How to set out wall tiles

Learn how to set out wall tiles with our quick how-to video, you can also find more detailed step by step instructions below.

Setting out involves working out the areas to be tiled using actual tile sizes, including the joint width. The initial procedure of setting out correctly is important allowing the tiles to be visibly symmetrical and matching. There are various methods used to set out a room but this is the most typical.

Before starting, you need to know how many tiles fit per row and to do this, you need to make a gauge rod. Created from a timber batten, this rod will help you work out the best position of the tiles and ensure that you don’t have to cut very thin strips of tile for the edges, it’ll also help you to see how your tiles are going to fall around windows and doors.

- Lay the length of timer on a flat surface

- Place a tile on the length of timber flush with the timber edge

- Mark the timber at the edge of the tile

- Ensure that the ‘marks’ are square

- Position the spacer at the edge of the tile and place a second tile against the spacer, again marking the timber at the edge of the tile

- Repeat the procedure until the end of timber is reached. This batten is now your gauge rod

Whenever possible, all furniture, basins etc. should be removed prior to tiling, in order to obtain the best possible finish.

As a general guide, consider the natural focal point of the area to be tiled, and plan the tile layout and the starting point with this in mind. Planning the tiling in this way means the pattern will be centralised, resulting in a neat and attractive finish.

Find the centre of your window or ceiling/floor and mark a pencil line. Using the gauge rod, measure from the half way point or centre of the window, down and up so you can see where each tile will fall. Your outside tiles should be approximately the same size so you may need to reposition your central vertical line to get the right position. This will ensure that you don’t have to cut very thin strips of tile for the edges.

Once you work down the wall to where the bottom tile is less than about half a tile, re-arrange slightly by raising the tile staff to half a tile and mark the wall once you are happy using a spirit level.

Draw a straight line across the wall. Before nailing into the wall check along the lines for pipes and cables. To do this, use a stud detector (also known as a multi-purpose digital detector). If there are pipes or cables in the way, adjust the starting point slightly.

Once checked, get a piece of timber baton and nail it onto the wall, don’t hammer in fully as you will have to take the timber off later. Use this piece of timber as the starting point to tile up from. This will prevent the tiles from moving and ensure your tiling is nice and straight.

Mark out with the tile staff again but this time vertically and hammer in another piece of timber up the wall making a right angle with the timber pieces/ or you can work from a vertical pencil line ensuring your tiling follows a straight line up the wall.

Next up is prepping your substrate, we prefer tiling onto backer boards, you can find more information about tiling onto backer boards on our knowledge base and then read our guide on tiling your wall.