4 Precautions to Remember When Tiling a Shower

Many homeowners find tiling a shower relatively easy during a bathroom renovation. However, some of those homeowners may make mistakes that may cause problems, such as mould growth, later on. This article discusses some precautions that you should keep in mind as you retile your shower so that you avoid future problems.

Be Mindful About Mortar Coverage

It is common to see people placing small amounts (dots) of mortar on the back of tiles before placing them on a substrate rather than covering the entire surface of the tile with the mortar. Make sure that you trowel mortar onto the back of the tile before you place it on the bathroom floor. This approach will ensure that there are no gaps behind the tiles once they set. Gaps can allow condensation to form and trigger the growth of mould. Those gaps can also cause some tiles, such as natural stone tiles, to look multi-coloured.

Use Products from the Same Source

It is usually advisable to buy all tiling products, such as bond mortar and waterproofing membranes, from the same supplier. This precaution will ensure that you buy products that are compatible with each other. It will also be easier for you to get guidance in case you encounter a problem during the tile installation process.

Choose the Caulk Carefully

Bathroom tiles are exposed to large amounts of water on a daily basis. This makes it necessary to select caulking products that can withstand the moisture to which they will be exposed. You should therefore buy a caulking compound, such as silicone caulk, that will not crack or allow moisture to penetrate it over time.

Extend the Curing Time

Each manufacturer of the different products, such as the waterproofing products and the bond mortar, usually stipulates how long you should leave the product to cure before you proceed to the next step or start using the bathroom. It may be advisable for you to let the products cure for a little longer than the stipulated time. Such an allowance may cater for any delays in curing that are caused by local conditions, such as the limited ventilation in your bathroom.

Your shower tiling project will have satisfactory results if you keep the precautions above in mind. Contact a tiling contractor in case you are unsure about the best way to use any of the products that you have selected. That expert will save you from making a costly mistake that may compel you to redo the tiling project in order to fix the problem that resulted from the mistake that you made.