Tiles and Fixtures

The tiles and fixtures are what you see at the end. How good they look, though, depends on what came before: straight walls, the right slopeFalls (drainage slope)The gentle slope built into flat roofs, balconies and bathroom floors so water runs to the drain or gutter instead of pooling. and supply points in the right place.

Tiles

Tiles are stuck with tile adhesiveTile adhesiveA ready-mixed cement-based mortar, sold as a powder and mixed with water, used to stick tiles to walls and floors. It is spread with a notched trowel., spread with a notched trowel. In the small bathroom, levelling clipsTile levelling clipsSmall plastic parts (clips with wedges or caps) placed at the edges of tiles while the adhesive is wet, to hold them flush with each other with no lips. held the large tiles flush with each other, with no lips at the joints.

With striped or patterned tiles, laying them takes care so the lines carry on straight from wall to wall, as in the bathroom with the striped tiles. On the floor, the tiles follow the slope to the floor drainFloor drainThe outlet in a floor where water drains away on roofs, balconies and in bathrooms, with a grate on top and usually a trap below.. In the narrow WC, the large grey tiles were laid around the drain with spacers that keep the joints straight.

Once the adhesive has set, the joints are filled with groutGrout jointThe gap between tiles, slabs or stones, and the material that fills it. Grouting means filling these joints, which locks the surface together and keeps out water and dirt.. In the corners where wall meets floor, and around the shower and the basin, silicone sealantSiliconeA flexible sealant from a cartridge that closes the joints around baths, showers, basins, kitchen worktops and window frames, so water and air cannot get through. is usually used, because it stays flexible and follows the small movements of the materials.

Niches and details

A nicheShower nicheA recess built into the shower wall and lined with tiles, for shampoo and soap. It replaces shelves and baskets that stick out. in the shower wall holds bottles without shelves or baskets. In the bathroom with the grey tiles, the niche was lined with the same tile as the walls. In another bathroom, a built-in shelf was formed around the frame of the wall-hung toiletWall-hung toiletA toilet bowl fixed to the wall on a metal frame, together with a concealed cistern, without touching the floor.. Details like these need planning before the renderRender (plaster)A layer of mortar (sand, cement or lime, and water) spread over brick or concrete to give a wall a straight, sound surface ready for paint or tiles. goes on, or the wall has to be opened again.

Fixtures go in last

The fixtures go in last: the toilet, the basin and its vanity unit, the taps, the shower glass, the mirror and the towel rail. In the bathroom with the walk-in showerWalk-in showerA shower with no tray and no step, level with the rest of the bathroom floor. The water drains through a floor drain or a linear channel drain., a fixed glass panel keeps the water inside, with no doors and no step, and the wall-hung toilet leaves the floor clear for easy cleaning. Of the concealed cisternConcealed cisternA toilet cistern hidden inside the wall on a metal frame, which usually also holds a wall-hung toilet. Only the flush plate shows., only the flush plate shows.

The supply points have to come out exactly where the fixtures you chose need them. So it's best to have decided on the models before the walls are closed, not when the time comes to fit them.

Before the first shower

At the end the room is cleaned of leftover adhesive and grout. Grout and silicone need time to set before they get wet, so ask when you can start using the shower.