Cost-Saving Construction Concepts: A Construction and Contracting Blog

It's a good idea to tile the ceiling of your shower as well as the floor and the walls.  This helps to prevent leaks and protects your roof space from the ingress of water and the effects of damp.  You'll need some basic DIY skills to carry out this project.

Here's a brief overview of how to tile your shower ceiling.

What you'll need

• plasterer's trowel
• thinset
• eye protection
• tile adhesive
• painter's tape
• tile spacers
• grout
• silicone sealant
• cloths

How to do it

1. The first thing to do is to apply a layer of thinset to the ceiling substrate of your shower cubicle.  Thinset will form a solid foundation on the ceiling substrate on which to set the tiles.  (Always wear eye protection when you're looking up at the ceiling in case bits of stray thinset drop down).  Place a good dollop of thinset onto the back of your plasterer's trowel and apply it to the ceiling.  Keep working from each corner to the centre until the whole ceiling is covered.  Use the other side of the trowel to 'comb' textured lines across the thinset.  This provides good grip for the tiles to stick to.  Allow the thinset to dry thoroughly.  
2. Now use your plasterer's trowel to apply a generous layer of tile adhesive to the back of the first tile.  Turn the trowel over and comb the adhesive to form thin lines.  Now use the edge of the trowel to draw a 'bull's eye' shape in the centre of the tile.  This helps to create suction as you press the tile onto the ceiling and holds it in place until the adhesive cures.  
3. Using the technique outlined in #2, press all the tiles onto the ceiling.  Put tile spacers between each tile to ensure that the grout lines are equal.  To do this, put the end of a small piece of tape on the edge of one tile and pull it toward the tile adjacent to it.  Stick the other end of the tape to that tile and insert a spacer in the gap between the two.  This helps to keep the tiles in place against the spacers so that your grout lines are straight.  
4. Allow the tile adhesive to dry fully overnight.  
5. Now you can grout your tiles.  Use the plastic tool provided to spread the grout thickly so that it completely fills the gaps in between each tile, removing the tile spacers as you go.  Before the grout has chance to dry, wipe away any overspill with a damp cloth as you go along.  
6. Apply a line of silicone sealant around the join between the wall tiling and the ceiling to keep water from leaking through.  Squeeze a bead of silicone sealant from the tube and use your index finger to push it well into the join, paying particular attention to the corners.

To ensure that your shower is free from leaks and to give the shower cubicle a more finished look, tile the ceiling as per the above guide.