Rules for laying tiles on drywall: features and standard technology

Rules for laying tiles on drywall

Drywall is a malleable and ductile material that is widely used in interior decoration. Excellent hygienic and physical characteristics make GCR the undisputed leader in the frequency of choice. Unlimited possibilities, convenience in work and moisture resistant qualities allow using it as a basis for various materials. This explains the relevance of the question of how to lay tile on drywall, exciting many who wish to decorate their own home.

Content

• The benefits of laying on drywall
• Traditional preparatory phase

• Tile calculation, planning
• Necessary tools and materials
• Choosing a layout option

How to glue tile on drywall

Primer surface

Markup is an important step

We lay the tiles, observing the rules

The benefits of laying on drywall

Laying tiles on drywall as one of the varieties of finishing work has many advantages. Let’s consider some of them:

• the need to align the walls of the room disappears automatically;
• the possibility of additional wall insulation under drywall;
• easy to obtain geometrically correct sizes at the joints and corners;
• Facilitation of the masonry process, which even a beginner can easily carry out;
• the ability to mask visible communications;
• finishing activities takes a minimum of time.

Traditional preparatory phase

Before proceeding directly to the work, it is necessary to carry out a series of actions. The most important thing is to correctly calculate the number of tiles.

Tile calculation, planning

The number of tiles should be calculated for each wall separately – this guarantees extreme accuracy. We cut round tiles and count them as whole. Measure the height and length of the surface to be coated, calculate the area in square meters.

It is important! Knowing the number of tiles contained in 1 square meter, the calculation does not seem so complicated. Note, it is worthwhile to calculate in advance how many tiles fit in width and height, which will help to find out the exact number of units to be cut.

Today, there are online programs that help carry out all the necessary calculations. They can determine how much material is needed for standard laying, for masonry staggered or at an angle. Among other things, the program calculates the number of products of different colors when arranging borders and compositions.

Necessary tools and materials

Instruments:

• pencil, tape measure;
• laser bubble level;
• drill with drill bits and a whisk;
• rubber and gear spatulas;
• tile cutter, small grinder;
• metal profile;
• bucket;
• rubber mallet.

Materials:

• tile glue;
• liquid waterproofing (if necessary);
• grout for joints (fugue);
• crosses;
• sponge and piece of cloth.

Choosing a layout option

To date, the laying of tiles on drywall is carried out in 3 ways:

• brickwork (in a run);
• butt to butt (straight seam);
• diagonally, at an angle (rhombus).

It is important! The rhombus option is relevant only for square tiles.

Each method has both advantages and disadvantages. Straight seam – a classic that is presentable, but a little boring. The brickwork is simple in execution, but somewhat rustic. The rhombic allows you to veil the disproportion of the walls, but when using it, you need to take into account the shape of the tile.

If you are ready to experiment, then you can combine these masonry methods, combine tiles of different colors, creating an original ensemble.

How to glue tile on drywall

If it is planned to lay clinker, stone or ceramic tiles, then drywall must be moisture resistant. If this is not possible, we put guides under the GKL sheets. The distance between the slats is 40 cm. We attach gypsum plasterboards to the guides, fixing them additionally with self-tapping screws. Instead of strips, you can lay a polypropylene stucco mesh, which is glued with PVA glue and fixed with brackets.

Primer surface

Work begins with priming. To do this, you can use the primer “KNAUF”, “MIRA 4120” or their analogues. The mixture is applied in 2 layers, the interval between them should be 40-45 minutes. Layered application will provide maximum tightness and surface durability. To apply the primer, a paint brush or roller is used, but it is most convenient to work with a gear grater. Apply the primer on the tile with a even edge, and distribute it with a serrated one until even stripes appear..

Markup is an important step

Further marking is carried out. It is necessary to find the bottom point of the floor where the height of the bottom row will be maximum. We take the level and apply it to the surface. Having determined which side is lower, go to the other wall. From the bottom point we measure in height a distance of 20 mm less than the tile. This is done for easy cutting, as if cut less than 15 mm, the reject rate will be large.

First, with a level, draw a horizontal line along the wall, and then vertical – start lines for the very first vertical row.

It is important! Experts advise laying tiles from left to right.

You can, of course, start laying from the corner, but most likely, at the end of the row you will have to trim 2 cm wide. And this is not only difficult, but also does not look very aesthetically pleasing, so it is important to shift the tile so that the trim around the vertical axis was symmetrical.

Calculating how many whole tiles fit on the wall is simple: divide the wall width L by the sum of the width of the tile L1 and the crosses L2. Do not forget about the width of the tile joints. N = L / (L1 + L2).

We lay the tiles, observing the rules

The quality of the adhesive is crucial. It is better to use specialized compounds that not only securely fasten the finishing material, but also prevent the deformation of the base. The leaders in this field are the adhesive mixtures Unis-2000 and Easy Fix. The glue is diluted according to the instructions, mixed to a homogeneous consistency. A lot of solution is not worth preparing, especially if you do not have styling skills. Glue can be applied both to the tile itself and to the wall. The application area should not exceed 1 m2.

Press the tile to the surface with your hands or with a plastic hammer with rubber pads (for large tiles). Between the tiles, to achieve the same width of the inter-tile seams, we insert the remote crosses from plastic.

It is important! Laying tiles is best done in several stages, 5-6 rows at a time. An interval between receptions of 1 hour will allow you to relieve stress that occurs in the base of the floor.

Now comes the crucial moment – the alignment of the plane. We take the rule and press down the tile. First you need to keep the rule horizontally, and then vertically. Tapping on tiles is prohibited. It is more convenient to align by pressing on the center of the rule, making swaying movements with an amplitude of 3 mm along its length.

So we lay the tiles row by row. After drying the glue (the next day), we begin to trim. To facilitate this work will help internal or external plastic corners. We remove the crosses, clean the seams with a wooden stick or plastic card and grout. By the way, seams can be treated with a special solution to increase moisture resistance and protect against pollution..

That’s all. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in laying tiles on drywall. It remains only to wipe the ceramic surface with a cloth dampened in any detergent, and enjoy the result of the work – a sparkling composition made by one’s own hands.