Keep Large Tile Flat On Wall

Having a flat or plumb substrate is also critical.

Keep large tile flat on wall.

Apply the mortar to the wall creating 1 4 inch ridges with the trowel. Use tile spacers if necessary to keep the tile lines straight in the layout. As with floors secure bonding is key to the success of a large format tile wall installation. Next press the tiles into place.

Spread thinset mortar on the bottom center of the wall. Again the maximum tolerance is 1â 8 inch in 10 feet. A batten board helps you start your bottom most course or row of tiles. For large tiles exhibiting the maximum allowable warpage 50 offsets are guaranteed to exhibit lippage.

Wall installation lippage can be both a structural and an aesthetic concern. To address this on a practical basis some manufacturers recommend against any patterns with offsets in excess of 33 if the tile being used has an edge larger than 18 inches. Substrate preparation for walls and floors that will be tiled with large format materials must be perfectly flat. Don t start it at the floor.

If this tolerance isn t met lippage can occur. The weight of a large format stone tile can cause it to sag or slip during installation on the wall. A batten board is nothing more than a 1 x4 or 1 x2 board screwed directly into the wall horizontally. Tips for tiling a wall.

The level of flatness dictated by the tile council of north america for large format installations is 1 8 over 10. To keep grout joints uniform use small plastic spacers between the tiles. Spread the mortar with the flat edge of the trowel then groove. Hang a batten board to prevent tile slippage.