The -inch grout joints allow for some irregularity in the edges of the porcelain tile. More important, with some tile, the dimensions vary, so using spacers will lead to crooked grout joints. Spacing the tiles by eye is faster and, after many years of setting tile, I’m pretty good at it.
I’m spacing these tiles an inch apart, but I don’t like to use spacers. After all the wall tile mortar has cured, I will remove the ledger, set the floor tile, then fill in the course of cut tiles at the shower pan.
#Tiled bathroom showers full
I start with the first full course, which I set on a temporary ledger that I’ve leveled and fastened around all three walls. I begin on the long wall, applying tile from the centerline outward toward the corners. This keeps the work area neat and clean, and also reduces the amount of mortar that works into the joints, which makes grouting easier. Rather than spread thinset on the wall, I prefer to butter thinset onto the back of every tile with a ¼-inch notched trowel.
#Tiled bathroom showers crack
When exposed to water, mastic simply turns to liquid, which can cause the tile to crack and eventually fall off the wall. In showers and wet areas, I always use latex-modified thinset mortar, not mastic to tile a shower wall. This results in nearly equal 6-inch-wide courses at the ceiling and shower pan. To ensure they would be symmetrical, I sized and located them in advance so that the picture-frame trim tile at the top and bottom will fall on the horizontal joints between full wall tiles. In this case, I also had to consider two niches. By cutting the top course of tile on all three walls, I can keep the joint width consistent all the way around.
I avoid using a full piece at the top because the ceiling is usually not perfectly level. The goal is to maximize the size of tiles at the bottom and top, avoiding narrow pieces. I always plan the layout to make sure the tile is centered and symmetrical. The next step is to set the 8x12-inch porcelain wall tile in a running bond or brick pattern so that it looks good and stays put. In this shower wall tile installation, I’ve protected against leaks by substituting DensShield for drywall, and using a liquid membrane to waterproof the floor, all seams at corners and niches, and all fasteners. Tile showers should not only be leakproof, they should look good.
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