Turn the float to 90 degrees to remove the excess grout from the tile faces. And the white subway tile is usually pretty inexpensive. Tips for Tiling a Wall 1. This is no problem when installing a backsplash over a countertop, but when you tile behind appliances, such as your range, there’s no counter for support. Cover the tub with heavy paper to protect it from damage it might incur as you tile the wall. Cover the tub with heavy paper to protect it from damage it might incur as you tile the wall. But when that angle isn’t 45 degrees, as with the diamond-shaped tile you see here, getting exact lines is even harder. To keep the first row (and all that follow) level, tack a 1x batten to the backerboard one full tile width above the tub. With a diagonal tile layout like the one shown here, you’ll get full tiles and half tiles. If you're tiling a shower these tips ... Before you do anything it’s best to check the stud walls are plumb and level. Use No Tiles Less … Mark the wall at the top of the tile. Cement board is the best thing to use in a shower installation and even makes sense if you are installing a backsplash close to a sink. Hold the float at a 45-degree angle to the wall to push the grout into the joints between the tiles. Spread grout over the wall tiles with a grout float, a rubber tool used for spreading grout. Before you can tile a wall, remove the existing tiles, fill any cracks or holes with spackle, and sand the surface so the tiles will have a strong, level surface to stick to. Remove the ledger later and trim tiles to fill the gap below. Make sure that the surface is as flat as possible before installing the tiles. Hang a Batten Board to Prevent Tile Slippage. Installing Shower Wall Tile Correctly. This trick removes the challenges of level grout lines and square corners. You may need to cut tiles to properly fill your backsplash area. Apply the mortar to the wall, creating 1/4-inch ridges with the trowel. Simply screw in a board on the wall, even with the countertop, across the space where the counter is missing. Before you start, remember that using the correct trowel and mortar is critical to a successful tile project. It is crucial that you know how to keep tile level when installing to ensure your job is done right. If you custom-size the niche to fit between full tiles, you’ll get a better-looking installation and avoid some cutting. Take a 4 foot level and place it across all ... Grout joints between 1/8″ and 1/16″ are good because they keep the maintenance low for tile …