Tiling the faux mantle in our living room was a small job that made a big impact. It was a project that took only a weekend and about $60 in supplies to complete (less if you already have some of the tools already)!
I regret not taking better before photos but the mantle was so ugly I just wanted to update it ASAP!
You can see a little bit from this listing photo from when we bought the house that the tiles on the mantle were messy.
Close up it looked more like someone used concrete and their fingers to put the tiles on! This was after we'd covered everything in white primer to hide the pink walls - we decided to paint over the tiles on the mantle as well since we knew that their days were numbered!
+ tile (and spacers if your tile isn't sold on mesh sheets)
+ thinset mortar (link for a guide on whether to use thinset or mastic for your project)
+ putty knife or notched trowel
+ grout
+ rubber float
+ 2 buckets
+ sponge
+ tile cutter, nippers, or a diamond cutting wheel for your dremel
The first part was pulling the old tiles and any remaining bits of concrete off of the mantle with a small chisel. You'll need to patch any holes or tears in the wall - the most important part of tiling is starting off with a clean, level surface.
Once I'd come up with an idea on where the tiles would be so that they'd be centered, I began applying the thinset with a notched trowel and placing the tiles, using the spaces to make sure that they were evenly spaced.
If you like a closer grout or don't want to deal with spacers (they can be kind of a headache - especially for bigger projects) you can also purchase lugged, or self-spacing tiles - these tiles have a little nub on the sides so no spacers are needed.
After allowing the thinset to dry, you can start applying your grout (non-sanded grout if the space between your tiles is less than 1/8" and a sanded grout if the space is larger than 1/8").
Load up your float with spread it over the tiles, making sure you get into all of the spaces. You can clear off excess grout by running your float at a 45 degree angle. Once all of the groutlines are filled you can use a damp (but not too wet - you don't want water getting into the grout) sponge to remove more of the grout from the tops of the tile.
Let dry for another 24 hours, then buff any any haze on the tile with a cheesecloth or lint-free towel. If your grout didn't dry to the right color (click here for a post where I wanted black grout and needed to use a grout colorant/sealant) or you want to use a sealant now's the time!
All in all it was a little update that made a great difference - although I'm considering whether or not to stain the grout black to add a little more contrast - and it's a perfect project for a DIY beginner!
