UPDATED:Tiling the Bathroom With Real Tile Before and After

So here is the final take on my bathroom renovation:

Before:


AFTER:


I still have a few minor trim things to attend to but essentially it is finished. It is Much much more functional than the original very solid and easier to clean and keep clean. All in all this is a good choice to upgrade your RV Bathroom if you are tired of tiny plastic sinks and cheapo faucets that normally get installed on the run of the mill Travel Trailers.




So here is the next of my chapters in my trailer renovation. You can see the other chapters including replacing the carpet and installing new bathroom fixtures, doing the plumbing and correcting some electrical issues in posts Down Thread...take a look at those too.

Here are some photos and descriptions of putting real tile in the bathroom. I had bought and installed a new vanity and sink and storage cabinet. I built a new counter top from plywood and now I am laying the tile.

Here you see that I am sizing the tile behind the sink.


Now I dont think anyone should use the normal tile installation practices that are used in stationary structures. An RV calls for a different approach.

While deciding on tile and the right approach I had a discussion with a tile contractor at Home Depot who recommended the approach here. His opinion was seconded by the Tile Guy at HD on a separate occasion. And their advice made sense to me.

Here is the product that I used to adhere the Tile to the wall. This will allow the wall to flex and it will flex with it.



This stuff is $21 a box so it isn't cheap. If you decide to try this keep in mind that this stuff is diabolically sticky and you must not let it dry out. If you peel off the outer covering to expose the adhesive you have about ten minutes before it dries on you. So don't remove that covering until you are ready to put the tile up.

Here I have laid the tile behind the sink first. The Tile on the wall will actually sit on this tile.



I had to replace the old outlet box as it had cracked and was missing one of its hold down tabs. These low profile outlet boxes that work in RV's can be found at almost any Home Depot. This one was a whopping $1.27.



Here I have put up the tile behind the sink on to the wall and am fitting it around the outlet. I broke one of the tiles when cutting it and I will have to replace it with a newly cut one. This I will apply with some industrial strength construction glue.



Now I will "grout" the tile with a Silicone based sealant in white. The gaps in this mosaic tile are meant to differ in size and make this a bit more of a chore.

I hope this helps any of you that are thinking of doing something similar.