Ceiling or walls first

[evildrz]

After a rather extended prep period, I am nearly ready to tile a tub/shower. This is an alcove tub and the three walls and ceiling need to be tiled. Question is, should I do the walls or the ceiling first? A guy who did one of my other bathrooms did the ceiling first and he said that helps hold it up. Several videos online show the walls going in first. In the grand scale of thing, I have a feeling it really doesn't matter (provided everything is installed properly. However, I am wondering if there is a general consensus out there. Additional question - Is there a recommended thinset to use? These are 12 x 24 tiles. I have access to Mapei and Laticrete products. Thanks.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

If you happen to have square tiles and you want all the wall to ceiling grout joints to sling very accurately:
Working on the ceiling is tougher than the wall. For that reason, I’d rather do the ceiling first. This allows you to be a little imprecise on your perimeter cuts because they will be covered by the thickness of the wall tiles. However, the wall tiles are hard to install from the top of the wall (where you can place them dead accurate to the ceiling grout joints) downward. It’s much easier to stack tiles from the bottom up. However, starting at the bottom puts the thumbscrews on you to be dead accurate on placing every wall tile so that they all align to all the ceiling grout joints. So…

…to get the best of all methods, I like to install all the wall tiles, except for the top row…then ceiling…and finally the top row on the walls.

For your 12” x 24” tiles, you probably aren’t lining up grout joints. If so, I’d do the ceiling first, then stack the wall tiles.

[jadnashua]

This seems like an ideal use of Schluter's Dilex-EKE. It will allow you to hide one edge in the profile while the other is butted up against it, and takes the place of the caulk joint you'd need for the change of plane. THey come in various colors and thicknesses to handle a wide variety of tiles. THey also have a cove-shaped one if that would work out better, and it can be had in stainless steel, too, and there are others as well.
https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us...E?facets=false

[Davy]

I do it like Bubba. I tile the walls except for the top row. Tile the ceiling and then the last row of wall tiles.