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Fitting floor and wall tiles is a popular choice when updating kitchens and bathrooms and it’s easy to see why - tiles are long-lasting, durable, stylish and easy to maintain. Discover how to tile a wall and floor with this helpful 9 step guide from the experts at Homebase including how to cut your tiles, preparing the surface for tiling, choosing your tile adhesive, how to grout tiles and more…
These tasks may be tricky so will suit you if you're experienced in DIY, or simply love a challenge.
Before you get started on any of our 'how to' guides, please take a moment to read through our DIY safety tips.
Planning the layout of the area you're tiling will help you avoid uneven spacing or poorly aligned rows of tiles. Use a consistently-sized spacer between your tiles to make sure they're evenly arranged. You could use any object for a spacer – such as a matchstick or a plastic spacer – as long as it helps you create equal gaps for the grouting.
Planning your floor area
Planning your wall areas
Marking out your wall
If your walls are reasonably square, here's a quick way to measure both your floor and wall tiles for cutting:
You should always wear safety glasses and gloves when cutting your tiles. If you're cutting floor or thicker wall tiles, or need to cut your tiles into an awkward shape, you'll have to use an electric tile cutter, or buy purpose-made blades for your electric jigsaw.
Before you lay or fix any tiles, check that there aren't any colour variations.
When tiling above a window, basin, bath or any other fixture, fix a temporary batten in place to support the first row of whole tiles, progressing upwards from there. Once the adhesive has set, you can then easily measure any tiles you have to cut to size to fill in the space.
Above a window, the cut tiles won't have anything underneath to stop them slipping, but you can attach them to the fixed tiles above with masking tape. This will hold them in place until the adhesive dries.
This short video will show you all you need to know when it comes to installing and fitting wall tiles. This easy to follow video is great even for beginners.
There are different types of grout, so make sure you've got the right one for your specific job. Mix it up following the pack's instructions. You should allow at least 24 hours for the tile adhesive to dry before grouting.
Use an all-purpose cleaner and a nylon scrub pad to clean the grout. However, you should first test your cleaner on a spare tile to make sure it won't damage any design features.
If your grout cracks, you can't just grout over it; you have to remove at least two-thirds of it using a grout remover, then reapply a new layer of grout.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide on how to tile a wall and lay floor tiles.
You’ll find everything you need for your next tiling project at Homebase, including a stunning range of wall tiles and floor tiles. Or for an intricate and eye catching design, take a look at our selection of mosaic tiles. With a variety of styles and effects to choose from, you can create your own colourful design and install a unique mosaic tile feature wall in your home.
Browse our range of tiles, tools and accessories below or visit your local Homebase store.
Floor & wall tile buying guide At Homebase, we offer a range of glass, ceramic and other types of wall tiles. Our expert guide is full of tips and advice to get you up to speed on the basics.
How to lay laminate flooring Make laying laminate flooring as easy as possible with this step-by-step how to guide from Homebase. Follow our advice, tips & videos to make DIY simple.
How to paint walls & ceilings Get the finish you crave in any room with our expert painting tips. The Homebase guide gives help & advice when it comes to painting walls & ceilings. Read now.
Paint buying guide Time for a splash of colour? Make sure you use the right paint with help from our buying guide. Start the transformation of your home online now.
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