DIY Renter Friendly Tiled Wall

Ariel
by Ariel
6 Materials
$200
4 Hours
Medium
Because I live in a PMQ, i.e a rented home, I’ve created renter friendly tiled wall for our small upstairs bathroom.A while back I fell in love with Aspect Tiles’ peel & stick glass subway tiles. As a renter, I loved the idea of something I could quite literally peel and stick. However, as a renter, I did not love the idea of having to put fresh drywall in after removing them for our march-out. So what did I do then? Read on to find out.
Materials


  • Foam core boards – I needed four (20″ x 30″)
  • Hammer and finishing nails (1″)
  • 20 square feet of Aspect Tiles – or any other peel and stick tiles
  • Glass tile cutter
  • GE Silicone 1
  • GE Silicone caulking in white
  • Wall trim – I had a colonial design, and then one they call the “sausage.” I got ’em all at Home Depot.
  • Black paint – I used Behr Limousine Leather MQ5-5o
  • Paint Brush
Step 1: Measure the wall you want to cover. Your measurements are for the foam core that will be covering the wall, so make sure you include and counter tops that jut into the space, awkward angles and light fixtures.
Step 2: Cut your foam core to specification. I used four panels, and numbered them before cutting them so that I knew which ones went where. Getting the cuts right was important at the edges of the wall, but not so much for where the mirror used to be since I would be covering it with a large circular mirror.Step 3: Using a hammer and nails, nail the foam core to the wall. This will be a life-saver when you have to take them off to move. It will be as simple as pulling up the boards, not the tile.
Step 4: Start laying tile! This will be most complicated part because you’ll have to make sure everything is plum and even, and that your spacing is on point.Start by laying a blocking piece at the bottom if your floor trim isn’t even. If it is – you’re in luck! Use that. You always lay tile from the bottom-up.
Step 5 – Optional – I used white caulking to fill any gaps between tiles that might have occurred due to error. I had a few, so I filled them with caulking.Step 6: Cut your trim to go around the exterior of the wall, much like you would an edge tile. In my case, a few of my tile cuts weren’t completely straight, or particularly pretty, so the trim helped cover those up nicely.Step 7: Paint your trim dark glossy black. The contrast is classic, and looks really polished. I used a paint sample that I got at the Home Depot, and then sealed them with a tough coat.
Step 8: Using GE Silicone 1, I applied the trim to the tile not the wall. Run a bead of caulking down the back of the trim, and then press firmly, holding for 30 seconds before moving onto the next piece.
Caulking takes up to 12hrs to dry, so I let is sit overnight.Step 9: This is where I would say “hang your mirror” but I did it before applying the trim because I was tired of looking at the wall in the middle of the tiles. Because the mirror is large and heavy I didn’t tile over where I would attaching it.
Enjoy your beautiful tiled bathroom! For more diy ideas check out my blog https://www.pmqfortwo.com/
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Ariel
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 9 questions
  • Lorraine Gibb Lorraine Gibb on Jun 25, 2020

    Not seeing any tile pattern either, just the marble. (NoOlr pic of HRH!) Maybe upload the pictures again so we can see your clever handiwork?

  • Charise. Charise. on Jun 25, 2020

    Wondering: how many have fallen off the wall?

  • 17335038 17335038 on Jul 22, 2020

    I am wondering why there are gaps in the pieces of black trim, and why you did not mitre the corners where it looks as if they should be joined together?

Comments
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3 of 19 comments
  • Erin Erin on Sep 25, 2019

    I’m straight confused where the marble comes in. I thought it was maybe a countertop that was being worked on, but then there’s a picture of just the marble. I thought it was going to be the pattern of the tile at first...

    • Ariel Ariel on Sep 25, 2019

      That’s supposed to be a gif of the tile pattern, but it must not be loading

  • Lisa DeBose Lisa DeBose on Jun 25, 2020

    I love it, you literally are describing the same project I have in mind to do - but to my kitchen!! Great minds think beautifully alike, renting will never stop my creativity or desire for a beautiful space.

    I was researching for a board/material I knew wouldn't cause moisture to build up between the wall and board. How is yours holding up in the bathroom?

    I also wanted to get everything at Home Depot. Tickles me someone else had the same project. Looks terrific 👌

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