Learning how to tile a bathroom may not seem important, but it is. If you can do your own tile work, you will save hundreds of dollars in the cost of a professional tile installer. Laying your own bathroom tiles requires some tools and skill, but it’s not too difficult for the average person to learn. All you need is dedication and a little practice. If you want to learn how to tile a bathroom, here are some tips to help you.

1. First, find out how many tiles you will need for the area you are going to tile. This is a relatively simple process: measure a tile, then figure out how many will fit in the space along the top. Then find how many will fit along one side and multiply by two. However, add a few more tiles than this number. You may have broken some or miscounted, and having extra tiles is better than running out. Also, some extra tiles can be kept on hand if it ever gets damaged. Just replace the tile with a spare and your bathroom will look like new.

2. Use a tile measurer to determine where your tiles should go. You can make one yourself, it’s just a piece of wood marked with the tile positions. When making the gauge, lay the tiles on a flat surface with spacers between them and align the gauge of the tiles with them. Mark where the tiles are and you’ll have your own indicator.

3. Align the center. Draw a vertical line along the wall where the middle tile will go. This allows you to tile out from this point and have a well-aligned layout.

4. Start at the bottom, not the top. Lay the tiles from the bottom up and remember to use spacers, so that each tile is evenly ugly.

5. For straight cuts, a tile cutting jig is invaluable. It will help you cut individual tiles to the correct size to fit your bathroom. Curved tiles will require the use of a tile saw.

6. Use grout to fill all gaps. Once the tiles have settled, you can remove the spacers and fill the areas between the tiles with grout. Use a waterproof bathroom grout to prevent water from getting trapped between the tiles.

7. Seal everything well. Use silicone caulk or acrylic caulk to seal any gaps or seams between the tile and the tub, sink, or other fixtures. Run a wet finger along a bead of caulk to seal it.

Learning how to tile a bathroom will give you better control over your remodeling job, plus you’ll save a lot of money. So if you want to develop the skills for the job, do some in-depth tiling research and speak to an experienced tiler for more information. You could be laying your own tile soon.