Before performing a tile installation, be sure that any required permits have been pulled and the preliminary work has been inspected and passed. It is the responsibility of the installer to ensure that the subsurface and any related work (plumbing, electric) is code compliant. The tile installation must also conform to ANSI (American National Standard for Installation of Ceramic Tile) standards.
This article is the first of a three-part series covering wall tile installation. The next articles cover the installation process and grouting.
This part is focused on preparing the layout for the installation, which is a very important, if not a critically important part of the process. Although it is possible to install tile without a planned layout, it may cause installation problems. At the very least, it will certainly affect the aesthetics of the finished product.
Measuring for the Layout
It may help to think of the tile layout as a Cartesian grid on the wall, using the length or width of the tile and the joint space as the unit of measure for rows and columns. The x and y axes are the vertical and horizontal midpoints of the wall, and shifting these will change the layout.
The easiest way to measure for row and column spacing is to place several tiles on the floor using the proper joint spacing. Measuring these will produce the measurements for row spacing. If rectangular tiles are being used, make sure to measure in the proper alignment for rows and columns.
Alternately, a row can be calculated this way: (tile length) + (joint space) = (row width); a column can be calculated using (tile width) + (joint space) = (column width).
For example, a 6” x 6” tile with 1/8” spacing will have 6 1/8” row spacing. The first full row will be 6 1/8”, the second 12 ¼”, the third 18 3/8”, and so on. For a square tile, the column spacing will be the same.
Vertical Layout: Back Wall
Begin with the back wall (the longest wall in a shower stall) by measuring the vertical distance from the floor (or tub edge) to the ceiling. To achieve a symmetrical installation, mark the exact midpoint.
For an installation that will not reach the ceiling, but ends in a trim piece, the midpoint is not necessary. Instead, mark the end of the installation, and measure for the size of the first row from there, and adjust this mark as necessary.
The vertical midpoint will mark either the joint between two tiles, or the center of a tile.
Measure for each layout (joint on center or tile on center) and use the layout that produces the best first and last rows. Use the midpoint to measure down to the first row (at the bottom) and determine where it will end.
The first and last rows should not be much less than half the width of a full tile.
Once the layout has been determined, mark a new central row to mark the new joint location if the layout was shifted, otherwise use the midpoint. Then measure to and mark the top edge of the first full row (the second row from the bottom). Use a level to draw a horizontal line through each row marker, the midpoint and the second row. Make sure that these lines are level, as they will be the guide lines for the installation.
Horizontal Layout: Back Wall
Measure the back wall, and mark the exact midpoint for the horizontal distance. The process for the horizontal layout is basically the same as for the vertical.
Place several tiles on the floor and use these to measure for the column spacing, or use the alternate method: (width of tile) + (joint width) = (column spacing).
Again, shift the layout from tile joint on center to tile on center if necessary, determined by the size of the end pieces. The end pieces should not be much less than half the width of a full tile.
Mark one vertical tile joint and draw in a vertical line using a level. Make sure that this line is plumb, as it will be the guide line for the installation.
Side Walls
The side walls are a little different in that they must begin with a full tile on the outside edge to accommodate a trim piece, usually a bull-nose trim.
The vertical layout from the back wall will be used here. Use a level to extend the two guide lines from the back wall to the side walls, and again, make sure that these lines are level.
The horizontal layout will start from the outside edge. Mark the proposed edge of the installation, including the trim piece, and measure from the back wall to the mark, and make sure that this will produce a workable end piece. Also, remember to accommodate for the trim piece in your measurement.
Sometimes a small end-piece is unavoidable here, as it is usually not possible to shift the layout much. Shifting the layout too far inside will compromise the function and will no longer be acceptable, and too far outside will compromise the aesthetics.
Draw two vertical guidelines on each side wall, one for the trim and another for the tile, and make sure that both are plumb.
Accessories
Once the tile layout is complete, take some time to plan out the installation of any accessories, such as soap dishes and towel racks. Mark the approximate locations of any accessories into the wall, as it is often easy to forget these during the installation.
The methods described in this article will work for any wall tile installation. The layout procedure is the same whether installing a kitchen backsplash or bathroom tile wainscot, although the text is adapted to a shower stall or tub surround installation in particular.
See the next article on installation.
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