Can you tile a curved wall?

Tiling a wall can give your home a completely new look, but attempting to tile a curved wall can bring a lot of challenges if you don’t know what you’re doing. Fortunately, there are ways to work around the issue, resulting in a beautifully tiled curved wall.

So, can you tile a curved wall? It is possible, but tiling a curved wall requires more precise work. To tile a curved wall properly, you will either need to use tiny tiles like 2.5 x 2.5 cm mosaic tiles or cut larger tiles to make them thinner. This will make it easier to manipulate the tiles around the bends of the wall.

In this article, you will learn how to tile a curved wall, what you will need to get the job done, and some general tips to achieve the best possible result.

The best tile for curved walls

As a general rule, the larger the tile, the more difficult it is to adapt it to the shape of a curved wall. Buying larger tiles will only result in having to cut them into multiple smaller pieces, wasting time and often wasting tiles (and your money).

When tiling a curved wall, such as a shower or an entryway, it is best to use 1-inch mosaic tiles. These tiles are significantly smaller than other tiles commonly used in households and can be easily manipulated for curved walls. This is because they come in sheets with the small individual tiles glued to them, making installation more convenient.

Mosaic tiles also come in a seemingly endless variety of colors (including multicolored), shapes, surfaces, and textures to give you the exact style you envision.

While you can use the leftover tiles you have from tiling your kitchen for the curved wall in your bathroom, it is not as efficient as buying mosaic tiles (and probably not as appealing).

How to tile a curved wall or surface

In the following sections, you will learn step by step how to tile a curved wall or surface in your home. The steps are fairly similar to tiling other types of tiles, so the process should not be too difficult if you have worked with tiles before.

What you’ll need

Before you start laying mosaic tiles, you will need to gather some tools.

These include:

• Tape measure
• Unused rags
• Wet saw
• Rubber mallet
• Utility knife
• Pencil

You will also need to make sure you have the necessary materials for laying mosaic tiles.

The materials you should have on hand include:

• Mosaic tile sheets
• Thin-set adhesive
• Notched trowel

Once you have gathered all the tools and materials for tiling the wall, you can start the installation process.

Step 1: Make sure the curved wall or surface is ready for tiling

Before you can start applying the adhesive, you need to ensure that the wall is properly prepared for tiling. Otherwise, the sheets may not lay as flat as they should.

• Remove dust and wallpaper residue or dirt to get a smooth surface.
• For larger walls, you can use sandpaper or a sander to smooth out rough spots.
• If the wall is in a shower area, bathroom, or outdoors, make sure it is fully dry.

Step 2: Dry fit mosaic tiles (optional)

While this is an optional step, it’s a good idea to dry-fit the tiles to have a precise idea of where and how they should be placed. This is especially helpful if you plan on using mosaic tiles with different colors, shapes, or textures on a curved wall. Dry fitting will give you a better idea of what the end product would look like.

Have someone you trust hold the mosaic sheets in position. Do not attempt to use screws, tape, or other tools to hold the tiles in place. This could result in broken or chipped tiles.

Step 3: Mark the spot where the tile will be placed

Marking the tile positions is one of the most crucial steps when tiling a curved wall. This not only serves as a guide when laying the tiles, but also helps keep the tiles straight and aligned with each other.

Use a wooden or metal ruler or tape measure to mark the wall vertically and horizontally (depending on how you want your tiles to look). Use a pencil to avoid permanent errors in measurement.

Step 4: Cut the tile sheets to fit into your markings

Using either a wet saw or a utility knife, trim the tile sheets along the joints to the dimensions of the cuts you made with your pencil on the wall. To mark where you need to cut the tile, it’s advisable to use painter’s tape and mark on it so that you don’t draw on the tile itself.

Use a tape measure to ensure you have the right dimensions to fit the sections on the wall. Always wear safety goggles when working with a wet saw and be cautious when handling a utility knife.

Step 5: Apply adhesive and start tiling

Once your wall is ready to go and you have determined where the tiles will be positioned, you can then apply the adhesive and start tiling the curved wall.

Here’s how:

• Start tiling slowly at a bottom corner of the wall or surface.
• Apply adhesive with your trowel, about 3-6 mm thick.
• Press the mosaic tile firmly into the adhesive, allowing the adhesive to seep through the gaps between the individual tile pieces. This will form the mortar.
• Use your rubber mallet to tap on the tile sheet to embed it further into the mortar. Be careful not to hit the sheet too hard, as you may break the tiles.
• If you notice gaps between the tiles, fill them with more adhesive. This will increase their longevity and prevent them from detaching from the wall in the future.