- 1). Tear out the old walls. Repair any damaged wood framing. Inspect and repair any defective old plumbing. Remove the shower head, faucets and handles. Replace the old wall board with concrete board.
- 2). Mark vertical and horizontal lines with a chalk line, making squares the same size as your ceramic tiles, starting with full tile widths in the most visible corner. If the corners are not square, you can slightly stretch some of the grout joints by 1/16" of an inch or so to avoid gaps in the corners.
- 3). Apply tile adhesive to the bottom row of tile with a notched trowel. Lay spacers below the bottom row, and press the bottom row of tiles firmly onto the wall. At the end of the row, make appropriate cuts with the tile cutter, leaving room for a grout joint in the corner. Place spacers on top of the first row and keep working up. Place bullnose tiles on the edges and the corners.
- 4). Trim tiles with the nippers or tile cutter to make room for plumbing. You may need to make two or three cuts to cut out a square in the middle of the tile, then glue the outer pieces around the plumbing. Alternately, you can mark the hole for plumbing and take the tile to a tile store for them to cut the hole with a special tool. Finish setting all tile and allow to dry overnight.
- 5). Remove all spacers. Mix grout with water and sealant. Press grout into grout joints with a rubber float, doing only as much as you can wash up before it dries. Do not grout where the tile meets the shower base, around plumbing fixtures, or where two walls meet.
- 6). Wipe the surface of the tile with clean water and smooth rags. Work gently in stages, taking off just a little of the extra grout at a time. Never wipe too deep into the soft grout joints. Leave the last of the residue on the tile and continue grouting the next section. Then wash again. Repeat until the entire shower is grouted. Then go over the entire walls with a moist rag, but not as wet as the first washings. Shape all grout joints appropriately. Let dry overnight.
- 7). Seal the corner joints and the joints where the tile meets the shower base with silicon caulk. Seal around the plumbing with caulk. These places tend to flex and cause breaks in grout, so caulk is recommended. Replace the shower head, faucets and knobs.
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