Laying Tiles On Drywall: Preparatory Work, Laying Technology, Expert Recommendations

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24

• Surface preparation for laying
• Choosing a material
• How to choose a tile adhesive for drywall
• Cooking tools
• Laying tiles on drywall
• Helpful hints and tips
• Gluing tiles on drywall (video)

There are many ways to wall cladding in a bathroom. The choice depends on the condition of the surface and the need for leveling it. In the case of curvature of the walls, you can use drywall, which will save time and money for plastering. It is a multifunctional, versatile and easy-to-process material that can be used in high humidity conditions.

Surface preparation for laying

At first glance, the use of drywall in a bathroom, in a room with high humidity, is questionable. After all, it is known that gypsum, which is the main component of this material, is afraid of moisture. In addition to gypsum, the drywall also includes rubbed waste paper. The combination of these elements makes it a durable, fire-resistant, environmentally friendly material with good thermal insulation properties.

There are two types of drywall:

1. For indoor use with normal humidity conditions. It is designated as GKLV.
2. In rooms with high levels of humidity - GVLV (gypsum fiber sheet).

Moisture-resistant drywall has external differences - it is painted green.

The sheet is treated with a special impregnation, which protects it from deformation due to moisture. The very use of a moisture-resistant material does not negate other preparatory work in the bathroom, such as surface waterproofing and ventilation.

The edges of drywall sheets need additional protection from moisture. They are treated with a moisture-repellent mastic along their entire length or a special waterproofing material is glued on - a membrane.

Preparatory work goes in several stages:

1. For quick and high-quality leveling of the walls, a frame made of a metal profile is mounted. Wooden blocks are not suitable for these purposes, since they are not suitable for use in a room with high humidity.
2. The sides of a square of a metal crate for drywall are made at the rate of no more than 40 cm. It must be strong in order to withstand the load of the sheet and ceramic tiles.
3. To strengthen the structure, a plaster net is placed under the drywall sheet.

It is possible to align the walls with plasterboard in the bathroom under the tiles in other ways:

1. For example, using a plaster mix and dowel-nails. In this case, the sheets are securely fixed along the entire wall, and a flat and solid vertical surface for tiling is obtained.
2. Fasten drywall to the wall with polyurethane foam. The advantages of this method are simple installation and low material consumption. It is important to constantly check the flatness of the surface, as the foam sets in 20-25 minutes.

But these methods are better not to use, but simply to plaster the wall.

Choosing a material

Before laying the tiles on drywall, you need to choose the right material. This issue should be approached carefully, since the quality of its laying directly depends on the quality of the tile.

The choice of tiles is guided by:

1. High quality pattern. Low-quality tiles have a blurry or blurry pattern, the lines are uneven. In order not to waste time and money, such material should not be purchased.
2. Smooth surface. Perfectly flat material is hard to find. Even high quality tiles have their flaws. Therefore, experts determine the degree of evenness by applying the tiles to one another with the front side. Thus, the tightness and the size of the gap between them are evaluated. Separately, you should pay attention to the corners, which should be strictly straight and even. To determine the evenness of the corners, the tiles are applied one to the other on different sides. The reverse side of the tile must have a clear pattern, the name and brand of the tile must be clearly visible.
3. The hardness of the tiles. This indicator is difficult to establish without special equipment. You can determine the required level of hardness by indirect indicators. The overpainted tile (becomes fragile during use) has a shiny back. The degree of hardness of a tile is also determined by sound - with a slight impact, a quality tile emits a dull knock.

When determining the number of tiles, it is more convenient to count it by the piece, and not by the footage. Or use a tile calculator.

How to choose a tile adhesive for drywall

The choice of glue determines the further quality of work on installing tiles on drywall in the bathroom.

The usual self-prepared mortar on a sand-cement basis is not suitable, since when working with drywall, a more adhesive composition is needed.

For laying ceramic tiles on drywall, tile adhesive is used, which contains various improving components. When choosing, you need to make sure of the minimum permissible layer thickness. This indicates that the solution will contain the correct composition. Of course, it is useful to read the manufacturer's instructions.

The most recommended and popular cement-based tile adhesive KNAUF Flizen. Produced as a dry mix with special additives. It is used for indoor and outdoor tile work, has a good fixation with the gypsum board sheet and is recommended by the manufacturer Knauf.

Among the various options, it is worth noting the Ceresit CM 11 tile adhesive. It includes Portland cement, fractional sand and polymer additives. Suitable for laying tiles on drywall in bathrooms and other smooth surfaces. It is used in high humidity conditions and is suitable for both small and large tiles.

From inexpensive options, for indoor and outdoor work, you can recommend Yunis Plus tile adhesive. It holds well ceramic, mosaic and tile tiles. Retains its properties when used on open terraces and balconies. It has good indicators of plasticity, adhesion strength and normally tolerates temperature changes. Of the minuses, the fact of its fluidity.

For high-quality work, Litokol K80 tile adhesive (Litokol) is recommended. Produced as a dry mix with special additives. It is used for indoor and outdoor tile work.

To find out how much tile adhesive will be needed for the purchase, an online calculator will help.

Prepare a solution and use it according to the instructions on the package. A construction mixer is used to stir the mixture. Knead the glue in small portions so that it does not lose its properties.

In detail, which company to use tile adhesive.

Cooking tools

To perform the laying of tiles in the bathroom on drywall, you must prepare the following tools:

• notched trowel, in detail about choosing a comb;
• tile cutter or "grinder" with a diamond wheel;
• bucket for mixing glue;
• mixer or drill attachment;
• building level and plumb line;

You will also need crosses to mark the gaps between the tiles.

Laying tiles on drywall

The work of laying ceramic tiles on drywall is simple. After mounting the sheets, no additional work is required. Given the structure of the drywall, the surface must be treated with a primer. A deep penetration compound with antifungal properties is used. It is applied in two layers with a roller with special care at the seams.

According to the technology, it is supposed to go through the entire surface of the waterproofing with mastic. But, very few people do this, but with constant contact with water, it is necessary!

The process of laying tiles on drywall begins with the choice of a scheme for its layout. The number of vertical and horizontal rows should be calculated correctly. For this:

1. The number of whole tiles in a vertical row is counted starting from the ceiling. Then the cut row will turn out at the bottom, where it is better to hide it.
2. You will have to tinker a little with the layout of the horizontal row. First, the tiles are laid out along the wall on a dry surface. Then you should determine the gap width after laying the whole last tile. If it is more than half of the tile, then the row starts from the corner that is most visible. With a small gap, you can use the symmetrical version. In this case, the tiles begin to be laid from the center of the room, moving to the sides. In the corners, symmetrical segments from pieces of tiles are installed. It can even be decorative inserts.

So that the work on laying tiles in the bathroom on drywall is quick and easy, vertical and horizontal markings are applied along the wall:

1. Vertical lines are made using a level and a rule, in increments of two or three tiles;
2. For horizontal markings, you first need to determine the "zero level". A point is marked in the first corner, which is then transferred to the remaining corners using a building level. Then, with a dye cord, they beat off the lines on the wall, along which the rows are aligned.

At the bottom of the wall, under the lower edge of a whole row of tiles, a PP profile (UD) is attached. It will serve as a support until the glue sets.

After applying the markings, proceed directly to laying the tiles:

1. They start working from the corner or from the center, depending on the chosen scheme.
2. Prepared glue is applied to the tile, leveled with a notched trowel and installed in the chosen place.
3. After checking the correct position of the tile, press it a little. This is done without much effort, until glue appears on the edges.
4. To control the width of the gap between the tiles, use special mounting crosses made of plastic.
5. After the first bottom row is completed, it is necessary to take a break so that the tile grabs and acts as a good support for the next rows.

After completing all the work, the tiles are allowed to dry. After about three days, the seams are boldly rubbed. To do this, use a special grout, which is applied with a rubber spatula. Remove excess grout with a simple sponge.

When performing work on laying tiles in the bathroom on drywall, a number of requirements should be observed:

• use adhesives with good adhesion to ceramic and cardboard surfaces;
• mixtures must be moisture resistant, since the bathroom is a room with high humidity;
• waterproofing material should be applied to the surface of the walls;
• it is imperative to use deep penetrating acrylic primers with antifungal action.

Subject to the technology of laying tiles on a plasterboard surface, this work is not difficult and can take no more than 5-7 days in a standard bathroom.

Helpful hints and tips

Not any drywall is suitable for tiling. It is advisable to use gypsum fiber sheets, which are denoted by the abbreviation GVLV. If this is not possible, you can apply standard drywall by processing it with PVA. For additional fixation of the tiles, use a mesh fixed with construction brackets. But here the economy is questionable. The best option would be mastic treatment with waterproofing compounds.

Other recommendations:

1. Before facing with ceramic tiles, the surface of the sheets is primed in two layers with an interval of one hour.
2. The primer is applied with a brush or roller.
3. A more efficient method is to apply tile adhesive with a notched trowel. It is applied with a smooth edge to the surface, and with a serrated edge, it is distributed in even strips.
4. It is advisable to dilute the glue mixture to the state of thick sour cream. In this case, the adhesive properties of the adhesive are increased. Too liquid mixture will flow down the wall, and thick mixture will be difficult to distribute over the surface.
5. The tile, during installation to the surface, is pressed gently with your hands. For large floor tiles, use a rubber mallet.
6. It is better to carry out the work in several passes. After laying 2-3 rows, take a break of one hour for the glue to harden. Thus, the load will be removed from the lower rows and it will be possible to avoid their shifting and deformation.
7. The surface should dry for at least a day. This time is enough for polymerization and solid fixing of the adhesive.
8. After grouting, a special varnish is applied to the surface of the seams to protect against dust and dirt.
9. Grouting is carried out two to three days after laying the tiles.
10. It is better to rub in the grout diagonally, otherwise you can spoil the result of the work.
11. After removing the excess grout, wipe the tiles with a damp sponge and then with a dry cloth.

The process of laying tiles on drywall in a bathroom is not very different from cladding other surfaces. The result of this work is a beautiful, smooth and durable surface with a long service life.

Gluing tiles on drywall (video)