Installing Relief Tiles

There are plenty of places for the imaginative use of relief tiles. You can have them around a bathroom mirror, around the tub, in the soffit above cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom, on the cook top vent hood as an accent, on the end panel of a kitchen counter, or on the lip of a breakfast bar or peninsula. It is best to use relief tiles on vertical surfaces because their uneven surfaces make impractical shelves and countertops.

Just a few relief tiles can add a lot of character to a room. A panel of durable relief tiles can turn a blank bathroom wall into an installation that catches and holds your eye.

Available in a wide variety of glazes, materials, and motifs, white and neutral-hued relief tiles are more versatile and forgiving of changes in fashion and décor than their colorful counterparts.

Tile in wet areas requires a stable, water-proof underlayment; an example would be a cementitious backer board held in place with hot dipped galvanized roofing nails.

Apply latex-fortified thinset mortar on the tiles. But because you have to mix it yourself and it is easy to get the wrong consistency with the mix, consider premixed Type 1 tile adhesive.

Rather than applying the thinset mortar to the wall, as you would normally do for large tiles, spread the adhesive directly on the back of the tile and then place it. This process is called buttering.

Use plastic shims and cross-shaped tile spacers to maintain consistent grout lines. Take note that in tight, intricate applications, uneven grout lines really show up, especially with high contrast colors like black and white.

Tile adhesive needs to set overnight, so you may need to return the following day to finish grouting until you are done with the entire wall, or whatever it is that you are working on.

Use non-sanded grout if the grout lines are less than 1/8 inch wide.

To apply the grout, use a rubber float and force the grout into the joints between the tiles. Once the grout has set, wipe the grout haze off the tile surfaces.

After three days, apply silicone sealer to the grout joints.