Laying Tiles On An Apron In The Kitchen: How To Lay It Out With Your Own Hands, Step-by-step Instructions With A Photo, Video

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Do-it-yourself kitchen apron from a tile? Easy

The apron has long been a must-have in kitchen design. Moreover, it not only protects the wall from splashes of water and grease, but also has an aesthetic function. A beautiful, bright, original apron can become a highlight of the interior and decoration of the kitchen, so its design should be treated with full responsibility.

Content

• 1 Choosing the shape, size and color of tiles for a kitchen apron

  • 1.1 Choosing the tile size and shape
  • 1.2 How not to be mistaken with the color of the apron

• 2 We put a kitchen apron with our own hands

  • 2.1 Tools and materials that will be needed to make an apron from ceramic tiles
  • 2.2 Determine the size of the apron
  • 2.3 Calculating the amount of material for the apron
  • 2.4 Preparing the surface of the wall for laying tiles
  • 2.5 Marking the kitchen apron
  • 2.6 Laying tiles
  • 2.7 Grouting
  • 2.8 Methods for laying tiles on a kitchen apron
  • 2.9 Video: how to lay out a tile apron in the kitchen
• 3 Professional Tips

Choosing the shape, size and color of tiles for a kitchen apron

The "problem" area in the kitchen - the wall along the sink, stove and work table - is called an "apron". It is customary to design it with easily washable, water-repellent and fire-resistant materials. As a rule, ceramic tiles, glass, natural, artificial stone or budget plastic panels are used for this purpose. However, most housewives prefer to see a tile apron in their kitchen, since it has a lot of advantages: it is practical, durable, environmentally friendly, and also has a large selection of colors and patterns, thanks to which the most daring ideas can be realized. In addition, it is easy to put it down with your own hands.

An apron is a must-have element in the interior of a modern kitchen.

Today, a huge variety of tiles for walls of various shapes and sizes are presented in hardware stores. For the kitchen, tiles marked "A" or "AA" are ideal. It has additional protection against chemicals, has good porosity and is coated with glaze. An important parameter of the quality of the tile is the caliber, which shows how the actual dimensions of the tile correspond to the standard stated on the package. Ideally, the caliber should be equal to 0. A deviation of this indicator by one is permissible.

Choosing the tile size and shape

If you have never laid tiles before, you should not buy curly ones, it is best to take a square or rectangular medium size, for example, a hog. Unlike ordinary tiles, it has beveled edges and is shaped like a brick. It is produced in monophonic colors in various color variations. An ideal material for novice craftsmen can be a tile measuring 31.6x31.6 with slots for a hog. Even an amateur can easily lay such tiles. However, do not forget that the larger the room, the larger the tile size should be and vice versa.

"Pig" is a rectangular tile resembling a brick

How not to be mistaken with the color of the apron

As for the color of the tile, the safest option is white, it will match any kitchen set and wallpaper. With special vinyl stickers, you can easily change its design.

Plain white tiles can be transformed with special vinyl decals

When choosing the tone of the kitchen apron, you must adhere to the following rules:

• the shade of the tile should be in harmony with the color scheme of the room;
• do not dazzle, eyes quickly get tired of bright colors;
• if you choose a tile with a print or pattern, then it should correspond to the size of the room. On 5 square meters, giant fruits will look ridiculous, and small ornament will be lost in spacious apartments;
• it is best to select the color of the tiles to match the tone of the kitchen set.

For example, red furniture will look great with a black, white or dark gray apron.

Red kitchen set goes well with a black apron

A single-colored bright tile is suitable for a gray headset, and tiles of delicate colors: pink, blue or white - for purple.

Purple kitchen furniture will look good with pale pink tiles with a thin gray strip.

White cabinets can be in harmony with an apron of any color or pattern, the main thing is to remember that a cold shade is combined with a cold one, and a warm one with a warm one

The gray set will refresh the bright blue apron from the hog tile

Do-it-yourself kitchen apron

Professionals say that even someone who has never done this before can put an apron on, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and maintain the sequence of operations.

Tools and materials that will be needed to make an apron from ceramic tiles

In order to lay the tile, you will need the following tools and materials:

• the corner and the water level will help to beat off the horizontal line and ideally lay out the first row, on which the quality of the entire masonry will depend;
• crosses 1.5 will allow you to adjust the gap between the tiles;
• rubber mallet for shrinking tiles;
• a notched trowel is needed to apply glue to the wall surface and the back of the tile;
• rubber and metal spatula (for seams and glue);
• construction mixer for kneading glue or a drill with a nozzle;
• clean rags are useful for removing excess glue;
• marker, pencil;
• tile cutter or grinder with ceramic attachment;
• the primer will provide reliable adhesion between the tile and the wall;
• grout for joints, can be white or match the color of the tile;
• cement or tile adhesive. It is usually sold as a powder or ready-to-use solution.

You will need a set of tools for laying a kitchen apron

Determine the size of the apron

In order to calculate the consumption of material for a kitchen apron, you should decide on its size. If you are not going to lay out the work wall from floor to ceiling with tiles, then the standard apron height will be 55–75 cm. This is the distance from the cabinet to the upper cabinets. Do not forget that the edge of the masonry should be 2 cm below the level of the cabinet. As a rule, in the area of the hood, the tile height is slightly higher - 65 or 75 cm. The horizontal size of the kitchen backsplash depends on whether you want to cover only the working wall or capture some more of the neighboring ones, having issued the "problem" area in the form of the letter "p".

According to professionals, the ideal apron height is 60 cm, since tiles of standard sizes 15, 30 and 60 cm can easily fit into such parameters

The size of the backsplash is calculated according to the dimensions of the tiles and the height of the cabinets

We calculate the amount of material for the apron

So, having decided on the size of the apron, we calculate how many tiles we need:

1. First, we calculate the area of the apron. To do this, multiply its width by its length.
2. We measure the length and width of one tile and calculate its area.
3. Divide the area of the apron by the area of one tile. The resulting value is the number of tiles that will be needed to make an apron.
4. Since ceramic tiles often break during cutting, they should be taken with a margin of 5-20% of the total.

Let's try to calculate the consumption of tiles using an example. We have an apron 200x60 cm and a medium-sized tile - 30x30:

1. Apron area: 200 x 60 = 12000.
2. Area of one tile: 30 x 30 = 900.
3. We divide the area of the apron by the area of one tile: 1200/900 = 13.33, round up to 14 and we get that 14 tiles will be needed for the apron plus 2 tiles in reserve.

We prepare the wall surface for laying tiles

In order for the tile to adhere well to the wall, its surface must be flat, without distortions and potholes, therefore, before proceeding with the laying, preparatory work should be carried out:

1. Concrete walls that have not been previously finished are checked with a yardstick for blockages horizontally and, if any, we correct the errors using gypsum plaster.

   

   Using the water level, we check how flat the wall is

2. We clean the surface of old materials in the inhabited apartments:

   • we soak and peel the wallpaper;

     

     You can use a special scraper to remove old wallpaper.

   • we scrape off the paint or cover it with an even layer of putty;

     

     Old paint can be removed more easily if softened with a hair dryer.

   • we beat off the tile with a puncher. The wall for laying the tiles must be flat and dry.

3. To keep the tile firmly in place, we make frequent notches with a hatchet over the entire area of the future apron, filling them in - the glue will ensure reliable adhesion of the facing material to the wall.

   

   In order for the tile to hold tightly, notches should be made on the wall

4. We primed the prepared wall surface well twice, after waiting for the first layer to dry completely, after 24 hours we proceed to gluing the tiles.

Kitchen apron markup

We need the markup in order for the tile to lie perfectly flat on the wall relative to the horizon line and not "fall over":

1. We mark the lower edge of the apron, usually it is at a height of 70-85 cm from the floor, but still this figure depends on the size of the kitchen cabinets, which should be 2 cm higher than the tile. We beat off the horizontal using a water level and draw a line with a pencil.

   

   Using the level, mark the horizontal

2. We fasten the guide to the wall along the line with self-tapping screws, it will support the first row of the apron, preventing it from moving.

   

   We fix the guide along the marked line

3. Then, using a plumb line, we outline the vertical.

   

   You can make a plumb line yourself from a rope and a weight

You can start laying tiles both from the middle of the wall and from the edge. However, if you are going to make a corner apron, then it is better to drive the rows from the corner, which is visible from the entrance to the room.

We put the tiles

We proceed to the most important stage of work - laying:

1. To begin with, we prepare the glue solution, exactly following the instructions on the package. If the glue is in powder, add water in small portions and mix it until smooth using a perforator. Let stand for 10-15 minutes and then stir again. Since the glue sets rather quickly, within 20-30 minutes, it is better for a novice master to cook it in small portions to avoid drying out unused material. The hardened glue must not be diluted with water.

   

   To make the glue homogeneous, knead it with a punch

2. Apply glue to the wall with a thin spatula, and then smooth it with a toothed comb to form grooves. We do the same with the tile and, gently pressing on its entire surface, press it against the wall. A notched trowel is needed so that the thickness of the adhesive under all the tiles is the same, this will ensure a flat surface of the apron over its entire area.

   

   Apply a thick layer of glue to the wall using a notched trowel

3. We apply glue to the tiles.

   

   We coat the tile with a thinner layer

4. We glue the tile to the wall, gently pressing it.

   

   We glue the tile, gently pressing it to the wall

5. Then we take a rubber mallet and tap the tile so that it settles, and the glue is evenly distributed over its back surface. Thus, periodically checking the vertical, we lay out the first row.

   

   We tap the tiles with a mallet so that the glue is evenly distributed under it

6. Do not forget to put crosses that regulate the distance between the tiles.

   

   The thickness of the cross can vary from 1.5 to 10 mm, therefore, when choosing crosses, you should take into account the thickness and size of the tile

7. Having completed the laying of the apron, you need to remove the crosses and wipe the tiles and inter-tile gaps with a rag, removing dirt from them. A day after that, you can start grouting.

   

   When the tile is laid, remove the glue that has emerged from it with a clean rag until it has time to dry

8. After the apron is laid out and the glue dries, the masonry should be tapped with a rubber mallet for voids. If there is a dull knock under one of the tiles, it should be removed and re-glued.

If somewhere the tile is uneven, it can be removed without waiting for the glue to dry, and, having updated the solution, glue it again. Usually, having laid out the bottom row, work is stopped for 24 hours, allowing the tile to set well. Try to prevent glue from getting on the front side of the tile, if this does happen, it should be removed immediately with a clean cloth, otherwise the product will dry out and it will be very problematic to remove it.

Grouting

The final stage of laying a kitchen apron is grouting:

1. Grouting of tile joints is done using a rubber spatula with a special dry mixture, which is diluted with water to the consistency of sour cream. The color of the grout should be one tone darker or lighter than the tile.

   

   The grout color should be selected depending on the color of the tile

2. To make the grout fit well, the gaps between the tiles are cleaned of glue residues with a spatula and wiped with a damp cloth.

   

   Cleaning of tile joints is carried out using a spatula or a breadboard knife

3. The prepared joints are filled with grout, removing its excess with a rubber spatula. If this is not done within half an hour, the solution will harden and it will be difficult to scrape it off.

   

   Grouting is the final and responsible operation in the laying of the apron, the appearance of the working wall will depend on it

4. After 2-3 hours, when everything is dry, the apron is wiped with a clean cloth soaked in water.

   

   Fresh grout residues can be easily removed even with a dry cloth

Methods for laying tiles on a kitchen apron

The same tile can look different if you use different types of masonry:

• "Seam in seam" - the classic way of laying tiles, in which one tile is placed strictly on top of another, forming even vertical and horizontal rows;

  

  "Seam to seam" - the easiest and fastest way to lay tiles

• "Diagonally" - the tiles are turned at right angles and laid in a "rhombus";

  

  Laying an apron diagonally requires skill and accurate markings

• "In a run" - each subsequent row is so displaced relative to the previous one that the middle of the tile of the lower row coincides with the tile seam of the upper one;

  

  The "runaway" kitchen apron looks very impressive

• "Chess" - tiles of contrasting colors are laid out in a checkerboard pattern;

  

  A black and white apron laid out in the "chess" way will look great with a white set

• "Modular grid" - several types of tiles are used for it, differing in shape and size.

  

  Modular - a rather complex type of masonry available to experienced craftsmen

Video: how to lay out a tile apron in the kitchen

Professional advice

These tips will help novice finishers avoid mistakes when laying tiles:

• so that water does not flow behind the curbstones and mold does not appear, the gap between the apron and the furniture should be sealed with a sealant or closed with a corner;
• It is best for beginner craftsmen to take medium-sized tiles, for example, 20x20 or 15x15 cm. There will be few seams between the tiles and the installation work will take a little time;
• the crosses can be removed no earlier than 3-4 hours after installing the tiles;
• choose a notched trowel based on the size of the tile, the larger it is, the wider the teeth;
• to carefully dismantle the tile, you need to drill 10–20 holes in it starting from the center, and then chop it in pieces;
• each subsequent row of the apron is laid out only after the previous one has completely dried;
• to find out how many crosses are needed to lay the apron, multiply the number of tiles by 4 or 8, depending on the size of the tile.

Despite the seeming simplicity, laying an apron is a very painstaking work, the quality and appearance of the kitchen depend on the accuracy of its execution. However, if you follow the instructions relentlessly, you will get a decent result.