How to Tile a Vanity
- 1). Turn off the water supply to the sink from under the counter. Use a wrench to loosen the two water lines from the faucet unit and the downspout of the drain. Lift the sink free of the vanity and set it aside.
- 2). Sand the surface with a vibrating pad sander, getting it flat and dull. Wipe up the dust.
- 3). Measure across the vanity surface from end to end and mark the middle. Use a square to draw a line, front to back at the middle. If the line will go through the hole for the sink, mark it on either end as if the hole isn't there.
- 4). Spread thin set mortar over the counter with a notched trowel.
- 5). Press ceramic bull nose tiles along the front edge of the counter so the finished edges face forward, beginning at the middle and working to the sides. Cut the tiles at the ends, as needed, with a tile cutter.
- 6). Set a row of ceramic standard tiles behind the front row of bull nose tiles, starting at the center line. Set spacers between the tiles as you lay them. Cut the tiles at the ends as needed.
- 7). Repeat the process, building back from the front course by course. When you are approaching the hole for the sink, use a pair of tile nippers to break off parts of the tiles, as needed, to fit them around the hole. Don't worry that the edges of the tiles won't fit perfectly around the hole as the sink will cover the edges.
- 8). Let the thin set mortar set overnight. Pull out the spacers.
- 9). Grout the surface with a grout float, pressing it into the spaces between the tiles. Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge. Let it set for 24 hours.
- 10
Reinstall the sink, reconnecting the water lines and drain with the wrench. The sink rim should cover the cut edges of the tiles around the hole. Run a bead of caulk along the joint where the sink meets the tile.
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