Do it yourself?

Wall tiling, do it yourself?

Can I tile the wall myself with Dutch white tiles? We are regularly asked whether this is easy. We always answer yes, it is nice to do and especially fun to put the whites against the wall.

Lots of information about tiling

There is a lot of information on the internet about how to tile a wall in general. If you are going to tile a wall with Frisian whites, there are a few things to take into consider.

Below are the points of attention for tiling Frisian whites

Determine where to start
Cutting the whites
Adhesives
Mixing the white shades
Always take a narrow joint
Joining tips

Determine where to start

First determine how the tiles will end up on the wall, by placing a row of tiles at the bottom of the wall. If you have a tableau that, for example, should be centred under the extractor hood, you will need to explain the tiles from there.

Cutting the whites

If you have a lot of tiles to cut, it is best to rent a saw table. If you only have a few tiles to cut, you can also use a hacksaw or a jigsaw. You can make a hole for a pipe or socket in the tile by nibbling off small bites with the pliers (with a flat mouth).
Attention! Any irregular cutting edges are better sanded smooth with sandpaper.

Gluing

Use a standard tile adhesive, usually a white paste works best but important is the substrate. Ask the DIY store if it needs to be pre-treated for good adhesion.
Apply the glue with a glue comb and place the tiles from bottom to top, keeping about 3mm free at the bottom for a silicone joint. Press the tiles well into the adhesive and make sure that the joint lines are horizontal and vertical straight. Do not forget to remove any glue residue with a wet sponge.

Mixing the white shades

The Frisian whites are always used in a mix of different shades of white, just as they used to be. To mix the different shades of white, we advise you to take one hand of each shade out of the boxes and place it on as many stacks at the wall to be tiled.
Apply these tiles to the wall in random order. Once the stacks are finished, remove one hand from each box and distribute all the colours over the entire tiling.

A narrow joint

Frisian whites are set cold, i.e. with a minimum joint (1mm to a maximum of 2mm). A tableau or painted tiles will then fit together nicely and you will get the most beautiful result.
With a tableau a larger joint would disturb the image, the tableau is then interrupted by white lines and the end result is less beautiful. See the proof below:

The joint

Jasmine or ivory is the best match for Frisian whites, clearwhite is not easy to combine with Dutch white tiles. A grout in cement colour is also often used to give the wall an authentic look. Any cracks in the tile may become visible as soon as you remove the remains of the grout with a wet sponge.

Tips for grouting

- Apply the grout evenly with a rubber joint spatula or plastic grouting board
- Wash the joints well with a damp sponge
- When the grout is almost dry the wall after washing
- By washing out the joint a little deeper, the irregular tile edges are more noticeable.

Lots of fun

With the above advice and tips, you have all the knowledge you need to get started yourself. We wish you a lot of success and above all a lot of fun with tiling. If you would like to know something else you can always contact us.