The bathroom is every relaxation and good rest lover's favourite room. Nowadays, it serves not only for personal hygiene. It is also a place where one spends time relaxing after work. Long bubble baths help to forget about worries and transport us to a completely different world, thus the appearance of the bathroom is crucial. To ensure maximum comfort and convenience, it must be both stylish and functional. Bathroom equipment or furniture is constantly exposed to water and moisture, so when choosing the furnishings of your interior, look for models resistant to them. Choosing the right bathroom tiles is also very important. If you want to learn more about laying them, we invite you to read our article.
Choosing the right materials
Deciding to independently arrange the bathroom involves a multitude of very important and responsible decisions to make. The first of them is the choice of bathroom tiles. Today, shops offer an endless number of tiles from which you can freely choose elements for your bathroom. First of all, you should pay attention to their quality. Make sure they are resistant to water and moisture. It is also worth considering their wear class and thickness - these are extremely important parameters that will help assess durability and resistance to mechanical damage.
To properly lay tiles in the bathroom, you should also have the right adhesive or grout. They allow you to secure the composition well against water. They can be purchased in dedicated shops when buying tiles. It is worth seeking advice from a professional salesperson who knows the properties of these products.
Where to start
To lay tiles in the bathroom independently, you should first establish an action plan. Think carefully and plan the tile layout on the wall to be able to purchase the correct number without issues. Nowadays, online stores have special collections, which make it quick and easy to arrange your bathroom. It is important to decide whether to lay tiles only on the floor or on the walls as well. Some people only lay them halfway to achieve a specific design effect.
When renovating an apartment, you should first remove the old tiles. This can be done with a pneumatic hammer drill with a chiselling function, which is professional equipment that few people have on a daily basis. More often, a hammer and steel punch are used for this purpose, which allow you to remove old tiles. It takes much longer and requires much more effort, but undoubtedly every novice builder can afford to buy them.
Preparing the walls
Once the old tiles have been removed, preparing the walls before laying new ones is essential. This is a crucial stage, determining good tile adhesion, which affects their future condition and behaviour. If you want a bathroom that lasts for years, you need to prepare for this. It is key to have the right equipment and materials, which should be prepared in advance. It is worth ensuring they are nearby before starting work. The first step should be assessing the substrate's condition. Any protruding elements should be removed to ensure maximum work comfort. It must be clean and dry, so it is worth cleaning it from dust and allowing it to dry well - then a primer can be applied.
Popular plasterboard walls are covered with a special gypsum substrate primer, and a penetrating primer is used for a brick wall. If there are gaps in the wall, they should be filled with a levelling compound. Sometimes they are very large, then a self-levelling compound needs to be applied to achieve a perfectly straight wall. This cannot be ignored - uneven surfaces lead to crooked tile laying, which may cause them to crack. You should also remember to re-prime and dry the surface.
Laying tiles in the bathroom
The tile laying process should start with preparing the adhesive mortar. Mix the appropriate amount with a low-speed mixer. There are two ways to apply glue to the wall. The first is to spread it on both the wall and tile using a notched trowel, pressing it to the wall. The second is to apply glue only to the wall and level the tile with a spirit level. It is worth watching instructional videos online beforehand to see exactly how it looks. This will give a better understanding of the process.
Tile laying should begin in the most exposed places that catch the eye. Approaching areas for sockets or pipes, a hole saw should be used, which allows for precise and exact holes of large diameters. It is also worth having the right sanding tools and tile cutters to perfectly match the tile sizes.
When laying tiles at the height of the shower and sink, generally accepted principles should be followed. These are areas particularly exposed to water and moisture, so tiles should be laid with due care. Tile laying should start from their top edges to securely cover the entire wall.
Grouting
The last, very important stage of tile laying is grouting. You must wait until the tiles are well dried before proceeding. The first step is to remove adhesive residue from the joints and assess the tile edge absorbency. Then you need to prepare the grout very carefully, following the manufacturer's instructions, and maintain the correct proportion of the mixture to water. A special trowel is perfect for applying, allowing you to grout specific sections and rub thoroughly. After thorough drying, excess should be washed off with water and a gentle sponge. Also, remember to use one type of grout to maintain a consistent colour throughout the bathroom.