How to Plan the Wall Layout for a Tile Shower

1. Measure the tiles by butting 10 tiles together, including spacers, and measuring the total length of the row. Divide the total length by 10 to get the unit dimension, which will be used for the layout.

2. Measure the height of the shower wall to be tiled and draw a horizontal line through the midpoint with a felt tip pen. Extend the line to all three walls of the shower using a 4-foot level to create the mid-height line.

3. Measure the width of the back wall of the shower and draw a vertical line through the midpoint, using a 4-foot level. Extend the line to create the mid-width line.

4. Divide the mid-width dimension by the tile unit dimension. If the remainder value is less than half a tile, shift the vertical centerline by one half of a tile and snap a new vertical reference line with the chalk line. Repeat for the mid-height reference.

5. Snap more lines vertically and horizontally to mark off 8- to 12-square-foot rectangles as guidelines for aligning the tiles.