DIY Tiling - Master Bath
- Courtney Wood
- Oct 10, 2023
- 5 min read
It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog because well ... LIFE! But I figured, what better way to start updating this site again than to start with a blog about how I tiled our master bathroom! So
all I have to say is, I learned as I went. This was my first time trying this DIY and using a tile cutter so it is definitely NOT perfect but that's okay! I am here to provide the steps and the things I learned while doing this project.
First things first - you will need to purchase all the items you need to complete this project.
Wet saw (I did not use one for this project as I didn't really need to but probably would help with more perfect cuts)
Grout - I used premixed grout linked here
Sponges - I would buy extra. I got 2 and I needed 2 more as I couldn't finish the project in one day. You'll need one that will stay dry and one that will get wet.
Tile of your choosing - I chose this style linked here.
Level
Scissors
Utility Knife
Measuring tape
Plastic or trash bags
All of the items I used are linked above but obviously you can use other brands/styles if you would like.
1 - Make sure the wall is clean and dry before doing anything.
2 - Use your measuring tape to measure on the ends of your shower, from ceiling to fiber glass.
3 - Then cut your schluter trim to fit that section. The schluter trim makes it so the ends look finished rather than the edges of tile showing or just grout.
4 - Cut a strip of the Muscle Bound Adhesive and place it on the back of the Schluter trim. Then use a level to make sure the trim is straight and stick the trim on the ends of the area.
5 - Take your Muscle Bound Adhesive and start adding it to your walls. This is a VERY strong double sided tape. I would apply your muscle bound vertically as it is recommended on the instructions. You will have to add this on in strips and recommend cutting with a utility knife.
6 - Once your muscle bound is placed on the wall, keep the adhesive covering on until you are ready to stick on your tile. I also went around with the grout float and pressed on each strip to make sure the muscle bound was completely flat and stuck to the wall.
Now you're ready to add your tile!
7 - Peel the backing off the muscle bound first. Then as you are laying your tile, follow whatever design it is that you are doing. The tile I chose was very challenging for me for a first time tiling job so I do recommend picking something more simple. But as you are placing them on, be sure to use your tile spacers!
8 - As I put the tile up, I also used the grout float to press the
tiles so they were secured to the muscle bound.
9 - Now you are ready to grout! BUT FIRST - make sure you
cover the whole area with plastic or whatever you like to use. The grouting makes a mess and can fly all over the place. I also had to use painters tape for the ceiling and top of our fiberglass shower so I would not get grout all over it.
10 - Once your space is covered, you will want to fill your bucket with water, grab your sponges, and your grout float. I used premixed grout which definitely saved time and was easy to use!
11 - Use your grout float to push the grout into the cracks between the tiles. I didn't really use a specific motion for this, just filled them the however but I did work in small sections.
12 - Grout a small section of tiles and then use your wet sponge to wipe all the excess grout off. Then go in with your dry sponge and wipe off the tiles. I would do this for your entire section of tiles. This worked great for me!
13 - Once you are done grouting, you are ALMOST done! From here I removed all my plastic and painters tape and then let this sit for about 48 hours.
14 - The last step is the caulking! You want to caulk where the tile meets the walls, ceiling, and fiber glass so that no water or moisture can get in. I went with the bright white caulk linked above that matched the grout. So I caulked around the ceiling, sides of the Schluter trim on the wall and around the fiberglass to close up all gaps.
Since this was in our bathroom, we waited a while to shower (2 weeks) just to let everything sit and settle. But once you finish all these steps ... you are done and hopefully love the outcome!
THINGS I LEARNED:
Make sure you have enough spacers! I ran out so some of my grout lines are not even. Once I put the grout everywhere, it tied everything together so you have to really be looking for it to find the imperfections but spacers really help!
Make sure ALL tile is the right color. I must have had two different sheets of tiles, color wise so there are a few sections that are off. It's not super noticeable but I know it's there haha
Learn how to use a tile cutter and wet saw beforehand! I do not have a wet saw, nor do I know how to use one but it is on my list! The tile cutter is SO simple to use but I should have tested it out and practiced prior to the actual project.
DO NOT forget to purchase plastic, painters tape or trash bags to cover the area. Grouting gets very messy.
If this is is your first time tiling, use an easier tile design than the one I chose lol
Purchase extra sponges! Especially if you don't think you will finish the job in one day. Rinse out the sponges after using them to use them the next day. I did rinse mine but one of them still hardened so always good just to have 1 or 2 extra handy!
Make sure you purchase enough muscle bound and tile! I had more than enough but I know if I had ran out I would have been very frustrated!
Use a laser level. I completely forgot I had one but that would have helped so much when laying the tile. Highly recommend making sure your tile is level as you are laying it.
In the end I had a lot of fun doing this project but definitely excited to try this again eventually knowing what I know now! The only way to learn is to do these projects so I am really glad I got the confidence to try it :)
xo, home_bycourt
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