How to Tile a Shower Over Drywall

Shower stalls start with a normal base wall on studs, and then the tiles are hung directly over that. The tiles protect the wall from moisture. Installing the tiles in a shower is similar to tiling any other kind of wall, except that you have to cut around the shower fixtures with a tile saw, and you have to caulk around the corners. The base drywall should be wet-rock, or "green board," which is specially made to be more moisture-resistant than regular drywall.

Tape measure
Pencil
Level
Tile mastic
Notched tiling trowel
Glazed ceramic wall tiles
Spacers
Tile saw
Grout
Grout float
Sponge
Caulk

Instructions

- 1
  Measure across one shower wall to find and mark the middle. Draw a vertical line up the middle of the wall with your pencil and level.
- 2
  Spread tile mastic onto the bottom half of the wall with your notched tiling trowel.
- 3
  Press the bottom course of tiles into place, starting at the center line and working outward to the sides. Put spacers between the tiles and the shower floor, and also between each tile and the ones next to it.
- 4
  Use a tile saw to cut tiles for the two ends of the line. Cut them so there is ¼ inch left at the ends, in the corners.
- 5
  Press the second row into place, again starting at the center and working toward the sides. Repeat, working your way up the wall course by course, cutting the tiles at the ends as needed. Cut tiles around the shower fixtures as needed when you get to them.
- 6
  Let the mastic set for 12 hours. Remove the spacers.
- 7
  Grout the walls from the top down, forcing the grout into the spaces while squeezing it off the face. Wipe up the excess grout with a sponge.
- 8
  Allow the grout to dry for 24 hours.
- 9
  Run beads of caulk up the corners where the walls meet, and along the floor. Let the caulk set for 24 hours.

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