New shower tiles can change the color, style, and look of your shower.
Dirty, outdated, or broken tile around your can be distressing for someone who wants to create a feeling of relaxation in the bathroom. While you can update the room by adding new towels and shower curtains, the only real fix for bad tiles is to retile the bathroom shower. If you want to retile your bathroom, plan to devote an entire weekend to the project as the job is detailed and time-consuming.
Instructions
1. Remove the shower head and control knob, using a screwdriver as needed. Spread cardboard over the floor or shower pan to protect it from the sharp edges of the falling tiles.
2. Insert a chisel along the edge of where the tiles begin and hammer the chisel to knock the first tile loose. Work across a full row of tiles, switching to a flat bar as needed. Remove tiles up toward the ceiling and down to the floor with the chisel or flat bar until all tiles are removed. Work one wall at a time.
3. Spread a layer of mortar over the wall with your notched trowel to cover only the area you think you can finish in a day. An 8- to 10-square-foot area should only take an hour to tile.
4. Spread a smooth coat of mortar on the back of a tile with a margin trowel. Place your first tile along the bottom edge of the shower wall area starting at a point adjacent to a non-tiled wall instead of inside a corner of the shower.
5. Spread mortar over the back of the next tile and place it beside the first tile, leaving a 1/8- to-1/4-inch gap between the tiles. Continue adding tiles working in an imaginary grid pattern and consistent gaps between tiles. Make a second row above the first, and so on, until the shower is complete. Let the mortar dry overnight.
6. Mix the grout following the packaging instructions and add to a grout bag. Twist the large opening of the bag closed and use one hand to hold the twist shut. Place your other hand near the small opening along the tip of the bag to both squeeze and guide the tip.
7. Squeeze the grout from the tip opening of the bag and into the gaps between your tiles. Move your hands slowly as you squeeze to fill all of the gaps completely one line at a time. Overfilling the gaps is preferred to not squeezing out enough grout.
8. Run a grout float over the gaps to smooth the grout between the tiles and pull off excess. Wipe the excess off the float as often as needed to keep your work clean and avoid dropping grout on the floor. Let the grout dry according to the time listed on your packaging.
9. Remove the cardboard from the floor. Wet a sponge with warm water and wipe the tiles to pull off grout residue. Continue wiping the tiles repeatedly until the residue streaks are gone. Replace the shower head and control knob.
Tags: between tiles, first tile, bathroom shower, control knob, gaps between, head control