Laying tiles on plasterboard

is one of the most popular building materials used for interior finishing. It can be placed on the floor, attached to the walls, and which are smooth and smooth from it ceilings are obtained! The material itself is pressed into the slab gypsum powder, glued on both sides of the building board. In it there are no additives, chemicals and other foreign impurities - only natural natural components. That's why drywall can be used everywhere - in homes, children's institutions, in industries and public buildings.

Ecological compatibility is not the only advantage of drywall. But we will not list them all, and will touch only of what is needed directly for laying the tiles - a flat surface. As you know, you can only lay a tile on a perfectly flat base. Traditionally, lime, gypsum and cement plasters have been used for this, but in some cases, the differences and surface defects are so significant that it is easier and cheaper to coat with its gypsum boards, than to coat with a thick layer of plaster.

For reliable fixation of gypsum boards, pre-install elementary crate from wooden rails or metal profile. It remains just screw in the screws and cover the slots with the filler. You can start laying tiles on gypsum board almost immediately after installation.

The choice of drywall for tiles

Gypsum boards are produced by the method of semi-dry pressing. The most common plate consists of gypsum and fluffed cellulose paper on both sides. The thickness of the material can be different, as well as the characteristics of the outer cardboard shell. Conventional products are afraid of water, so laying tiles on plasterboard in the bathroom is not possible. For this, there is a special kind of material that is resistant to humidity and temperature changes.

There are two main types of drywall:

1. GVL - in contrast to conventional drywall, where cellulose layers are located outside, in GVL paper fibers are evenly distributed over the gypsum "filling" and pressed into a single slab. Thus, this material acquires great strength and high fire-technical characteristics. After pressing, the sheets are treated with a special mixture from chalking, that is, the material does not crumble and does not get dirty, , however, creates a lot of dust when cutting it. GVL is used for wall cladding, dry floor screed, to create good sound insulation.
   
2. GVLV - gypsum-fiber sheets treated with with water repellent. They should be used for laying tiles on plasterboard in a bath or kitchen. But despite its low water absorption, the material necessarily needs good support in the form of the ventilation system in the room( exhaust ventilation in the bathroom) and the lining with a moisture-resistant material.

Since tiles are usually laid in rooms with a high level of humidity, we will be interested, is primarily , gypsum-fiber moisture-resistant material. If you want to put tiles on plasterboard on floor , for example, in the hallway, then for such a relatively dry room you can use strong GVL.

Adhesive for tiles

The choice of glue is as important as the choice of drywall, especially if the comes for repair in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Before buying, read the instructions for use and the list of surfaces on which you can use glue. It is best to take special compounds to work on plasterboard.

Today, finding the right glue is not so difficult - a wide assortment is full of suitable options, and some manufacturers even have special adhesives for tiles on plasterboard.

Which formulations are suitable for work:

1. Cement-based mixtures for application to the paper surface.
2. Flexible tile adhesive for tiling( is sold in powder form, which must be diluted with water to a pasty consistency).
3. "Liquid nails" - is a universal binder based on an aqueous dispersion. Strongly glues anything to that like, than and deserved great popularity. On sale there are special weatherproof and moisture resistant options.

Helpful Hint: If you bought a glue that you need to mix yourself, do not immediately prepare a large volume - you may not have time to use it before solidification. The best option is to mix as much glue as you want for 1 m² of space or a little less.

Masonry technology

Tile itself is rather heavy , even if the speech comes about a thin decorative coating. For this reason, does not not every sheet of drywall can withstand its weight. Thin plates can eventually become bent and deformed, and so that this does not happen, it is necessary to properly strengthen them. To do this, use special guide rails. They are mounted on the equidistant distance across the entire wall area. The optimum step for the installation of the guides is 40 cm, but if the sheets are too thin, it can be reduced to 25 - 30 cm.

The guides can be made of wood or metal profiles. They are installed vertically, and then fasten the drywall with self-tapping screws or long staples. To strengthen the strength of the wall and in , avoiding deformation of the joints after laying the tile, the drywall can be installed in two layers. This is exactly how builders work in Western countries, with lath located only under the lower layer - between the wall and the slabs.

An alternative to the guides can serve as reinforcing plaster mesh. It not only increases the strength of the base for laying the tiles, but also does not allow the cardboard shell of the drywall to swell from moisture from the glue. The best and reliable solution will be to install boards on the crate and strengthen them with a plaster net - so you will be sure that the tile will not fall off the wall under any conditions. For gluing the mesh, use the usual PVA construction and staples.

Tile installation scheme

Before laying the tiles on plasterboard with their own hands, it is recommended to develop and draw a scheme for tile laying, that is, to create a detailed drawing on a suitable scale with an indication of the exact location of each element. This will not only avoid mistakes while laying and see the approximate final result, but also purchase the exact amount of building materials. Buy tile is still better with a small margin in case of repair, or if you have it will not work exactly to cut any element.

By the way about sawing. Rarely, when succeeds clearly "fit" the tile into the space without gaps or gaps. Most often will lack a small piece or ¾ tiles. Especially for this case it is better to stock with tile cutter. Since you are unlikely to regularly tile the tiles on gypsum board, it is more reasonable to purchase an elementary manual tile cutter or take a mechanism for rent. Even the tile cutter will allow you to split the wall tile evenly, but for thick flooring products you will need the device more serious than .In addition, will provide the with with for and a perforator with which you can make round holes in the tile, for example, for wires, fasteners or sockets.

To quickly calculate how much tiles you need on the wall, measure the of its ( walls) height and length, find the area and match the result with the dimensions of the selected tile. For calculations, , consider the distance of interlacing joints - it can be from 1 to 3 mm.

If it turns out that the last element in the row enters on 3/4, means to start laying the tile on the plasterboard it is necessary from the front part, placing the trimmed tile in the corner so that it does not so noticeable. If the half of the width of the tile is not enough to the full number, then the installation should begin from the center of the wall, so that evenly cropped elements turn out at the corners. So you will achieve symmetry and neatness of the appearance of the wall.

Bonding of tiles on

drywall So, after all the calculations of and the purchase of necessary materials, you can finally proceed to the wall lining.

Ka to to Reinforcing tile on drywall:

1. No one glues the tiles on dry plasterboard - it must first be prepared. To do this, cover all the joints between the sheets with moisture-resistant with putty to make the wall perfectly smooth. Wait until is completely dry .The composition should be designed specifically for working with plasterboard, so check with the seller.
2. Cover the wall with a primer designed to increase adhesion with tile adhesive. It will be necessary to apply two layers - secondly smear only after drying of the first layer( this will leave 1.5-2 h).For work you will need a paint roller and a short nap or a wide paintbrush.
3. When the primer has dried, prepare the glue( if it needs to be cooked). Another reminds once again that you should not mix a lot of glue immediately, and after you have used up a portion, carefully rinse the tank .If you prepare a new glue in the tare with the remains of the previous one, its gripping capacity will drop dramatically.
4. Since the tile on the wall is never back-to-back with the floor, it is necessary to attach the support rail to the distance, which is the height of the tile. That is, the bar must support the second row from the floor. Before fixing the with its screws, make the markings with a simple pencil, checking the horizontal level with the building level.
   
5. Begin laying the tiles according to the selected scheme - or from the center, or from the wall edge. Lean the first tile on the rail and continue to lay the following elements vertically or horizontally. Make sure that the space between the tiles is filled with glue, and do not forget to insert spacer plastic crosses.
   Lubricate the back of the tile or the wall completely, without gaps and without regretting the solution. If voids are formed, the adhesion strength will be low, and eventually the tiles in these places can fall off.
   Crosses insert into the joints between four tiles. They are of different thicknesses - depending on what interval you want to leave. To save on crosses it is not necessary, since the accuracy of the masonry depends to a large extent on them.
6. When you have laid 4 - 5 horizontal rows, take a break for an hour and a half .During this time, the tension in the base will be less, the glue will seize a little, and the masonry will not collapse under its own weight.
   Constantly check the leveling of the masonry by the building level.
   
7. After that you can continue to work and close the rest of the wall. In the process, glue will appear between the tiles, and it is better to wipe it immediately with a damp rag, since after hardening it will be much more difficult. When all the tiles are on the wall, leave the on its for a day until the glue hardens.
8. After 24 hours you can proceed to the final stage - trowelling.
   
   The trowelling compound is better to choose , based on tile color. In most cases, use a white or light gray grout, as this is the most neutral option. But if you want to co-ordinate, you can choose a contrast color, for example, black tile with white seams, red tile - with black , green - with yellow trowel. It is enough to buy a special pigment, and you can paint stitches in any color.
   
   Wipe the seams between the tiles with a rubber elastic spatula.
9. After drying the grout( after 24 hours) with a thin brush, grease the seams with a protective waterproof varnish.

All the features of laying tiles on plasterboard in video format :

Recommendations of specialists

Finally we suggest you to familiarize yourself with useful advice from professional builders. These recommendations will help you with the first time to figure out how to to to tile a tile on drywall.

Tips & Tricks:

1. Primer for drywall is better to choose a deep penetration so that it completely penetrates the slab and protects the from its from moisture and temperature changes.
2. Always apply two coats of primer, waiting between them for at least an hour.
3. It is possible to apply a primer with a roller or a flat brush, but for the subsequent laying of the tile, it is best to work with a serrated grater .Smooth edge of graters lay the ground on the wall, and toothed its along the surface, so that even grooves remain.
4. To ensure the glue is as firm as possible, its consistency should resemble thick sour cream, but not be loose.
5. Press the tile to the wall with your hands, and if you are working with large tiles, then use a rubber mallet or a wooden hammer.

Now you know how to glue tiles on drywall, and hope that this article will help you make high-quality and beautiful repairs without involving specialists.