Wall Tiles Fitting Process

For hard ceramic tiles the glazed surface must be scored and the tile broken along this line.

Wall tiles fitting process.

You can make straight cuts on tiles with a manual tile cutter or a tile wet saw. If the cuts needed are smaller than half of a tile you can adjust the center line by snapping a new line a half tile size closer to the wall. During the wall tile installation process you will likely need to cut some tiles to fit. As with any tile installation the surface for mosaic tile must be perfectly flat and smooth.

Nippers create rough edges that you can smooth somewhat with 80 grit sandpaper. Mosaic tile can be laid directly on plywood or wallboard in non wet locations but cement board offers the best underlayment and is the preferred. If necessary repeat this step along the intersecting center line for a precise design. Once you reach the walls you ll need to cut tiles for a proper fit.

Follow the layout by installing loose tiles along with their spacers all the way to the walls. Tile cutting jigs are inexpensive and are much easier to use than freehand tile cutters. In modern tile work the underlayment is generally cement board applied over a plywood subfloor or directly against wall studs. Cut the tiles to fit into any gaps.

Start at the intersection of the chalk lines and make a path forming a 90 degree angle with tile. Use a saw tile to cut a tile to fit around an awkward shape such as a pipe or architrave. Use tile nippers for curved cuts.