Fire Safety Encyclopedia

How to build up a bathroom wall. How to align the walls in the bathroom under the tiles: how to align the wall under the tiles. What factors are important

The best finishing material for a bathroom is ceramic tile, but it requires perfectly flat walls to install. Otherwise, the tile will be laid crookedly, and will not last long due to the presence of voids. Therefore, before proceeding with the facing of the walls, it is necessary to deal with their alignment.

Assessing the need for wall alignment

The problem of curvature of the surface of the walls in the bathroom is especially relevant for old houses, where repair work has been carried out repeatedly and, as a result, layers of finishing have accumulated, forming irregularities. When planning a major overhaul, experts recommend completely removing the old layers of finishing materials to the base of the walls, and after that start preparatory work. But it should be noted that in some cases drastic measures are not required, for example, if the irregularities are local and they can be trivially putty.

To determine whether capital preparation of the base is required for cladding, you need to evaluate the following parameters of the walls:

  • accuracy of angles,
  • correspondence of vertical and horizontal lines,
  • the presence of depressions and protrusions.

You can check using a measuring tape, level, rail, plumb lines and a thin cord.

If the deviations of the planes exceed 3 mm, then the alignment of the walls will be necessary. This task can be accomplished in two ways - plastering and sheathing with sheet materials, i.e. drywall or plastic. The first method is more time consuming, but its result is the highest quality and most reliable. As for the second option, it will be the best choice for a large bathroom, or if the curvature of the walls is quite large.

The traditional method is leveling with plaster

Plastering tiled walls is the most common method of leveling surfaces in a bathroom. But it should be borne in mind that with irregularities exceeding 5 cm, this method will be impractical. Plastering is considered one of the dirtiest types of finishing work, therefore it is necessary to cover the plumbing with construction film, and also work in protective clothing and a respirator.

First of all, preparatory activities are carried out, which include:

  • Complete removal of old finishes with a spatula. To make the job less dusty, spray the walls with water from a spray bottle.
  • Filling cracks with cement mortar. First, they need to be cleaned and slightly expanded with a trowel.
  • Apply a primer to the cleaned walls. For porous surfaces, a deep penetration mixture should be used, and for dense surfaces, a concrete contact mixture.
  • Flimsy, loose walls must be reinforced. If the house is a panel house, a chain-link mesh, which is fastened with nails, is suitable, and for wooden surfaces it is better to use shingles.
  • Placement of beacons using plumb lines, at a distance of no more than 150 cm. They will help to more carefully align the base under the tiles.

As soon as the preparatory work is completed, you can start preparing the solution and direct plastering. The mixture is prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, which can be found on the packaging. Then, using a spatula, it is gradually applied to the prepared wall in small areas, and leveled according to the lighthouses by the rule. Thus, all the walls in the bathroom are plastered.

In the course of work, you need to gradually remove the beacons until the solution has seized, and fill the formed grooves. After finishing the walls, let them dry completely and then apply a deep penetration primer. As soon as the surface is dry, you can start laying ceramic tiles.

Alternative ways

Aligning the walls in the bathroom with plasterboard refers to an alternative technique, which is also called "dry". Drywall allows you to create a perfectly flat surface, which can later be used for laying ceramic tiles. The whole process of leveling the walls takes a minimum of time, and besides, it is not difficult.

To level the walls of the bathroom with sheets of moisture-resistant drywall, you must do the following:

  • Prepare the walls in the same way as before applying the plaster - remove the old finish and apply a primer.
  • Measure walls and prepare drywall sheets. A regular kitchen knife is suitable for cutting material.
  • On the prepared sheets in the center and perimeter, special glue is applied in the form of small cakes, observing a distance of about 30 cm. Then they are pressed against the wall. If small sheets of material are used, they must be staggered.
  • Having placed the sheets on one wall, it is important to check the surfaces for unevenness with a level. This should be done immediately before the glue is dry. After eliminating the shortcomings, you can proceed to pasting the next wall.
  • Finally, the seams between the drywall sheets are putty and all walls are primed.

The choice of how to level the walls will depend on the size of the bathroom, the type of base surface and the degree of unevenness.

1. Panel house. As a rule, in the bathrooms of panel houses, difficulties rarely arise with significant unevenness of the walls, the exception may be the curvature of the block itself. In this case, it is best to resort to plastering. Installing drywall sheets will be advisable if there are significant surface defects, but if the bathroom has a fairly large area.

2. Monolithic house. In such buildings, one wall in the bathrooms is made of concrete, and the rest are made of foam concrete or tongue-and-groove gypsum blocks. Significant curvature is excluded, therefore it is best to level the surfaces with plastering, but during the work it will be necessary to apply several coats of primer.

3. Brick house. Such buildings are the most problematic, especially if they were built several decades ago. The alignment of brick walls can be done in any convenient way - by plastering or installing sheet materials. The last option will be more acceptable, because the curvature of surfaces often reaches 5 cm, and their plastering will take a lot of time and building materials.

The procedure for leveling the walls in the bathroom for ceramic tiles is an important process, so it should be carried out carefully and not save on materials. Indeed, the durability of the cladding and the aesthetics of the entire room will depend on the quality of the work done.

Aligning the walls in the bathroom under the tiles
Tiled bathroom wall alignment can be done in a variety of ways, ranging from traditional plastering to plasterboard walls. Which way to choose and what to consider?


Your experience and diligence will be assisted by the knowledge of how and how to level the walls in the bathroom, how to process the surfaces, how to ensure a high-quality repair result. Bathroom walls, finished with ceramic tiles, look beautiful and stylish. But for laying the tiles, it is required that all surfaces are perfectly even, otherwise the finishing material will not last a few days on them. Therefore, the alignment of the walls in the bathroom under the tiles is a prerequisite before starting finishing work. Doing it yourself is not so difficult, the main thing is to follow the instructions exactly and follow all the recommendations.

How to level the walls in the bathroom under the tiles: dry and wet methods

The methods of leveling the walls in the bathroom can be roughly divided into dry and wet. The dry method includes leveling with drywall, and the wet method - using plaster or special mixtures. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so the choice is determined individually in each case. But the base should first be prepared for further finishing work.

Drywall sheets are afraid of moisture - and this is true. However, this only applies to conventional drywall. If we talk about the modern decoration of wet rooms, then for such cases a special moisture-resistant drywall was made.

Preparatory work:

  • The furniture must be removed from the room.
  • It is recommended to cover all plumbing with bubble wrap to protect it from dust and damage.
  • The walls are completely cleaned of dirt and plaster residues.
  • Cracks and chips are smoothed out and then sealed with mortar.
  • On a surface that is too smooth, it is necessary to make notches every 15-20 centimeters.
  • The surfaces are covered with a special primer for better adhesion of the finishing materials to the wall.

So that when cleaning the surface a lot of dust does not rise, you need to periodically moisten the walls with water. All work is carried out in a respirator and protective work gloves.

Consider whether you need to align the walls under the tiles in the bathroom

In order to determine whether it is necessary to level the surfaces before finishing work, it is necessary to measure the angles (ideally they should correspond to 90 °), determine how even the walls are and whether they have depressions or bulges.

Even a professional craftsman cannot cope with the task without the necessary equipment.

Required tools:

  • Level (laser or water),
  • Plumb line,
  • Roulette,
  • Thin string
  • The length of the rail.

If the difference in any parameters exceeds 3 millimeters, then alignment is necessary, because laying the tiles will be impractical.

With a difference of more than five centimeters, the alignment is carried out exclusively with drywall.

Helpful tips: how to level the wall under the tiles with plaster

It is quite difficult to level the walls with plaster, but this method is considered the most reliable and financially less costly than plasterboard cladding.

Aligning the walls under the tiles is an extremely necessary stage of the work, since on an uneven surface the tiles will not hold firmly enough. For the correct execution of work, it is necessary to install a metal beacon profile

In order not to be mistaken with the dosage of the components when preparing the solution, it is recommended to buy a ready-made factory mixture, into which you will only have to add water according to the instructions and stir.

It is better to use a cement-based mixture, as it is water-repellent, unlike gypsum plaster.

Stages of plastering work:

  1. If the walls in the building are crumbling and are not too strong, and the plaster layer will exceed 3 centimeters, then it is recommended to install a reinforcing mesh.
  2. Beacons are placed at a distance of no more than one and a half meters from each other.
  3. A plastic solution is prepared according to the instructions.
  4. With a spatula, the mixture is applied in small portions to the wall and leveled over the beacons using a special tool - the rule.
  5. In the process of work, the beacons are gradually removed, and the cavities are filled with a solution.
  6. After the solution has completely dried, the walls must be primed.

Correct alignment of walls in the bathroom with drywall: different ways

Simple plasterboard wall cladding is done quickly enough even by a beginner and does not require special construction skills. The frame method of installation is more complicated, so you will have to spend more time studying the installation technology.

Drywall can be installed on walls using special glue, using wooden slats (undesirable due to the service life) and a metal profile

It must be remembered that when installing drywall in a frame way, on each side the space of the room will decrease by 10 centimeters, so it is impractical to use it in small bathrooms or toilets.

To decorate the walls in the bathroom, only special moisture-resistant drywall (green sheets), treated with a special composition against fungus and mold, is used. Wiring must be done in advance.

Aligning the walls of the gypsum board in a frameless way:

  1. First, preliminary work is carried out to prepare the foundation.
  2. Plasterboard sheets are cut with a construction knife, according to the measurements.
  3. Glue is applied to the sheet in small slides along the perimeter and in the middle at a distance of 30 centimeters from each other.
  4. The sheets are glued to the wall with strong pressure so that the joints match.
  5. Joints are closed.
  6. The treatment is carried out with a moisture-resistant primer.

When installing the gypsum board, you should always control the evenness of the sheets using a level. If the material is crooked, then it is trimmed with a special wooden hammer.

The procedure for finishing walls with plasterboard in a frame method:

  1. All surfaces are marked for the installation of metal profiles.
  2. Using self-tapping screws, the guide profile is screwed to the ceiling, and then using a plumb line, the place where the guide profile is attached to the floor is determined.
  3. Then the rack-mount profiles are vertically installed every 60 centimeters.
  4. The sheets are attached to the profiles with self-tapping screws using a screwdriver. One sheet requires approximately 100 pieces of fasteners.
  5. Serpyanka is glued to the seams, and they are putty.
  6. The walls are treated with a primer.

The joints can then be sanded with sandpaper.

Aligning the walls is a very important step in bathroom renovations. If you take it lightly, then all subsequent work will go to waste. A perfectly flat surface is a guarantee that the tile will fit easily and will hold on to the walls for a long time.

Aligning the walls in the bathroom under the tiles: do it yourself
Aligning the walls in the bathroom under the tiles can be done quite well on your own in several ways. Read about all the intricacies of this process in the next article.


Aligning walls and laying tiles in the bathroom. Everything has disappeared. Need some advice.

Hope you have a good day.

A couple of hours ago I ran into the following problem. Knauf Unterputz plaster, with which he leveled the walls without beacons (because the pipes are interfering), fell off when gluing another pair of tiles. And for checking it turned out that it falls off along the entire wall, and the laid tiles are pulled by the whole array from the wall by a couple of millimeters. Actually, it's a shame. Highly. But the plaster does not stick to the wall. I'm afraid to lay out the tiles further.

How I did it. I stripped the wallpaper from the walls in the bathroom. With a metal brush on a drill, I chewed off the remnants of a fur coat. Then he cut off the remaining undercoat with a blade and saw glossy paint on the wall. He beat off the wall a little with notches. Primed the wall. And instead of putty, I tried to cover the walls with plaster completely without lighthouses in order to get rid of at least the most terrible irregularities. Why plaster? Because there was no putty for wet rooms in the castoram, and the consultant (to tear off his legs) advised facade plaster for this matter.

While covering the wall with plaster, I thought that it was painful for it to simply brush off the wall with a glove. Therefore, I realized that it was impossible to skin it. I put in a couple more thin layers of plaster. Primed and began to lay out the tiles. The result is obvious. Everything falls off.

Actually, advise how to be? I think that the wall needs to be stripped of all this unfortunate plaster, all the tiles removed and done again. Moreover, the tiles should not be laid out to the ceiling, but in 6-7 rows. This is what my grandmother wants, and I’m renovating her bathroom. But how to do it right, I'm not sure anymore.

I'm going after stripping these 5 tr. rinse them from the walls. Treat with betokontakt so that the next layers hold well. So one friend advised. Then try to trim the walls with some leveling putty. But I don’t know which one is better.
And here is just the main problem. What is the best way to deal with significant irregularities? Try to putty on the beacons between the pipes, putty without them or make drywall? Or maybe just lay tiles at once and remove irregularities with tile glue? Tell me please. I've already exhausted all my nerves with this bathroom renovation.

Aligning walls and laying tiles in the bathroom
Hope you have a good day. : p A couple of hours ago I ran into the following problem. Knauf Unterputz plaster, with which he leveled the walls without beacons (because the pipes interfere), - photo- Forum Mastergrad

Alignment of walls and partitions in the bathroom under the tiles is carried out in several ways, depending on the qualifications of the home craftsman, the type of wiring of communications, wall materials and the geometry of the enclosing structures.

Plaster solutions minimize the working space, but are used with slightly obstructed corners and flatness defects. False panels and boxes made of gypsum plasterboard / gypsum plasterboard and other sheet materials allow you to hide pipes, valves and metering devices, but reduce the space of the bathrooms.

Tile is the best option for wall covering in rooms with high humidity. The technology of pasting walls with tiles is as follows:

  • tile glue is applied to a plot of 1 - 2 m²;
  • the mixture is leveled with a notched trowel;
  • the tiles are installed in order, the seams are aligned with crosses or SVP systems.

Even minor irregularities with ceramic tiles are very inconvenient to level, especially on the wall, for a number of reasons:

  • the plaster is aligned with the beacons, and the tile adhesive is applied with a notched trowel to the eye;
  • starting mixtures for leveling the verticality of the walls are much cheaper than tile glue;
  • with an increase in the thickness of the layer, the tile "floats" and slides, collapses and flies off under its own weight.

The main requirements for the substrate for pasting with ceramic tiles are:

  • smooth walls without cracks, bumps and holes;
  • verticality of the walls;
  • the presence of water-repellent properties;
  • high adhesion of wall material or leveling mixture with tile adhesive;
  • the strength of the base must be higher than that of tile adhesive;
  • the angles should ideally be 90 °.

SP 15.13330 allows the use of pressed ceramic bricks, hollow blocks, hollow ceramics, aerated concrete, gypsum boards, sand-lime bricks for the manufacture of walls and partitions of combined / separate bathrooms only under the condition of tiling or full waterproofing.

Quote from clause 9.1.1 of SP 15.13330: "... Silicate bricks, partition blocks and slabs in bathrooms, showers, bathrooms are used subject to vertical waterproofing or tiling of the inner surface." And this means, provided that you are covering the walls with tiles, waterproofing of the walls is NOT NECESSARY.

Possibility of overlap of corners, lack of flatness, wavy line of conjunction of walls with floor and ceiling, opening of cracks, influx of mortar in the seams of masonry, lack of right angles.


The heaped corner must be corrected before finishing work.

In order to properly level the surfaces of vertical bathroom structures, it is necessary to take into account the composition of the plaster mixture. Although, when facing with tiles, waterproofing is not required, nevertheless it is better to use materials with water-repellent properties: cement-based plaster, cement-bonded concrete, moisture-resistant drywall, or priming gypsum plaster very well.

In showers, you can use cement-based waterproofing mixtures, they are applied in a thin layer over the plaster. This is probably the best choice, as these mixes have a similar adhesion to tile adhesive.

Tile leveling materials

A smooth partition / wall surface can be obtained in two ways:

  • apply a layer of plaster or any other air-hardening mixture on the beacons;
  • glue or fix sheet material with a flat surface on the frame.

The first option allows you to level the walls in the bathroom for gluing with tiles without losing the working area of ​​the room. However, for hidden distribution of cold water / hot water supply, sewerage and installation of water meters, filtering equipment and valves, this method is not very suitable. Plaster belongs to "wet" technologies, finishing with tiles is possible after the final drying of the leveling layer.

Boxes and false panels are assembled from moisture-resistant gypsum board and gypsum plasterboard sheets on a frame made of galvanized profiles. Less commonly used CSP and LSU, fiberboard plates. For concrete and brick, cement-sand, lime and gypsum mixtures are usually used.

Most often, a combined method is used: on those walls where there are sewer pipes, risers, taps, a frame is made of gypsum plasterboard, where there is nothing to hide - plaster. Thin pipes (leads to the sink, toilet bowl, heated towel rail) are better to be embedded in the wall and plaster, it is much cheaper and saves a lot of space. There are special thin sewer pipes, 32 mm in diameter, for supplying in the wall, for example, to a washstand or washing machine.

Aligning the walls of the DSP

Cement particle board is not the best solution for leveling enclosing structures for decorating with tiles for a number of reasons:

  • a DSP sheet costs about three times more than a moisture-resistant drywall of the same thickness;
  • the material is fragile, poorly processed, difficult to cut;
  • the slabs are heavy, the work is done together.

After hardening, cement-based plaster mixes form a hard, durable coating that normally holds the heavy ceramic veneer. The main nuance before plastering the surface is the revision of the wall material:

  • cracks are sealed with special compounds;
  • loose and crumbling bricks and areas of concrete are removed and repaired.

In the presence of cement, the mixtures are enough for 40 - 50 minutes before the start of setting, which is very convenient for a home craftsman with a low qualification of plastering. Strongly wet areas are treated with plaster mixes with the addition of water repellents, which, after drying on the walls, get water-repellent properties by default.

Plasterboard leveling

GKL sheet can be glued to the wall or fixed with screws on a frame made of wooden beams, galvanized profiles. The first option has several disadvantages:

  • it is impossible to fix the geometry of heavily heaped corners;
  • when leveling large differences, bending of the gypsum board sheet is possible;
  • in places where pipes are removed, drywall has to be mounted in small pieces.

Therefore, false panels are most often used, which are full-fledged gypsum plasterboard systems:

  • guide profiles on the floor and ceiling;
  • rack profiles inserted into them with a pitch of 0.6 m;
  • stiffeners from horizontal lintels;
  • sheets of waterproof gypsum plasterboard with a breakdown of horizontal seams;
  • reinforcement of all joints with serpyanka tape.

Aligning the walls with plasterboard allows you to hide communications.

Drywall is fastened with self-tapping screws to vertical posts and horizontal lintels. The heads of the hardware are slightly recessed, later they are covered with starting putty. At the last stage, the false panels are waterproofed with a coating or painting compound. For fixing shelves, curtains and hanging furniture, additional profiles are laid in the frame. Then a diagram of the arrangement of the racks and jumpers is drawn up.

Plaster

Most manufacturers produce gypsum plasters for wet rooms. Unis has Teplon, Knauf Rotband, respectively. The application technology does not differ from the standard plastering with cement-sand compositions:

  • installation of beacons;
  • throwing over the solution with a bucket;
  • alignment by beacon rule;
  • grouting a slightly dried layer.

You can also use cement-based plasters, but this is not necessary, and working with them is much more difficult.

By analogy with gypsum board, waterproofing is necessary, even for compositions with water-repellent properties.

There are no other methods, except for plastering and making false panels from sheet material, for leveling the walls under the tiles.

Algorithm for aligning walls for tiles

The cheapest way is for the owner to level the walls in the bathroom under the tiles in a new building without finishing. During major and current repairs of secondary real estate, time / money is spent on removing the existing cladding. The operations of the preliminary preparation of the walls are as follows:

  • dismantling tiles and old plaster;
  • removal of loose, flaking, loose bricks;
  • a primer before leveling with plaster.

The alignment method depends on the following objective factors:

  • the use of cement or gypsum plaster - only with open wiring of communications or recessed into the walls, with small defects in flatness and slightly heaped corners;
  • the use of gypsum plasterboard systems - for hidden wiring of engineering systems, with serious defects in the geometry of the walls and their junctions.

Plastering work is facilitated by special beacons made of galvanized steel, according to which the solution is leveled with a rule. The construction of gypsum plasterboard systems allows you to increase the productivity and manufacturability of work. However, an electric and hand tool will be required:

  • puncher and screwdriver;
  • lace, plumb line, level;
  • scissors for metal;
  • spatulas and knives for gypsum board.

The structure of the profiles should be vertically aligned at a uniform level without distortions. In combined bathrooms, false panels are the only way to install a wall-hung toilet and install this plumbing fixture.

GKL sheets are mounted vertically on the power frame, since this size corresponds to the height of the ceilings of standard apartments. For frameless installation of drywall, special fast-setting glue is used.

The subtleties of working with different surfaces

According to the current standards of the joint venture, partitions and walls in apartments are made of brick or concrete. In private cottages, wood can be used as wall material. Therefore, there are nuances of leveling walls made of dissimilar construction materials:

  • brick - cement-sand or lime plaster;
  • concrete - dry plaster mixes based on gypsum, cement, polymers;
  • gypsum boards, foam blocks - dry plaster mixes based on gypsum;
  • wood - plastering on shingles, metal mesh with gypsum or cement mixtures.

Suspensions of gypsum plasterboard systems are attached to wood with self-tapping screws, in concrete and brick with dowel-nails. The rest of the differences when cocking false panels are not observed.

Thus, depending on the type of wiring of utilities, defects in geometry and structural material of the walls, the developer can choose to level the surfaces under the tiles with sheet material or plastering.

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If you are a master, then go to, register in the system and you will be able to take orders.

Anyone who decides to decorate this room on their own will have to align the walls in the bathroom. Consider the sequence of actions and dwell on the important points that you will have to face.

Aligning the walls in the bathroom always has its own characteristics, especially if it is carried out in the "office" rooms of a modern apartment - bathroom, toilet, kitchen, where temperature differences and high humidity require a completely different attitude to the process. It is impossible to lay tiles on a surface with flaws, including with a slope. That is why the alignment process is considered essential and necessary. As a rule, builders do not pay much attention to the quality of the walls; it is more important for them to meet the deadlines for the construction of the entire building.

A slope not exceeding 3 cm is allowed underneath. If the deviation is higher, then you will either have to forget about this design, or start correcting the curvature. There are two ways. The first is the use of special mixtures, the second is with the help of panels (PVC, drywall, etc.). Both will work for tiles. The only question is in the features.

The preparation of the wall surface should be divided into a number of stages. First, it is recommended to dismantle all lights, switches, holders and other parts. It would also be nice to temporarily de-energize the room, as well as carefully insulate the ends of the electrical wires sticking out of the wall. If there was already coating on the walls, you need to separate the tiles from the surface using a perforator or an impact drill, and then clean the wall from the remnants of mortar and irregularities. However, in houses of different eras, the decoration of the walls in the bathrooms is different! Therefore, let's look at the features of surface preparation in dwellings of various types.

Preparing the wall surface for tiles

Brick houses built in the 40s and 60s

There will be only one wall here, and the rest will be partitions made of either dry plaster or thick plywood. And it is not a fact that the bathroom will be adjacent to the main wall. Leveling is out of the question here, and if the room we are interested in is separated by just such "shields", the optimal solution is the complete demolition of partitions and the construction of new ones with the help of modern materials.

The plaster on the main wall is unlikely to be durable and it is also pointless to restore it. It is better to beat it off to brick and restore the coating with modern materials. It is advisable to remove the reinforcement mesh (if any), and before plastering, the surface must be treated with a waterproofing layer.

Panel houses built in the 60s and 80s

A feature of such buildings is the presence of a ready-made gypsum cell installed inside a concrete capital niche. Some technologies allowed the use of these cabins made of concrete or asbestos-containing material. The latter, by the way, had a very negative effect on the human body, especially during heating while taking water procedures.

Concrete bathroom cabin

The ideal option is to completely destroy the cockpit. The positive is that the volume of the room increases and you can buy a larger bathtub. If it is a pity to demolish the cabin or you just do not want to mess around, then the surface does not require special alignment. It is best to treat it with a water-repellent material, and then reinforce it with metal mesh and plaster.

Modern monolithic houses

These are ideal walls for tiling. There is no need to invent anything, it is enough just to treat the surface with a primer, and then apply a cement-based plaster. It is also recommended to use reinforced mesh and apply the layer twice. The wall is just perfect!

We begin to level the wall under the tiles

If the wall has already been cleaned, you can start the main work. Aligning the walls in the bathroom consists of a few steps.

How to align the bathroom wall under the tiles - step by step diagram

Step 1: beacons

After you have broken off the old tile and cleaned out the traces of cement or glue, you need to install beacons, thanks to which it will be possible to level the plaster. They are made simply: a nail is driven into one of the upper corners of the room so that its head protrudes from the wall at a distance of about 3 mm. A thread (preferably nylon) is attached to it, at the other end of which there is a small weight. The length of the thread may not reach the floor by about 2-3 cm.

When the thread has stopped swinging, you need to drive a second nail into the wall so that the edges of its head are flush with the thread. This must be done in every corner of the room to be treated. The lower ends of the threads should be fixed, but they should not adjoin the surface of the walls. The final touch is a thread that is pulled diagonally through the wall. She is also located at a distance from the wall. It should be noted that the beacon method is by far the most economical and efficient..

Step 2: priming

Once the beacons are installed, proceed to alignment. First of all, we prime the surface. It should be noted that in a series of tips on how to level the walls in the bathroom, many do not mention priming. Meanwhile, this is one of the most important conditions not only for strength, but also for excluding such a phenomenon as a fungus. We will deliberately not name the brand of primer: each surface has its own material.

Those who process a brick surface are given the opportunity to save a lot, since it is enough to wet it abundantly with water and immediately start applying the plaster.

If the viscosity of the solution allows, you can cheat by applying it to the wall not with a brush and roller, but by spraying it from a spray bottle. It is also recommended to apply a primer between layers of plaster during further processing. This will not only increase strength and create additional protection against moisture, but also allow you to make the surface as flat as possible.

Step 3: plaster

You should immediately understand that one layer is not enough here, and the process itself must be conditionally divided into three stages:

  • "Spray". The name comes from the method of application. The plaster solution is taken with the edge of a trowel and pounced on the wall. Then it must be smeared with a layer not exceeding 2 mm in thickness.
  • Primer. This is exactly the stage mentioned above. The height of the layer should be no more than 3-5 mm, and it is applied after the previous one dries slightly.
  • Finish coating. The layer at this stage should be made thinner than the first, and therefore it is more expedient to use a putty - a universal material for all types of surfaces. If you want to save money, you can use the same plaster that was originally. It won't be a big mistake.

How to use drywall?

The method described above is classic. But its disadvantage is that it is difficult for a person who did not have experience in repairing premises to do surface preparation for the first time. Another thing - . The algorithm of actions here will be as follows:

  1. The walls are pre-primed. Finishing material with appropriate waterproofing is used. For example, surfaces with an average moisture absorption rate can be treated with a universal primer, and if the wall's water resistance parameters are quite high, it is best to use a material with a much deep degree of penetration.
  2. While the primer is drying, sheets of drywall are being prepared, and work is underway related to the piping of communications. No, this is not wall chipping (such an operation must be carried out even before priming). Holes are made in the drywall for sockets and electric lights, and the sheets themselves are cut so that there is a gap of 10 mm between the floor and the drywall, and from the ceiling to the edge of the sheet it is 5 mm.
  3. On the side of the sheets that will face the wall, glue is applied with a spatula over the entire surface, in clots, the distance between which should be about 30-40 cm. From the edges of the sheet to the clots, the distance is at least 5 cm.
  4. A sheet of drywall is applied to the treated wall surface and strongly pressed against it. After applying, it is necessary to tap the sheet around the entire perimeter with a rubber mallet.
  5. As soon as the glue sets, the drywall sheet is treated with a high-absorbency primer, after which the tiles can be laid.

Let's take a look at how to align the walls in the bathroom so that the laid tiles look neat and beautiful.

As you know, even walls in buildings are quite rare (especially in multi-storey buildings), and the coating laid on a curved wall looks sloppy.

This moment is most clearly manifested after laying the tiles, and since it is installed strictly along the lines, the curvature of the room becomes even more noticeable.

Therefore, first you need to determine how smooth your walls are, and only after that start dealing with cladding. If the deviation is not more than 3 cm, then the alignment should not be done.

If the curvature exceeds this figure, then alignment under the tile is necessary. Before you level the walls in the bathroom, you must first prepare the surface.

Preparatory work

Preparatory work is an extremely important point, because if you do not clean the walls correctly, then after a certain period of time the cladding will begin to fall off, no matter how expensive the material is and no matter how high-quality the tiles are laid.

This point is very simple to explain.

If dirt, grease or some other foreign particles are left on the base, the glue will not be able to adhere properly to the wall, this will swell the tiles and lead to the tiles falling off in the future.

In order for the tile to serve for many years, you must follow simple rules when laying it:

  • the wall must be strong and even;
  • the surface must be completely free of dust;
  • laying tiles must be extremely clean and dry.

As you can see, wall cleaning and tiling are fundamental. We will study how to cleanse the walls in more detail.

Wall cleaning

If this is a new building and the walls in the bathroom have not yet been finished with anything, you only need to remove dirt, dust and residues from building materials from the surface.

A spatula or sandpaper will help remove dirt by hand. To completely remove dust, you need to apply a special primer.

Alternatively, you can use PVA by adding a little water to it. If the house is not new and there was already a different finish on the walls, then before putting a new tile, it must be dismantled, removing everything without a trace.

Afterwards, dedust and level the surface of the walls.

The most difficult part is the removal of particularly durable materials. Removing old tiles or paint is not easy.

A spatula will not remove old paint and alternatively you can use a hammer and chisel to make frequent notches.

If the premises are non-residential, then the removal of paints and varnishes is carried out with the help of fire.

Aligning the walls can be done in different ways, it all depends on what kind of layout the house and the bathroom itself have.

In old brick buildings one method is used, in new buildings made of concrete a different method.

Let's not delve into them and consider how to level the walls with plaster and drywall in standard ways.

Plastering walls

Plastering is used, as a rule, if the walls have slight differences. This method is quite common and easy to use.

To implement it, you need to prepare the following tools:

  • drill or construction mixer;
  • lighthouse rails;
  • level;
  • primer roller.

Having prepared all the tools, you can get to work.

We clean the surface, remove debris and dust. We process the walls with a primer. If there are looseness on the wall surfaces, the primer should have a high adhesion coefficient.

Thanks to the primer, hardening occurs in the surface layer of the wall, which excludes the possibility of moisture absorption by it when applying the plaster.

Using a plumb line and level, we determine the curvature of the wall and the approximate amount of plaster. If the curvature of the walls is less than 1 cm, the defect can be repaired during tiling.

We fix walls with a curvature of more than 1 cm using a beacon.

We fix the beacons using a plaster solution or using special fasteners.

It is better to use mounts, they not only reduce the time to complete the work, but also increase the level of accuracy in setting the beacons.

We install beacons along the edge of the wall, stretch a string between them and set intermediate slats along it every meter (do not forget to align the slats, orienting horizontally and vertically).

We mix the solution, trying not to be too liquid, otherwise it may shrink too much when it dries. In this case, the mixture should not flow along the wall, but be slightly viscous.

We distribute the solution between the beacons. Immediately after application, we remove the beacons and fill the spaces left after them with a small amount of the mixture.

We are waiting for the applied mixture to dry to the end, then we rub the surface using a polyurethane float (if the plaster is cement) or a float with a sponge (if the plaster is gypsum), completely leveling the surface.

On such a prepared surface, you can already lay tiles. As you can see, this process of leveling the walls with plaster is quite simple and you can easily do it yourself.

Plasterboard alignment

If the difference in curvature exceeds 5-6 cm, then it is best to correct such a clear deficiency with drywall. It must be installed on the entire wall.

To do this, prepare:

  • assembly glue;
  • level;
  • jigsaw;
  • rubber hammer.

The installation instructions are pretty simple:

  • We thoroughly clean the wall from dirt, grease and prime it;
  • Drywall sheets mode for the desired size;
  • We glue the sheets from top to bottom, level them using a level and a rubber mallet;
  • After installing the drywall, we close up small seams using a dispersion (finishing) putty;
  • After that, we once again apply a deep penetration primer to the surface.

Now you know how to align the walls in the bathroom. Just remember, if the wall has strong destruction, then such an alignment with plasterboard is not worth it.

Only curvature can be corrected in this way.

The elimination of local damage can also be corrected with drywall, but for this, special metal profiles must be installed under it.

If the room has walls with curvature, then the floor, as a rule, also has its drawbacks. Let's also look at how to level the floor.

Leveling the floor

Self-leveling floor is extremely easy to make.

We dilute the finished mixture (sold in hardware stores) to a liquid consistency (the mixture should not be thick, otherwise the floor will be uneven, so it is better to make the solution a little thinner) and fill it up to the level of the highest point.

Then we leave the floor to dry.

Laying a cement-sand screed resembles plastering work: first, beacons are put up, then a solution is applied. Before applying the mortar, prepare the floor covering.

If minor defects are found on the surface of the flooring, they are simply cleaned.

If there are many deep cracks, then they are covered with non-shrinking cement.

After that, the floor surface is dedusted and primed in order to increase the adhesion of the screed to the concrete.

The mortar is made from a mixture of sand, concrete and water. The consistency should not contain lumps, so it is better to use a special construction mixer.

Below is a video showing how to level a bathroom floor.

Lighthouses are removed only when the solution has set and dries out enough. The spaces remaining after the lighthouses are filled with the same mixture.

The thickness of the applied solution can be different, it all depends on what kind of base you have. After the screed dries, waterproofing must be placed on the bathroom floor.

As a rule, for these purposes, a coating waterproofing is used - mastic. The mastic is applied 2 times to create the required layer thickness.

Anton Tsugunov

Reading time: 4 minutes

Many owners prefer to use ceramic tiles to decorate the walls in the bathroom. It has many advantages: durability, strength, hygiene, beautiful appearance. However, the most beautiful and expensive material, the most outstanding design idea, can be spoiled due to unevenness of the base. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out, otherwise all efforts may be in vain. The quality of the preparatory work will certainly affect the durability and beauty of the tiled walls.

Preparing the walls

The process of leveling the walls to match the tiles in new buildings and in old houses will be slightly different. First of all, the fact that in a new apartment, in most cases, it will not be necessary to dismantle the old covering on the walls. But this is only if the walls in the bathroom and toilet were not finished at all. In any other situation, before aligning the walls in the bathroom, you will have to paint or paint.

In exceptional cases, if the old tile has a perfectly flat surface, you can not remove it from the wall, but stick the new tile on top. The correct choice of adhesive for bonding ceramic surfaces is of great importance here: a new layer can simply slip off an old substrate. But, as a rule, after several years of operation, the tiled base acquires some minor defects, so it is better to get rid of it and re-align the walls under the tiles.

  • The old tiles and mortar are removed from the walls using a puncher, hammer and chisel. Better to go from top to bottom. Otherwise, if the upper layers are loosely attached, they can collapse after removing the lower ones, which is fraught with injury. With a chisel they pry off the tiles on the wall in turn, the puncher allows you to significantly speed up the dismantling process.
  • When from the walls, it is most convenient to use a construction hairdryer. After warming up, it can be easily cleaned off with a spatula. You can use special cleaning solutions, taking into account the precautions.
  • After the old tile is knocked off the wall, you need to carefully examine the resulting base. Old, poorly fixed plaster should be removed, and potholes should be repaired with mortar.

If the walls are concrete, then the stage of removing the old plaster is unlikely to cause difficulties, but it is almost impossible to remove it from wooden surfaces. In this case, it is easier to build a new partition, for example from drywall.

  • Small cracks and crevices on the wall first widen a little, and then they are carefully repaired. For better adhesion of the old and new layers, small notches should be made in these areas.
  • The same notches must subsequently be applied to the rest of the wall in order to improve the adhesion of the mortar. This is especially true in reinforced concrete houses where the surfaces are smooth. You also need to treat the surface of the wall with a primer, which will not only improve adhesion, but also prevent moisture from the solution from seeping deep into the wall.

All these measures are necessary if the unevenness of the base does not exceed 6 cm, and it is planned to prepare the walls in the bathroom for tiles using plastering. With strongly curved walls, it is more advisable to use moisture-resistant drywall.

Determining the thickness of the plaster layer on the wall

To make the base for the tile absolutely even, you cannot do without hanging it before installing the beacons. For this you will need:

  • plumb line;
  • nails;
  • strong thread or twine;
  • beacons - smooth slats made of wood or metal profiles;
  • special clips for attaching beacons to the wall or quick-drying plaster or alabaster based solution.

The technology is as follows:

  • In the upper corner of the wall we drive in a carnation, leaving the cap sticking out to the approximate thickness of the leveling mortar.
  • Using a plumb line, the cord of which is attached to the head of the nail that has just been driven in, we drive in the nail at the bottom of the wall so that its head also touches the cord.
  • We repeat this procedure in the opposite corner of the wall.
  • We connect all four nails with a tightly stretched thread horizontally and crosswise.

In this way, you can determine the thickness of the plaster over the entire area of ​​the wall. If the layer turns out to be too large or, on the contrary, somewhere the old surface will protrude beyond the plane of the stretched twine, then we make the necessary adjustments.

Installation of beacons on the wall

It is necessary to align the walls under the tiles using beacons. This stage of work will look like this:

  • After a certain distance on the wall, we install beacons from the profile. The extreme beacons should retreat from the corner at a distance of at least 10 cm.

It is better to choose the distance between adjacent profiles on the wall so that it is slightly less than the length of the existing rule.

  • Fix the lighthouses on the wall with heaps of quick-drying mortar or plastic fasteners.
  • The profile is pressed into the solution, following the readings of the level and plumb line and focusing on the previously stretched twine. In plastic fasteners, the necessary adjustment is performed by tightening the screws connecting the profile and the dowel in the wall.
  • After all the rails are installed, you need to check again that they are located in a single plane.

Preparation of the solution

When the beacons are securely attached to the wall, you can start preparing the solution. How to level the walls in a damp room like a bathroom? Only with cement mortar, because gypsum mixtures are afraid of water. Craftsmen prefer to prepare the plaster on their own, mixing cement with sand in a ratio of 1: 2 or 1: 3. But it is easier and faster for an amateur to use ready-made dry building mixtures.

  • First of all, you should carefully read the manufacturer's instructions. They are located on the outside of the bag.
  • If the solution for leveling the wall is prepared from cement and sand, dry components are poured into the container and little by little water is added, while stirring the solution with a construction mixer or a drill with a special nozzle. In the case of using a dry plaster mixture, water is first poured, and plaster is already poured into it.

It is important not to overdo it with water: a too liquid solution is inconvenient to work with, the mixture will slide off the trowel or along the wall all the time. Subsequently, such a solution is subject to significant shrinkage. Ideally, the solution should be slightly thicker than thick sour cream.

It is necessary to use up the prepared plaster within half an hour, so do not pour the entire bag into the container at once. It is best to prepare a new batch after the finished solution runs out.

After mixing, the solution must be allowed to stand a little. The time interval is usually indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.

Applying mortar to the wall

How to properly align the walls with tiles? The process is as follows:

  • The plaster is thrown into the space on the wall between the two beacons so that its surface protrudes slightly above the surface of the beacons. Usually a trowel or wide spatula is used for this.
  • Then the rule is taken, pressed tightly against the profiles, and the solution is leveled along the wall with wave-like movements in the direction from bottom to top. The excess is sent back to the mixing tank.
  • Repeating this operation the required number of times, all the gaps between the beacons are filled. It is easier to leave the latter in the walls, but if there is a desire to use them again, the profiles are removed, and the voids are filled with plaster and leveled with a spatula.

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Aligning the walls with drywall

How to align the walls in the bathroom if they have significant curvature? In this case, plaster is not suitable: it will require a too large layer of it. A moisture-resistant drywall is good for this purpose.

The method of fixing it can be different. You can build a familiar frame from a metal profile, or you can glue drywall directly to the wall with special glue. In the second case, the sequence of actions will be as follows:

  • The wall is cleaned of dirt and treated with a deep penetration primer.
  • Plasterboard sheets of the required size are cut with an electric jigsaw.
  • Fragments are glued to the wall from bottom to top. In this case, the glue is applied in separate piles. The correct setting is controlled by the level and, if necessary, corrected with a rubber hammer.
  • After the glue dries, the joints are sealed with silicone sealant and the usual finishing plastering of drywall with a fine moisture-resistant putty.

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