Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Finish by applying tiles to the side walls, working from back to front. ... Make sure the lines are accurate and easy to see. The procedure to use depends on whether your tub or shower pan is level: Level Tub or Shower Pan - If the tub is level to within 1/8″, measure and mark your horizontal line from the high point of the tub. ... Measure up from the lip of the tub, the width of a tile plus 1/8″. ...   Out of Level Tub or Shower Pan - If the tub is not level to 1/8″, mark your horizontal line from the low point. ... It is usually best to nail a straight wooden batten so that the top of the batten is set to the horizontal line. ... After all the tile is laid, remove the batten and install the bottom row. ... Vertical Working Lines Setup the tiles so each edge (border) tile is the same width on each end, and more than half a tile wide. ... Then place a row of loose tiles along the back of the tub, making sure that a joint matches up with the center mark ...