8 Important Steps To Help You Retile A Bathroom Well

Hoping to retile your bathroom yourself? These 8 steps are essential to get you the very best results.

Retiling a bathroom is a great idea to help it look cleaner, more modern, and more aesthetically pleasing. It is also a perfect DIY project for when you have a bit of time spare.

Doing it yourself is definitely cheaper than getting a tradesman to do it, but there’s a little more research and time needed to get the very best results.

Luckily there are lots of great Youtube videos, tutorials and online tips to help you get your bathroom retiled to the best possible standards. To help you on your way, we want to get your started with these 8 important steps to help you retile a bathroom well:

1. Preparing Is Everything

Preparation really is key, and if you don’t put enough into this part of the project, you will find the results are not as professional as you would like. You will want to check:

• The wall you are tiling is waterproof
• The wall you are tiling is stable
• The wall you are tiling is smooth
• The wall is properly clean and dry
• You have all the tools you need to get the job done well

It is also a good idea to prepare the room properly too, so that you don’t accidentally damage items and cause more mess at the end. You can store cabinets, a three piece bathroom suite and other bathroom items in a small cheap self storage unit if you don’t have any space in your garage.

2. Use Backer Board

Backer board isn’t something you have to use, but it is recommended for an easy way to prepare the surface before you apply tiles. The boards are water wood and tend to be compatible with most tiles that are used for retiling projects.

3. Add Guidelines

Using a level and your gauge stick you can create guidelines which essentially map out where you are laying your tiles. They also help you understand the edging and corners and how you might need to trim tile to fit in those places.

4. Work From Bottom To Top

When laying your tiles it is always good to lay from the bottom to the top of the wall. This means, laying tiles across the bottom and then moving to the next row, until you have moved all the way to the top.

5. Get The Adhesive Right

It is imperative you use waterproof adhesive for your tiling job because the application is in a wet space. If you don’t there will be some big issues later down the line.

It is also a good idea to get a ready-mix adhesive so that you can’t get the mixture wrong.

6. Add Wall Trims

If there is an external corner you should use wall trims that are the finish look better, and help with leaks when used near a bath or shower unit. The key is to ensure that the trim is extremely secure when applied. If you do it wrong, it is worth removing and redoing because it has such a big impact on the end results.

7. Get The Grout Right

It is important to take time and get the grout right because it is such an integral part of waterproofing and finishing the tiling job. Make sure the adhesive is totally dry before you add any grout at all. Once it is time to apply the grout, take your time to make sure you create the perfect mixture before it is applied to your wall.

8. Work In Small Sections To Finish

When you are grouting work in very small sections so that you can get each section right before moving on. This stops the grout drying up, and ensures you have time to sponge away any excess grout if you get too much on the tiles.

The tips above can help you retile your bathroom well, achieving really good results. If you are ever in doubt, speak to a professional for help so that you can avoid a DIY disaster that does some real damage.