Tile used as wall trim in bathroom

[larry528]

I am planning on a tile job in a bathroom. It would be my second tile job, I have confidence now, but I still have questions.

The question is, I would like to use tile as the wall border replacing the wood trim currently used. Can I tile directly on the sheetrock, or do I need something else as a backer?

If I have to use something else, i will just slap back wood trim, but if I can use tile, I like the idea of using that.


PS, I now look at tile jobs all over with a keen eye for ideas. Offices, restaurants, even bathrooms where I work. They look different now that I know what is behind them getting there. Some jobs are very good, straight lines, neat grout, some, well, they must have taken the low bid

[Davy]

Hi Larry, are you talking about around the bottom replacing the wood base? You can tile right to the sheetrock with thinset or mastic. Is this clean sheetrock or is it painted?

[larry528]

The area is part plain, untextured sheetrock, but it also has some wallpaper. My plan is to put a 3 inch high tile on the sheetrock standing above the floor tile. So i will need to carefully remove some wallpaper. Do i need to do any other prep besides removing the wallpaper?

Remove any excess wallpaper paste residue?

Also, do I plan for grout between the wall tile and the floor tile, or place the cut edge of the wall tile directly on the floor tile?

[jdm]

Larry --

Yes, scrub the wallpaper paste off the wall and let the sheetrock dry.

Leave about 1/8" space between the trim tiles and the floor. Fill the space with caulk, not grout, since movement is likely at that joint. Caulk that is color-matched to the grout is available.

BTW, I have a cousin Larry whose birthday is 5/28, but he's not from Texas.