" In the 1st segment, we set off just to replace a few broken tiles in the bathroom, only to discover some serious water damage to the backing wall. We remove the water-damaged wallboard and cleaned up the area. In the 2nd segment, we measured, cut, and installed a new sheet of cement board. In this 3rd segment, we'll measure, cut, and lay up new tiles. In the final segment, we'll grout the tile for a professional finish. Let's continue. First, we'll create a special tool for tiling called the story stick. A story stick is a piece of wood onto which you transfer the spacing between the joints of the tiles. You then use this custom-made ruler to mark the place where the tiles join. Line the story stick up with the bottom of the 1st row of tiles and place a mark on the wall where each joint will be. When you've marked the 1st row, use the story stick to mark the height to the additional row of tiles. In the process, you're creating a map for the location of every new tile. Next, thoroughly stir a container of pre-mixed thin-set tile mortar, and trowel it on to the edge of a notched trowel. Spread the adhesive over the 1st row or two of tiles. Thin-set adhesive skims over quickly so only apply what you can cover in 15 minutes. Next, slather a coating of thin-set mortar on the back of the tile. You may want to wear rubber gloves when you lay up the tile. Firmly press the tile into place. To keep the tile straight and aligned, temporarily insert plastic spacers between the tiles. In this case, we're using 1/8 of an inch spacers to match the spacing in the original tile. Continue to lay up the tiles, first applying that thin-set adhesive to the back of the tile. Scrape off the excess with the notched trowel and press the tile into place with a slight twisting motion. Temporarily insert a plastic spacer, and set the alignment with the surrounding tiles by pressing the tile firmly up against the spacer. Work your way across the wall, steadily laying up each tile and aligning it with a plastic spacer. The last tile on the wall slips under the corner tile on the facing wall, assuring a water-tight joint. With the completion of each row, check to make sure that the tiles look straight and are aligned with the row above. Adjust any tiles that may have slipped. One trick for checking that the tiles are horizontally aligned is to gently bring the story stick up under the row of tiles. It will be obvious if any of the tiles have slipped. Some of the tiles in the next 2 rows will have to be cut to allow for the valve stems to pass through. Here's how to measure the tile for notching. First, number the tile positions on the wall, and then number 1 tile for each position. This is a simple trick to help you glue the right tile in the right place. To mark the tile for cutting, take a number tile and place it directly on top of the tile above the valve. This is the tile you're going to cut to fit around the valve stem. Using another tile as a measuring stick, line up the measuring tile along the 2 sides and the top of the hole in the cement board, and transfer these 3 measurements to the tile above. Now, using these 3 marks as a guide, sketch the shape of the opening on the tile. Using this quick and accurate trick, measure and mark the outlines of each of the tiles that will need to be cut to allow for either a valve stem or the bathtub spout. When all the tiles are measured and marked for cutting, it's time to move outside and cut the openings with a tile cutter. Follow all the safety instructions outlined in the wet saw instruction sheet, including wearing safety glasses, a dust mask, and rubber gloves. Holding the tile firmly with both hands, cut out the shape of the opening on each tile by making repetitive parallel cuts right up to the edge of the line, and then nibbling away the remaining material. Holding the tile firmly in both hands, you can carefully tilt the tile up to square the edge. Be very careful however as you're working very close to a sharp carbide saw blade. Hold the tile firmly with both hands, keeping your hands to either side of the moving blade. With practice, you'll find that the wet saw access both the saw and the grinder, allowing you to shape the opening to fit the contour of the line. Check the fit of each of the tiles to make sure that each tile fits as planned. When you're satisfied with the fit, apply the thin-set adhesive to the cement board. If there's not enough space for the notch trowel, then use a smaller trowel to spread the adhesive and then smooth out the thickness with the tip of the notch trowel. Butter the back of each tile with the notch end of the trowel, and using a twisting motion, press each tile into place, using the spacers to help you align the tile. Continuing along, carefully align the tiles as you go. The next challenge will be the bottom row. In our situation, all the tiles in the last row will have to be cut to fit so the 1st step is to measure for each tile in the last row. This is an older home and nothing is leveled so here's the trick that we used to mark the last row of tiles for cutting. Using a storage stick as a guide, lay out all the tiles on the floor exactly as they'll be on the wall. From your measurements, mark the height of the far right tile, and mark the height of the left tile as measured on the wall. In our case, we're using the height of the notch on the tile we removed from the wall. Using the story stick as a ruler, draw a line from one mark to the other, and your tiles are marked and ready to cut. It's back outside to the tile saw, and wearing safety glasses, a mask, and gloves, carefully cut along the lines you drew on each tile. Lying the tiles up in the water and check the fit. As with the cement board, it's better to leave the cut a little proud and have to trim them a little on the wet saw than to have the tiles be too short. You want the tile to just touch the edge of the lip of the tub. Once you're satisfied with the fit of the tiles, apply the thin-set adhesive to the cement board. Again, this is another tight fit so we'll spread the thin-set with the spackling knife and then even it out with the edge of the notch trowel. Butter the back of each of the tiles with thin-set and press each of the tiles firmly into place. After checking the final alignment, allow the tiles to dry overnight. In the next segment, we'll apply the grout and cock the edges of the tub for a professional finish."