No matter what wall project you are tackling, a DIY kitchen backsplash, or a brief for a contractor on a bathroom retile, the sequence below follows BS 5385<\/strong><\/a> (the British Standard for wall and floor tiling) and current guidance from <\/a>The Tile Association (TTA)<\/strong><\/a>, the UK trade body for the tiling industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For inspiration once you’ve got the technical side sorted, browse our Indoor Wall Tiles<\/strong><\/a> range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tile is as durable and strong as the surface underneath it. Rushing this stage means cracked, lifted or falling-off tiles within the first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your wall is made of sound plaster, plasterboard, cement board, and proprietary tile backer boards, they are all acceptable as background substrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DISCLAIMER: <\/strong>While plywood and other wood-based sheets are a different story. Since the 2018 revision of BS 5385-1, plywood and other wood-based boards are no longer recommended as a direct tiling substrate for walls, because they move too much with changes in moisture and temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are working with an existing plywood-lined wall, the fix is to overlay it with a proper tile backer board rather than tiling straight into the ply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standard 12.5mm plasterboard will typically support tiling loads up to around 32kg per m\u00b2, which covers most ceramic wall tiles, but it should be securely fixed at the recommended screws centres with no protruding fixings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wet areas need a proper waterproofing tanking system over the top, which we will cover in step 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As per British Standards BS5985, newly applied plaster should be left for a minimum of four weeks before tiling, and it needs to be dry, flush and plumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warning: <\/strong>Tiling onto damp plaster results in early adhesion failure because the moisture has nowhere to go once it’s sealed behind adhesive and tile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is worth repeating because it is still one of the most common DIY mistakes UH homeowners make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standard adhesives and grouts are cement-based and alkaline; when they come into contact with PVA, a chemical reaction breaks the PVA down, weakening the bond. That is why adhesive manufacturers such as Ardex<\/strong>, BAL<\/strong>, and Dunlop<\/strong> explicitly exclude PVA as an acceptable primer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use a proper acrylic or SBR-based tiling primer instead; it is a small cost against the price of retiling a wall that\u2019s failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remove any loose material on your wall, such as dust and grease, etc, and fill any hollows or cracks. A flat, clean substrate means less adhesive wastage and a straighter finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to know how many tile choices you have and choose the most appropriate one for your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ceramic glazed ceramic wall tiles<\/strong> are generally the right choice for dry, low-traffic areas such as kitchen splashbacks. They typically have water absorption above 10%, which is fine where the tile is not in contact with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Porcelain tiles<\/strong><\/a> are fired at higher temperatures and are classified as low-absorbing tiles with porosity as low as 0.5% under EN ISO 10545-3, making them the better choice for bathrooms, shower enclosures, and wet rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natural stone tiles<\/strong><\/a> (travertine, marble, and limestone) look absolutely breathtaking on kitchen and bathroom walls; however, they need to be sealed before and after grouting and annually based on how much traffic your space receives. They generally cost more to install due to the extra care required in cutting and fixing; however, it is a strong option for a period or higher-end finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our bathroom wall tiles<\/strong> and kitchen wall tiles<\/strong> range are sorted with these differences in mind, and if you like the look of natural stone without the sealing maintenance, travertine-effect and marble-effect porcelain tiles are worth a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Small tiles such as mosaic, brick or metro tiles<\/strong><\/a> (100x200mm and similar) are forgiving for DIY and hide minor wall imperfections well. Large-format tiles<\/strong><\/a> (600x600mm and more) need a flatter substrate, specialist adhesive and usually two people to handle and place safely without cracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are leaning towards a large-format look, it’s worth reading up on how large-format wall tiles change interiors before you commit, and checking our 600x600mm<\/strong><\/a> and 1200x600mm<\/strong><\/a> ranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garden walls, facade, and outdoor cladding need frost-resistant tiles for exterior use, different adhesive and grout systems, and attention to drain and movement joints. Porous ceramic tiles that work fine indoors are destined to crack or spall after one UK winter. If that is your project, our outdoor wall cladding<\/strong><\/a> range is built for exactly this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adhesive choice is where a lot of otherwise well-prepped jobs go wrong, mostly because people assume “tile adhesive” is on the product. It isn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Step 1: Preparing the Wall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Check If the Substrate is Suitable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Plasterboard Needs a Few Checks of Its Own<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a>Give Plaster Time to Cure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Never Use PVA as a Primer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Level and Clean Before You Start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 2: Choosing the Right Tiles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Ceramic vs Porcelain vs Stone Tiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/royalestones.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fba4c1fe-d5cb-4e7e-a0af-0215da52d385.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTile Size Affects the Whole Job<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/royalestones.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/c78e8e1a-e8bb-4d35-be5f-24cd3e3fd84e.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOutdoor and Exterior Walls Are a Different Specification Entirely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/royalestones.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/22616ee4-c53f-43c1-b2c1-36c332648c33.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Step 3: Selecting Adhesive & Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n