Setting Bathroom Tiles

Once you’ve done that bathroom remodeling job and the sink and tub have been carefully put into place, there’s just the cosmetics left and these need to be placed just right using the proper materials so that there’s no worry about future water damage or the job looking not quite right. The tiling in and around the bathtub is an involved job but it’s also one that you’ll take great pride in once it’s completed and the results will last for years to come.  There are two terms that are used quite often when dealing with this job—setting means positioning the tiles to a substrate, and grouting means sealing the joints between the tiles with a special mortar. There are several tools that you’ll need to be familiar with to get this job done right.

A notched trowel is the first of these and this tool spreads the adhesive. It works well because two edges of the tool are flat so that the adhesive spreads evenly. As well, there is another tool called a margin trowel that’s great for mixing small batches of the powdered adhesives and getting to the grout or adhesive that oozes out from between the tiles. Little plastic spacers and wedges are great to have so that you can shim up the tiles and keep your layout lines straight.

Some of the other tools needed are a little less formal. A beater board is basically just what it sounds like—it’s just a flat board placed over the courses of tiles that is rapped gently with a rubber mallet to seal the tiles. Some people prefer not to use a beater board at all but just press the tiles in with their hand to prevent the possibility of damage.   

A grout float can also be referred to as a rubber faced trowel. This tool, like the name implies, applies the grout in a process that takes at least two passes. When doing this, it’s important that passes are made diagonally across the joints to avoid pulling the grout out of the joints. You need some sponges too. Round cornered sponges with tight pores are less likely to pull the grout out of the joints. After the grout starts to haze over, you should wipe that area with a damp sponge frequently wetting the sponge as you go along.

Finally, you’ll also need a mixing bit. Combined with an electric drill, this bit can mix large amounts of powdered adhesive. It’s important to keep the speed of the drill around 300rpm to 400rpm. This may seem a little slow, but these are the speeds that work best.  As well, you should remember to wear a respirator mask to make sure you don’t inhale any of the harmful vapors that might go airborne with the process.