When remodeling the bathroom it would be great to tear out the old bathtub that we have and replace it with a steam shower or something more luxurious. Unfortunately many of us don’t have the space or money to pull something like that off. If this is the case than the next best thing you can do is to replace the walls around the bathtub.
In most homes the wall surrounding the tub is ceramic and matches that of the tub. It is boring and lifeless and makes for a plain bathroom. You can easily tear this wall out and create something that has color and beauty. The best material to use that is affordable and easy to install are tiles.
On graph paper create a design that you want to create on the wall. For it to be accurate you need to measure the space that you have available and know the measurements of each tile you will be using. You can use both large and small tiles in various colors to create a more unique design. Just make sure that the colors you choose work harmoniously with each other.
Lay the tiles on the floor of the bathroom in the design that you have created. This will also help you to try out different patterns if you don’t like the first one you created. Leave the tiles on the floor until you are ready to put them on the wall.
Measure one wall and mark the center of it. Draw a vertical line through the center of the wall running from the top of the wall to the bathtub. Apply thinset tile mortar over the bottom of the wall to cover the whole length of it.
Press a tile to the wall on one side of the vertical line and place spacers between the bottom of the tile and the bathtub. Place the rest of the tiles on the bottom row and put spacers in between each of them. Make sure to cut the tiles at the end with a tiling saw to make it fit properly.
Keep doing this until you have placed tiles all the way up the wall and do the same with the other walls. Leave the tiles to sit overnight to allow everything to dry.
Remove the spacers and apply grout over the walls. Start at the top of the walls and work your way down. Make sure to press the grout into the spaces and to scrap it off the face of the tiles. The grout must set for forty-eight hours. Apply a line of caulk into the space where the tile meets the tub.