Fastening Stone Tile to Walls
- 1). Measure the wall space where the tile will be installed. Draw a template of the space on cardboard or butcher paper. Lay out the tile as it will be installed. Because you will start installation from the bottom of the wall, make sure that all of your cut tiles do not fall at the top of the wall. Rearrange the design until you are pleased with the way it looks.
- 2). Mark the back of any tile that needs to be cut with a piece of chalk. Cut the tile with a tile saw. Set the cut tile into your design template.
- 3). Spread thin-set mortar on the bottom of the wall with a trowel. Stoneworld.com's experts recommend non-sag mortar for the thin-set. They also suggest the use of spacers to prevent the tile from sliding. Non-sag mortar is thicker than regular thin-set. Work in a manageable, 4-foot-by-4-foot area at a time.
- 4). Press the bottom row of tiles onto the wall. Place shims between the bottom of the tile and the floor. This will anchor the tiles in place. Set a spacer at all four corners. Check to see if the first row is level.
- 5). Install a second row of stone tiles. Continue until you have placed all of the tiles. Let the mortar dry overnight.
- 6). Pop each spacer out of the mortar with a flat-head screwdriver.
- 7). Spread grout over the tops of the tiles and into the spaces between with a grout float. Move the float back and forth three to four times. Push the grout into the space and eliminate any air between the grout and the wall.
- 8). Remove the grout from the front of the tiles with a wet sponge. Rinse the sponge often. Let the grout dry overnight.
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