| I prefer standard bathroom tubs enclosed by tiled | | | | rows of cut tiles at each end. I make the vertical |
| walls. Tile is not only peerless in beauty and durability, | | | | centerline of the wall, plumb a level to it and scribe a |
| but it also can be installed with minimal expertise. | | | | pencil line on the backer board from tub to ceiling. |
| The ideal layout for tiled tub surrounds produces a | | | | When laying the tile, I'll work out from the centerline |
| symmetrical appearance with minimal cutting. I start | | | | from both directions. End walls need one vertical line |
| by aligning several tiles along a straightedge on the | | | | to mark the outboard edge of the field tiles. On this |
| floor with a 1/8-in spacer in each joint. Although many | | | | job, the plumbing wall would require one vertical row |
| tiles have integral spacing lugs, they typically create a | | | | of cut tiles, which could be placed in the front or in |
| grout joint that's only 1/16-in wide, which I think is | | | | the rear. Because the opposite wall would have full |
| week looking. I like 1/8-in wide grout joints because | | | | tiles all the way across, I choose to put full tiles in |
| they're stronger and look crisp and clean. | | | | the back to match and to cut trim tiles at the front. |
| Tile spacers -- X-shaped pieces of plastic -- are | | | | Instead of drawing horizontal layout lines on the wall, |
| available in various widths from any tile store. The | | | | I level a straightedge above the rim of the tub with |
| number of tiles represents the longest run I'll have to | | | | shims (unless the tub is level enough to work off of, |
| tile - typically the distance from the top of the tub to | | | | which is rare). I tile from the straight edge to the |
| the ceiling. I stretch a tape from one end of the tiles | | | | ceiling, remove the straightedge and then fill in the |
| and record the distance to each point. Correlating | | | | bottom courses. Horizontal rows of cut tiles can be |
| these numbers with actual wall dimensions allow me | | | | placed against the tub, the ceiling or both, depending |
| to plan my cuts before tiling. | | | | on personal preference. They also can take the form |
| Back walls usually look best with identical vertical | | | | of a decorative band somewhere in between. |