How To Hang Large Tile On Shower Walls

Stagger large format tiles in thirds.

How to hang large tile on shower walls.

Set the tile panels on the side walls with thinset the same way as for the back wall using the starter board. Measure each wall area calculating the width times height. This in turn creates a slight lip between two adjacent tiles. In our project one wall is 31 and the other is 36.

Determine how much tile you ll need. Measure the width of the shower walls on either side of the door. For our shower we chose a running bond pattern. Use a small amount of the excess mortar and spread it onto the back of a tile with the notched side of the trowel.

Spread thin set along the first section of your tile row. One way to limit tile lippage is to stagger large format tiles into thirds. If you wait to install the cut pieces use a notched trowel to scrape the thinset from the wall so it doesn t dry before. You ll need a design plan before you start attaching the tile.

Add up the wall areas and add 10 so you have extra tile for mistakes or future repairs. Large tiles tend to cup or bow upward in the middle of the tile. Dry lay the panels and measure them to see where you need to make cuts. The staggering of tiles in thirds helps limit this effect.

Run a damp sponge over the backer board in the area you intend to tile.