Mark the wall in the middle with a chalk line to create a guide for the tiles.
Ceramic tile on cinder block wall.
Ceramic tile tile cement tile grout.
With a notched trowel apply the adhesive at the bottom of the cinder block wall.
Starting at one end of the wall lay out the cinder blocks end to end until you reach the first turn in the wall.
A plastic liner first attached to the wall then cement backerboard lagged to the wall will give a better result.
Allow 1 4 inch spacing between each tile for spacers.
If you are installing tile on a wood framed interior wall such as in a kitchen or bath see cement backerboard installation.
Lay out the first layer of cinder blocks.
For a direct bond to the cmu it is recommended to skim coat it with the thin set mortar to smooth it out prior to applying a liquid applied waterproof crack isolation membrane.
Start by putting tiles on the bottom of the wall and work your way up.
Lay out any decorative or border tiles you intend to incorporate into the design.
When the entire wall is finished tap tiles that are slightly raised with a rubber mallet.
Answer yes you can install ceramic tile over cmu concrete masonry unit blocks.
We do not recommend installing ceramic tile on conventional drywall.
Dry fit one row of tiles along the bottom of the wall.
If your wall is straight line up the first layer of cinder blocks from one end to the other end.
Allow the mortar to dry overnight.
Not perfect but better.
Put 3 8 inch 0 95 cm plywood spacers in between the blocks.
Cover the lath completely with the mortar creating a new surface for the tile to adhere to.
The same ceramic tile wall installation techniques will work well on both interior and exterior masonry walls suffering minor leakage and efflorescence staining.
You need to properly prepare it to make sure it is free of any structural cracks clean and plumb.
If you just attach the tiles the vapor that comes through the walls will affect either the grout or the block itself causing it to efforvescence making the bond less strong.
Spread the mortar over the walls using the flat of a notched trowel pushing the mortar through the lath and onto the painted blocks.
Apply just enough of the adhesive to attach a few tiles at a time so that the adhesive stays moist and ready to receive the tiles.
Use spacers between each tile for the grout.