Some people prefer to use a professional when tiling a shower, but it is a job that can be handled by those who are into DIY. Of course, you'll need to make sure that no mistakes are made, and some of the most common errors are made when the adhesive is laid.
Make sure you don't commit these four mistakes.
1. Not Using a Notched Trowel
One of the most common, and costly, mistakes the people make when spreading out the grouting for their tiles is failing to use a trowel with a notched surface. This is necessary to create rows of ridges onto which the tiles can be placed. If the surface of the adhesive is perfectly flat and level, it's not going to hold the tiles properly, so make sure you get this right. Some people try creating that ridged surface manually, but this isn't effective and commonly results in an uneven spread.
2. Not Checking the Consistency
People tend to think that any adhesive will do, and that the texture and consistency isn't really going to matter. Unfortunately, this just isn't the case. It's easy enough to check that your mixture doesn't have any lumps, as well as easy enough to understand why lumps are going to be a problem. Checking consistency can be tougher, unless you know the right trick. Simply load some onto your trowel. While still spreadable, it should stay sticking to the trowel instead of sliding off.
3. Not Spreading Evenly
Most people will know that their adhesive needs to be spread evenly, but they'll also try leaving raised patches at the corners of each tile, reasoning that this will help produce a superior hold. In reality, doing so will only put your tiles in jeopardy. Adhesive shrinks a little as it dries, so you'll actually be dramatically increasing the likelihood of your tiles cracking since having a thicker amount of adhesive in one area will create pressure as it shrinks.
4. Not Using Waterproof Adhesive
It might sound crazy, but some people really don't understand that the adhesive used for your shower tiles needs to be waterproof. The rationale is that the grouting will provide protection, but even the most well-fitted tiles can leak a little water through to the adhesive beneath. This will cause non-waterproof adhesive to decay and start to break down; in turn, your tiles, lacking proper support, will crack and break themselves.
