Installing tile on a wall that has been painted with enamel paint isn't a problem if you prepare properly. The key to a successful installation is to prepare the wall first, roughening the surface so that the tile adhesive can form a bond with the paint. Paint forms a moisture-proof barrier that will not fully allow the tile adhesive to bond to the wall. Roughening the wall will remove the moisture barrier.
Instructions
1. Sand the entire painted surface where you will install the tile. The wall will have a scuffed or rough-looking appearance after you have sanded it.
2. Measure across the wall from corner to corner and divide the measurement in half. This is the center point of the wall. Place a pencil mark on the wall. Mark the same measurement every 12 inches from the bottom of the wall to the top.
3. Connect the pencil marks, using a level and pencil. You should have a straight, vertical line, running from the top of the wall to the base.
4. Trace a horizontal level line all the way across the base of the wall. Measure from the floor or countertop up 1/8 inch. Make a pencil mark every 12 inches. Use a level to connect the pencil marks.
5. Divide the width of a tile in half, and place a pencil mark on the edge of the tile at the center point. Line up the center pencil mark on the tile with the center line on the wall.
6. Apply mastic to the back of the first tile with a tile trowel. Place the tile so that the center pencil mark on the tile is aligned with the center line on the wall, and the bottom of the tile is aligned with the horizontal level line.
7. Insert a screw at each bottom corner of the tile to keep it from sliding, using a variable speed drill.
8. Place a second tile next to the first tile. Use spacers to evenly space the two tiles apart. Insert two screws underneath the second tile. Continue this process until you have completed the first row from wall to wall.
9. Measure the width of the space left at both ends of the wall. Use the same distance minus the space needed for the size of the spacers you are using, and 1/8 inch between the wall and the tile. Mark the first measurement on one tile, and the second measurement on another tile. The space left for the last tile on each end of the wall may not be the same. Cut the tiles with a wet saw and set them in place.
10. Install the tile, working up the wall. Insert spacers between each tile to keep them from moving, and to keep the grout lines straight. There is no need to use screws after installing the first row. Allow the tile to sit overnight.
11. Remove the screws and the spacers. Fill the space between the tiles with grout.
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