Installing ceramic tiles on painted walls is a creative idea for changing decor. People looking to repair or renovate their homes can use beautiful tiles with various designs and adhere them to old walls without any demolition.
Although this method is very innovative and costs less than other renovation methods, if important points for tiling on painted walls are not considered, the outcome will not be successful. Therefore, it's better to first learn about the installation steps and materials needed for this method.
Tools and Materials Needed for Installing Ceramic Tiles on Painted Walls
Nowadays, a variety of materials are available in the market for adhering tiles to walls, but gathering the necessary tools is also essential.
Typically, those experienced in this field use porcelain tile adhesive, a strong powder mixture, for adhering the tiles. However, there are other materials that can serve as alternatives. Below, you can see a list of the necessary tools and materials:
- Grouting materials
- Special ceramic adhesive
- Sponge
- Tile spacers
- Trowel
- Ceramic tiles
- Primer
- Wall sealant
- Pencil and eraser
- Roller
- Paint
- Tape measure
- Tile cutter
Steps for Installing Ceramic Tiles on Painted Walls
Various methods exist for installing ceramic tiles on painted walls, one of which is the book match method. This method was previously used for adhering large stones, but today, with the advent of various types of book match tiles, this method is also used for these popular materials.
Before we discuss the installation steps, it should be noted that in addition to being installable on plaster walls, tiles can be adhered to any other wall or space. Of course, special materials and tools are needed for this task. The steps for this method are as follows:
1. Surface Preparation
Preparing the surface for tile installation is a necessary action. The wall on which the tiles will be adhered must be even. Therefore, if your desired surface is not smooth, you should sand it down or fill any depressions with the appropriate repair mortar.
2. Preparing the Materials
Mixing the necessary materials using electrical tools like a mixer helps to properly blend the ingredients.
3. Measuring
One of the fundamental and important tasks when installing tiles on painted walls or any other surface is precise measurement. If the measurements are not accurate and the tiles are not cut to fit the intended surface, you cannot expect the wall surface to look good in the end. For cutting the tiles, you can use grinders, special saws, tile cutters, or water jet machines.
4. Applying Adhesive to the Back of the Tiles
At this stage, you should fully apply the adhesive to the back of the tiles using a notched trowel and transport them to the intended place on the wall. It is better to use a lifting device for carrying the tiles.
5. Leveling the Wall Surface
In this step, before adhering the tiles that have adhesive applied, you must level the wall surface. If the wall surface is not leveled due to irregularities, the final appearance of your work will not look good.
6. Aligning the Tiles
The tiles on the painted wall are placed in regular rows. To maintain order and arrangement among the rows of tiles, it is best to first adhere one row and allow it to dry.
7. Final Hammering
In the last step, you must tap on the tiles with a special plastic hammer to spread the adhesive mortar over all parts of the back of the tiles and reach areas that lack adhesive mortar.
Advantages of Installing Ceramic Tiles on Painted Walls
As mentioned at the beginning of the discussion, using tiles to change the decor of painted walls is a low-cost method. However, this method has other advantages, including:
- No need for carving and demolition
- Increased installation speed
- Acceptable durability
- Increased efficiency
- Less mess and lower costs
Note: Special adhesives are used for adhering the tiles to the wall, most of which are based on industrial resin. These materials are resistant to water and moisture penetration and can serve as the best materials for adhering ceramics.
Final Words
The tile and ceramic industry has made significant progress in recent years, and today ceramics can be used in various parts of buildings. Even the possibility of building renovation and decor change by installing ceramic tiles on painted and plaster walls has been made available. In this article, we discussed the necessary materials and steps for adhering ceramic tiles on painted walls.