- 1). Measure from the floor up 3 feet with a tape measure and make a mark. Perform this action on the other side of the wall. Drill a screw on your mark. Attach one end of the chalk line to the screw and pull the chalk line to the other mark. Snap the chalk line against the wall on the marks. This will be the area you are tiling.
- 2). Cut along the chalk line with a utility knife to score the drywall. Use your hammer to remove the drywall below the line and discard the drywall.
- 3). Put the 1/2-inch, 3-by-5-foot sheets of concrete board where you just knocked out the drywall and secure the sheets with 3-inch galvanized screws, making sure that the heads of the screws go flush (flat) to the surface of the concrete board. Cut the concrete board by scoring it with a utility knife and snapping it on the score line just like drywall.
- 4). Apply a thin layer of mortar to the wall and apply the Kerdi membrane. This membrane is a waterproof material commonly used on bathtub or shower walls. Use a tile float to push the air bubbles out of the Kerdi membrane by running the float along the surface. This is a time-consuming process and has to be done perfectly to adhere the Kerdi to the wall. Let the Kerdi dry for eight to 12 hours.
- 5). Measure up from the floor 18 inches and make a mark on each side of the wall. Have a friend hold one side of the chalk line on on mark and snap the chalk line against the wall, making sure that both ends are on the marks. This will be a reference line to ensure you are going up the wall in a straight line.
- 6). Apply mortar to the wall with a 1/4-inch tooth trowel and apply the subway tile to the wall. Use the tile spacers in between every tile to keep them in line. Put mortar on the back of the tile also. This is called back-buttering. Stagger the joints so that the end of the tile above the course you previously installed is in the middle of the previously laid tile below it. Use a wet tile saw to cut tiles. Allow the tile mortar to set for about eight hours before grouting.
- 7). Apply the tile grout, using a float. Push the grout into the cracks between the tile, going over the spaces several times. Even when you think you may be done, you are probably not. Be diligent in checking every grout line, especially by the floor and at the corners. Use a damp sponge to lightly wash the face of the tiles. Allow the tile grout to set up for about four hours and go back with a clean, damp cloth and take off some of the grout hazing on the tile. Let the grout cure for eight hours.
- 8). Remove the rest of the haze residue from the grout, using a damp cloth. Caulk along the top edge of the tile with silicone sealant.
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