When tiling a bathroom do you tile the walls or floor first?

While you can tile either of the two first, the popular view based on experience is that it's easier to tile the walls first and then the floor, if you're placing both tiles in a room. This ensures that you keep the tiles clean, since you won't have to work so much around them once installed. The principle of tile installation is that the tile wall “hangs” above the tiled floor. The best way to achieve this result is to first place tiles on the floor so that the wall tile appears to be “sitting” on the bathroom floor.

Because the wall tile must hang above the floor tile, it can be more complicated to install the tile on the wall first. However, starting your project first with installing tiles on walls can help you avoid messes and unfortunate damage related to mishap with mortar and tile. Save time by installing wall tiles first. This process will reduce the curing period that the tiles will otherwise require.

You don't have to place the tiles on the wall and dry them completely. You can quickly start installing the tiles immediately after finishing with the wall tiles. Therefore, if you want to avoid a mess, opting for wall tiles first is the best option. The main reason to install the wall tile first is for easier installation.

When installing wall tiles, you don't have to wait for the tile to harden or worry about damaging the tile. Therefore, it not only allows for a simpler installation process, but it is also faster. To answer your question, yes, I always put tiles first on the shower walls and, finally, the floor. I do this for two main reasons.

Watch my video on how to tile the floor and curb of a shower. If you place the shower before tiling the walls, it will not only turn out to be an obstacle while you work, but it will also greatly complicate the process of installing the tiles. On the other hand, placing tiles on walls first will help you avoid the mishap and mess associated with tiles and mortar. A tile can work on a wall, but you should look at its specifications and keep in mind that floor and wall tiles usually have different dimensions.

If you install the wall tiles first, you won't have to be very careful when applying the mortar and grout and you'll be able to work stress-free. First of all, if you first place tiles on the shower floor, you're likely to spill mortar and possibly even drop a tile on it, which could cause a tile on the shower floor to break. Many contractors complain that they don't like to clean floors first because, by placing tiles on walls, they can damage the floor by walking on it or by dropping mortar intended for the wall tile on the floor. However, keep in mind that you must allow the tile mortar to harden completely before you stand on it to install the tile wall.

However, floor and wall tiles near corners and walls must be precisely cut to improve a beautiful result, as well as the waterproofing capabilities of the floor and walls of the bathroom. By first installing the shower wall tiles and the shower tiles at the end, I bury the bottom row of cut tiles and possible imperfections in the tile seams. Professional experts use a ledger or a space saver to leave space for the tile to be installed after fixing the wall. For example, laying tiles on floors first means more time for your project, since the mortar must dry before working on the walls again and you may not have all the time.

Don't worry, if you prefer to place tiles on the floor first, you can avoid that damage by covering the tile floor with a protective cloth or a tile-sensitive material while working on the wall. If you mount the tiles on the wall tiles, this will cause significant problems both practically and in terms of appearance. To get a better result with walls, you'll first need to consider how your tile wall will extend above the floor. Start from the bottom, close to the floor, and use a level to see if you'll have to cut any tiles to level the first plate of the bathroom tiles.

And if you're just tiling the shower, you might want to cover the rest of the bathroom floor with plastic sheeting to prevent it from getting dirty. . .