tiles. If there is a layer of mortar under the rail, carefully remove it with a spatula. We tear off the rail by lifting it with a nail puller or a screwdriver.

The last stage of laying ceramic wall tiles is the sticker of the bottom row. We apply the adhesive solution on the wall surface under the first row of tiles. With this sequence of work, the uneven edges of the floor tiles will be covered by the plinth wall tiles.

4. Filling the seams.

24 hours after the completion of the laying of ceramic wall tiles, you can start filling the joints, using the putty of the desired color for the joints. Pour the dry mass of the solution into a clean container with water and knead manually or mechanically until a homogeneous mass is obtained. After that, leave the solution for 5–10 minutes to obtain better uniformity, then knead again. Once again, knead the solution and fill the seams with it with a rubber spatula or a grater with glued rubber. We collect the excess mortar with a grater and fill the seams again. When the mortar dries a little (after 15-30 minutes), pre-wash the surface, collecting excess mortar and cleaning the tiles. This work is carried out using a sponge or grater, pasted over with a sponge with large pores, lightly moistened clean water. After the solution has completely dried (1 hour), which is characterized by a brightened surface of the tiles, we proceed to the final cleaning, which is done with a clean flannel rag or a hard sponge.

The connection between the wall and the floor in rooms where we often encounter water, such as bathrooms, must be filled with a material that ensures tightness. Silicone is perfect for this. Squeeze out the mass from the tube and apply it in excess to the seam, using a manual sprayer, moisten the silicone mass together with the adjacent surface with soap and water. The remaining silicone is collected with a spatula. Moistening with water prevents the silicone mass from sticking to the surface of the tiles.

Rice. 128. Grouting the seams of the cladding and covering with silicone the seam between the shower tray and the cladding

The joints between the bathtub (shower tray) and the tiled wall are similarly made (Fig. 128).

Wall cladding with ceramic tiles can be done by hand without spending a lot of money on specialists. It just takes you a little longer than a pro.

Good day to all those who decided to start repairs in their favorite apartment. In this article I want to tell you how to choose the right ceramic tile for the bathroom, as well as how to work with it. Be patient friends and you will certainly succeed. So, let's begin!

How to choose ceramic tiles

I want to note right away that it is ceramic tiles that are the best material for finishing the bathroom, so it is very important to choose not only a color scheme to increase the visual space, but also a quality product. Initially, experts recommend choosing the tile itself, and only then proceed to the selection of plumbing and accessories.

Helpful information:

Basically, ceramic tiles today are produced in collections that include both wall and floor tiles, as well as decorative elements. The collection will have one style, range and theme. Now the choice is simply huge, and it will not be difficult for you to make a choice, however, a professional consultant in the salon can always help you and even create a 3D picture of your bathroom in the colors of the ceramic tiles you like.

Pay special attention when buying appearance and quality. Basically choose classic design, as the color schemes are made in a soft and eye-pleasing color. After all, going into the bathroom, you want to relax and enjoy, and not be in constant tension. Bright and colorful ceramic tiles you will get bored very quickly. The most pleasant tones, as experts say, are: pink, light blue, beige, imitation of natural marble and stone. Do not chase the brand - this tile will cost much more.

Preparing a bathroom for tiling

We start by first printing out the tile and laying it out so that it is at your fingertips, as well as prepare the entire tool. And only after that we begin to knead the glue.

The mixing container is a plastic bucket or basin. Why plastic - yes, because it is then easier to clean it from glue residue. At the beginning, pour cold water and then pour out the dry adhesive mixture, gradually mix with a drill and mixer until smooth.

Important! You should not have lumps - I think there is no need to explain here.

All instructions are written on the bag of adhesive powder. If the mixture is thin, your tile will float, if mixed too thick, it will be much more difficult to work. Do not knead too much at once, as the glue thickens and dries quickly.

Important! Do not lay tiles on an adhesive mixture that has already dried up a little, this will weaken the adhesion of the tile to the adhesive mass. It is better to remove the adhesive and apply a new solution.

If you start laying ceramic tiles on a vertical surface, then start laying from the floor or, for example, from the bath, as this will be a kind of support. And be sure to lay the crosses.

It's also very important! Between the floor and the first row of tiles, be sure to leave a seam with the help of crosses. Usually, I'll tell you from personal experience, the consumption of crosses is twice as much as you bought the tiles.

There are so-called zones where it is not possible to apply glue to the wall with a spatula - these are corners, wall joints, various transitions, etc. In this case, apply the adhesive base with a notched trowel directly onto the tile. Thus, we lay out the area that will be most convenient for work, and leave to harden.

Take care of everything the next day hard-to-reach places, since, working near a tile that has not dried out, stumbling can ruin many hours of work.

Only after the tile has dried sufficiently and all the moisture has gone, and this is 2 - 3 days, proceed to grouting the joints with a special grout mixture. Which you can easily buy at any store that deals with building materials.

Don't skimp on your grout and only buy from brand names, as your grouts can crack and lose their chic look in a fairly short amount of time.

This is done in an elementary way: we knead the mixture, as we knead the glue and rub the grout with a rubber spatula into the seams. After drying, we wash the tiles and, voila, beauty!

For achievement perfect result in work, it is possible to process ceramic tiles with a special composition. It gives the tile an extra good shine, as well as a protective layer from dirt and moisture.

Video: how to grout seams in a tile

How to drill and cut ceramic tiles

If when facing you needed an incomplete tile, then we do the usual trimming of the tile. The tile that you have prepared for the floor is best cut with a tile cutter. It looks like a glass cutter attached to a frame.

For wall tiles, you can use a regular glass cutter. Be sure to measure the exact distance that you need and put all marks on the tile with a marker or pencil. We put a solid ruler on the wall tile, press it strongly so that it does not move, and with strong hand pressure we draw it with a glass cutter or cutter. After that, they simply break along the notch with special tongs or hit with the back of the tile on wooden block at the site of the incision. The cut edge can be sanded using an abrasive block.

Holes in tiles- they are made mainly with a special instrument called a "ballerina". But at home, you can usually do without it. We will need a regular drill and drills for drilling walls, concrete and the like. We drill without strong pressure, while slowly pour water over the drilling site so that the tile does not burst. If a figured cutout is needed, then we cut it with an ordinary grinder with a stone disk or bite it out with special tongs.

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The technology is the same for most grounds. An adhesive composition is applied to the plane, leveled with a “comb”, the tiles are installed in order or with a ledge, crosses are attached in the corners, individual modules are adjusted in rows until the seams completely match. Grouting is done after curing with a hardened mortar.

Options for laying tiles: A - diagonally, B - Seam to seam, C - In a run.

Technologies have nuances depending on the location of tiles / porcelain stoneware in the rows:

"ligation" - displacement of vertical seams by the same / different distance in each row;
"traditional method" - vertical, horizontal seams match;
"diagonal" - the tiles are inclined in rows at 45˚ to the floor level.

The technology of wall cladding by dressing provides fewer cuts of solid modules, the diagonal cladding method is the maximum tile consumption used to mask significant construction defects:

divergence / non-parallelism of the walls;
lack of horizontal floor cladding;
"rolled up" corners.

Moreover, this technology provides original design, so it is used quite often. There are tiles of different formats (from mosaics to large-format stained-glass windows), thicknesses, textures, colors.

Preparation for facing work

Before you start decorating the walls with tiles, you need to perform a number of activities:

choose ceramics - there are modifications on the domestic market of building materials: majolica (double firing, colored base, low moisture resistance), faience (glaze, double firing), monoporosa (single firing after glazing), bicotura (glaze is applied between 2 firings, high porosity ), there are rectified models that can be laid without seams;
calculate the amount of material - add 5% to the wall area when laying traditional way, dressing, 15% - with a diagonal method;
prepare the walls - existing coatings are removed or hardened, when gluing tiles on top of them, it is necessary to process the planes with Concrete Contact, which increases the surface roughness;
purchase tools - you will need a level, a plumb line, a tile cutter, spatulas, a drill with a mixer, a cord, a plaster “beat”.

To increase originality, shaped elements are often used:

plinths - ceramic rectangles mounted instead of a plinth to mask the bottom seam;
borders - rectangular elements that separate tiles different color(the bottom of the wall is usually darker than the top), mounted at the level of the bath (in the corresponding room), countertops (in the kitchen), at a height of 0.7-1.2 m;
panel - one large-format element or several small-format tiles (drawing or their arbitrary arrangement relative to each other);
bas-reliefs are a narrow analogue of a plinth of high artistic value.

Ceramic tiles can zone the space of the room, visually change the size, height of the room.

Ceramics is glued either on dry mixtures or on mastics, and the first method is used in 90% of cases due to the simplicity, high viability of the solution, and the increased time for adjusting elements in rows. When choosing wall decoration with ceramic tiles, they hire specialists or stick the coating on their own.

The first option is preferable, since the seams are perfectly even, there is no marriage, material overrun. Masters give a guarantee for work in accordance with the operational resource of the cladding used, have essential tool. Home master it is recommended to use a self-leveling SVP system when laying tiles, consisting of wedges, clamps, providing high flatness of the surfaces of the mounted modules.

In addition, professionals advise contacting designers, whose services include visualization of the project, which allows you to see changes in the interior of the room, adjust the color, texture, location of borders, panels. When hiring a team of tilers, this service is most often provided free of charge, as is the preparation of an estimate that allows you to adjust the repair budget.

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Wall tiling technology

When finishing vertical planes or individual sections with ceramic tiles, the following cladding technology is most popular:

“dry layout” - the tile is laid out along the wall without mortar with crosses, along the entire height (also with crosses), which allows you to determine the size of the last cut module, its size should be more than half the tile;

installation of beacons - the tiles are glued to a quick-drying composition (alabaster, quick-hardening glue) at the corners of the wall (2 pieces from the bottom, top);

mooring stretch - a cord is stretched between the beacons, attached to dowels installed near the beacons;

wall cladding with ceramic tiles - work starts from the middle or from the corner, filling the plane with a ledge, in order;

installation of cut tiles - carried out in parallel with the finish or after installing the entire solid tile;

grouting is the final stage of decorating the planes of the walls, after which the seams can be treated with a transparent varnish to increase the resource and water resistance.

If during layout the last cut module is less than half the tile in height, 2 rows are cut - lower, upper. In this case, work begins from the second row, attaching a rail to the wall (maintaining a horizontal level) at a height of 2/3 of the height of the tile. Facing vertical surfaces (wall, part of the plane) is most often done from the bottom up, although there are dry mixes on the market that guarantee no slipping, allowing you to start work from above. The bottom row is filled with cut tiles last after the hardened mortar has cured.

Finishing from the middle to the left / right guarantees the symmetry of the cover, inserts, panels. Professionals prefer, after mounting the elements of the first row, to continue facing with a ledge, increasing the number of vertical, horizontal rows from the corner. This is due to the possibility of applying adhesive material to a large surface near the master's workplace. The cladding process is three times faster. When installing tiles near lighthouses, the latter are carefully removed, the back surface is cleaned of mortar, alabaster.

The first ceramic tile is set according to the level (horizon, vertical), the rest are mounted on a cord, the vertical and horizontal are periodically checked. When working, 2 spatulas are used: a layer of adhesive solution is applied with a conventional tool, the pastel is leveled with a comb. If plastic dry mixes with filler are used, there is no need to tap the elements with a rubber mallet or a spatula handle. A light pressure with the palm of your hand, a slight shift of the tile to the right / left or up / down is enough.

The flatness of neighboring modules in vertical, horizontal rows is checked by a rule or a long level. The crosses are removed from the cladding after the mortar has hardened (small penetration) or masked with grout mixtures at the last stage.

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Grouting at the last stage

There are multi-colored grouts on the market, the choice of which depends on the design features:

grouting to match the color of the tile - allows you to get a monolithic plane on which design elements (panels, borders) stand out brightly;

grout darker than tile - provides high-quality masking of tile defects, hides small uneven seams, has a high artistic value;

grout lighter than tiles - serves to highlight each module, is possible only with perfectly even seams.

Tight contact of the back surface of the tile with the mortar provides an increased coating life. Upon contact with hot water the tile expands evenly, there is no cracking finishing material. Diagonal cladding technology is the most time-consuming, since the number of cuts increases, the marking of the plane on which the tile is mounted becomes more complicated. The method is used for wall defects (clogged corners, wall divergence), floors (lack of horizontal level floor covering).

The technology of gluing on mastic includes pre-treatment of the back side of the tile, the surface of the wall with a PVA solution. The glue in this case sets quickly, therefore it is applied to small areas (for one element). Grouts increase the strength of the coating, additionally decorate the surface, provide seams with protection against moisture penetration.

Ceramic tiling of vertical surfaces is usually done after the installation of the floor covering. Although a layer of mortar allows ceramic tiles to mask significant surface irregularities, the material is not designed for this. The best option is the alignment of vertical surfaces with putty / plaster, the installation of ceramics on a thin layer of glue.

Continuing the theme overhaul in the bathroom in this article I want to highlight in detail the question of how to lay tiles on the wall with your own hands.

What to consider and what materials to purchase

We will proceed from the fact that we have decided on the design of the bathroom - we have chosen the color and size of the tiles, calculated the number of main tiles, decorative elements and borders. How to do this, you can read more in the article "Make right choice ceramic tiles, and every morning it will inspire you to new achievements.

Decided on the arrangement of furniture and plumbing fixtures (bathroom, toilet bowl, sinks, etc.). We hid in the wall all communications for the supply of hot and cold water, planned the installation locations for the bathroom faucet and water outlets to the sink and toilet. Our walls are even and vertical, or at least deviations are within acceptable limits and can be corrected with a thickness of glue.

Bought tile on the wall and glue to stick it. You can start laying ceramic tiles on the wall.

Tools

For work, we need the following tools: a notched trowel, a small straight trowel, 2 levels (long and short), a tile cutting tool, plastic corners for grouting, a square, a ruler, a pencil.

DIY step-by-step instructions for cladding walls with ceramic tiles

We prepare the surface

This issue must be approached very responsibly. The final result will depend on how well our surface will be prepared.

The surface must be clean, free of dust, dirt and oil stains. If, for example, like mine, the tile will be laid on a painted surface, it is necessary to make notches all over the painted surface. Be sure to cover the walls with coarse-grained concrete contact primer for better adhesion of the tile to the surface. As a result, the wall will look something like the photo below.

All peeling plaster, loose paint, loose wall pieces, whitewash and polymer-based putty must be removed.

Determine the location of the horizontal rows

If you already have a high-quality horizontal finishing floor, you can bind to it, and the first row of ceramics will start from the floor. This is the most preferred option, following which the rows will go very smoothly and horizontally. The first row is placed on the floor with a certain gap equal to the thickness of the joints between the tiles.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to apply this option, most often you have to start laying from the 2nd row or even from the 3rd row. This is due to the fact that:

Sometimes only the walls are tiled, while the floor remains intact and is rarely perfectly horizontal.

Below, along the wall, there are external communications that need to be bypassed.

And most importantly: when planning horizontal rows, it is imperative to calculate how many whole tiles will fit in a vertical row and, if necessary, either slightly raise or lower the level of the first reference row so that all the whole tiles are in the last, topmost row. , and they exactly fit the ceiling with a gap of 3-5 mm.

If this is not done, it may turn out that when approaching the ceiling it will be found that it is necessary to put a strip in the very top row, for example 2-4 cm. It is very difficult to cut off such a strip, and it will look bad at the top.

It is best to start the calculation from above, immediately marking the location of the horizontal rows and not forgetting to take into account the distance equal to the size of the seam between the rows. So, moving from top to bottom, we get the level at which the second horizontal (reference) row will be located and the size of the first row, which will be cut.

Using this technique, the top, most visible row is guaranteed to consist of whole uncut tiles, and all trimming falls on the first row, located near the floor and inconspicuous.

After we have decided on the location of the bottom line of the reference row, using the hydraulic level we transfer this mark around the entire perimeter of the room. We connect our marks, draw the reference line of the horizon and fasten the supports that will support our row. It is very convenient to use a galvanized profile for mounting gypsum boards 27 * 28 mm in size as a support for the first row. It is very even, unlike wooden slats, it is easy to attach to the wall and has a very low price.

When cladding the walls with glazed ceramics in my bathroom, I was tied to the level of an already installed bath.

This was due to the following considerations. Firstly, from this level, taking into account the size of the seams between the horizontal rows, I clearly approached the ceiling with a whole tile. Secondly, along the wall I have a drain sewage pipeØ 100 mm., which makes it difficult to push off the floor. Thirdly, this row adjoins the bathroom very well and there is no question of waterproofing the gap between the bathroom and the wall. And, fourthly, behind the bathroom, I didn’t lay out facing ceramics at all, which is also a kind of savings.

Of course, there is a certain minus - I had to make additional support for the second row from the bottom when laying it out. But, I figured that compared to the number of pluses that I get, I can make such a sacrifice.

Determine the location of the vertical rows

This operation must be done for each wall of the bathroom separately and approach this issue creatively.

We calculate how many whole tiles fit in a horizontal row on the wall, taking into account the width of the joints. Most often it turns out that one tile will have to be cut. If you get a very narrow insert in the corner, then you can use the following techniques:

Offset all rows and cut the tiles in one and the other corner so that they are the same width. In the photo below you can see how I solved this problem on my wall.

This technique will give the symmetry of the arrangement of elements in a row and, accordingly, the wall will look better. When using decorative elements, they will also be arranged nicely and symmetrically.

Position the vertical row to be trimmed in the place where it will be least noticeable. For example, in a corner that is not conspicuous when entering the bathroom. Or in the corner where the shower will stand.

Having solved the problem with the arrangement of vertical rows, we draw vertical lines in the corners with the help of a plumb or level, where the whole tile that does not require trimming ends.

Compliance with the drawn square formed by the lower reference line of the first laid horizontal row and 2 vertical lines at the corners will not allow the rows to deviate, both in the vertical and horizontal directions.

Having made a clear markup on all the walls of the room, you can start laying ceramics on the wall.

Laying tiles on the wall

Step 1. We lay the first support row on the support attached to the wall in accordance with our marking of the verticality of the rows. All tiles should be laid, with the exception of the extreme ones in a row that require trimming. The horizontality of the row is ensured by our support bar, the verticality of the element is controlled using a level, placing it vertically against the tile to be laid.

After laying 3-4 tiles, you need to check the flatness of the row. We apply the level with an edge to the row, as in the photo below, and see how the tool fits to the plane formed by the front layer. If a gap is visible somewhere, we achieve flatness by slightly adjusting the tiles located next to the gap and protruding a little.

When laying, do not forget to insert seam crosses for uniform seam width in a vertical row.

Having laid the entire row of one wall, we finally check the verticality, horizontality and flatness of the row using a long level.

We mark the extreme tiles in a horizontal row, cut them with a tile cutter to the desired width and put them in place. The row is completely ready, go to the next wall and repeat all the operations. We do the same around the entire perimeter of the room. As a result, we get a reference horizontal row around the entire perimeter of the room, as in the photo below.

Step 2. We proceed to laying the next row. We start from any side (right or left extreme element) from our vertically drawn line.

We apply glue to the wall from the base row to a height slightly greater than the length of the tile. In width, you can capture 3 tiles at once.

We apply glue on the laid ceramics. Moreover, I apply glue on the wall and on ceramics in different directions, so that when the strips from the comb spatula come into contact, they form squares (see photo below).

We do not touch the last, trimmed tile, we will lay it last, after laying the entire row of the wall.

We put the element in place, combining the vertical reference line and the end of the tile. We insert seam crosses between the lower support row and our tile to ensure a seam between the rows. We apply a vertical level to our first laid tile of the row, and set the verticality of the row. We get this picture.

On the left is a vertical reference line running parallel to the adjoining wall.

We lay out all the elements of the row, controlling the verticality, horizontality and flatness of the row with the help of a level. The plane must be controlled both along the laid tiles of the row and in the vertical direction, matching the laid row with the bottom row.

In conclusion, as well as in the previous horizontal row, we lay the trimmed extreme elements of the row.

We pass to the next wall, repeat all the procedures and close the row around the entire perimeter of the room.

Similarly, go to the next row, repeat all operations and reach the ceiling. Don't forget to invest decorative elements and borders, according to our tile layout plan.

Step 3. In conclusion, it remains to put the lowest horizontal row. Mark the length of the tiles and cut them. For convenience, I numbered all the places of the tiles around the entire perimeter and numbered the trimmed elements so as not to make a mistake when laying.

If necessary, we adjust and insert the element to sewer pipes, hot and cold water outlets.

To make beautiful holes in ceramic tiles, we use various ceramic drills, circular drills and crowns. Having cut and adjusted all the elements, you can spread the glue and start laying the final row. We control the row for verticality and compliance with the surface plane, both in the vertical and horizontal directions.

This is how tiles are laid on the wall in the bathroom and the entire room is tiled. This is, of course, not a one-day job, so each time after completing the work, do not forget to clean the seams between the tiles and wipe the tiles themselves from excess glue. In the future, this will facilitate grouting and make them more aesthetic.

That's all for me. All light repairs. See you.

Sincerely, Ponomarev Vladislav.