For ceramic and most other tiles that are going on walls, wet rock or some other moisture-resistant backing is recommended. However, you can get away with hanging tile on plain old sheet rock (the material most modern walls are made of), with a few conditions. Don't do this in a bathroom, above a kitchen sink or anywhere else where moisture is likely to soak into the sheet rock behind the tiles. But for decorative tiles on a wall in a study, den or foyer, go for it.
Instructions
1. Thoroughly clean the wall. Run sandpaper lightly over it to rough up the surface, then wipe it down with a dry cloth to remove residual dust. Brush a heavy coat of flat latex primer onto it. Let it dry.
2. With your square and pencil, divide the wall into four even sections. Starting on one section, in the corner nearest the middle of the wall, spread tile adhesive on the wall with your notched trowel.
3. Press your first tiles into place along the lines you drew, and build the other tiles off those. Put plastic spacers between them as you hang them. Hang all the full tiles that will fit on the wall, then go back and measure and cut the tiles for the wall edges with your tile cutter. Hang the cut tiles.
4. Remove all the tiles spacers by popping them out with a screwdriver. Let the wall set overnight.
5. Mix your grout according to the instructions it came with. Apply it to the wall with your grout trowel, pressing it between the lines of the tiles and squeezing it off the face of the tiles. Let each section of grout sit for two or three minutes, then wipe it down with a damp sponge, getting the residual grout off the tile faces and smoothing out the grout in the lines.
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