TILING

Tile a window reveal

Tile a window reveal step by step, from planning and prep through cutting, corners, grouting and sealing in one session.

WR-01Measure the reveal and plan the layoutMeasure the height, width and depth of both sides and the top of the reveal - windows are rarely perfectly square, so measure each face separately. Pick a tile size that's easy to cut around a window; small tiles (100-150mm) waste less and cut more forgivingly than large format. Decide whether external corners will be mitred (both tiles cut to 45°) or finished with a plastic trim, and sketch which faces get full tiles and which get cuts.
1 each · Tape measure
1 each · Spirit level
WR-02Protect the window and clear the revealLay a dust sheet across the sill and the floor below. Mask the glass and frame with masking tape so grout and adhesive can't mark it. Remove any curtain pole brackets, blind fixings or trim currently fixed to the reveal, and note the position of any socket or extractor vent nearby before you start.
1 each · Dust sheet
1 roll · Masking tape
WR-03Work out what's behind the plasterBefore fixing anything, find out what the reveal is built on. Run a stud detector or a strong magnet up and down the wall - a line of screw heads roughly every 400-600mm means plasterboard on timber or metal studs, and a magnet that grips onto the screw lines but not the board itself confirms metal studs. Tap the wall: a solid, dead thud is brick, block or dot-and-dab; a hollow drum sound between the screw lines is a stud wall. A small pilot hole tells you more - pale wood dust means timber stud, fine grey swarf means metal stud, a hard skim breaking into a soft void after 10-12mm means dot-and-dab, and a bouncy break-through with thin wood strips behind means lath and plaster.
1 each · Stud detector (or strong magnet)
WR-04Fix a support batten under the first rowFor a deep reveal or anything heavier than small tiles, screw a temporary timber batten level under the bottom tile line so nothing slides while the adhesive cures. Before drilling, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, and run a cable and pipe detector over the line - but still expect something could be there even if it reads clear, because detectors miss deep cables, metal conduit and anything behind metal-backed board. If there's any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water. Fixing: in solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole 35mm deep and use a red wall plug with a 40mm woodscrew; into a timber stud, drive a 50mm woodscrew straight into its centre with no plug needed; into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a rated toggle anchor - never a plain wall plug or an ordinary woodscrew, which strips straight through 0.5mm steel; into plasterboard between studs, use a toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for at least 5kg; through dot-and-dab, use a fixing long enough (typically 50-75mm) to pass through the board and adhesive dabs and bite into the masonry behind, as a short fixing will only grip the board and pull out; into lath and plaster, aim for a lath if you can find one, and test-fix in an inconspicuous spot first as the plaster is often soft and crumbly.
1 each · Timber batten 25x38mm x 1m
1 box · Woodscrews 40-50mm (box)
1 box · Red wall plugs (box)
1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings (pack)
1 pack · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors (pack)
WR-05Prepare the surface for each wall typeSolid brick or block: make sure it's sound and dust-free, and prime with diluted PVA if it's very porous. Dot-and-dab plasterboard: never tile straight onto bare board or scrim joints - fill and sand joints first, then prime with a plasterboard primer. Timber or metal stud plasterboard: check the boards are firmly screwed (not just nailed) to the frame and fill any joints or screw heads. Lath and plaster: press firmly across the reveal - if the plaster moves, sounds hollow over a wide area or crumbles, it's blown and needs re-fixing or skimming by a plasterer before you tile.
1 500ml · PVA bonding agent
1 1L · Plasterboard primer
1 tube · Filler
WR-06Spread adhesive and fix the first tilesUse a standard wall tile adhesive on brick, block or sound plasterboard, but switch to a flexible adhesive on timber or metal stud walls and on dot-and-dab, since these backgrounds flex slightly more than masonry. Spread adhesive with a notched trowel starting from the batten, tiling the top of the reveal first if the window has a sloped sill, then the sides. Press each tile in with a slight twist and insert spacers as you go.
1 tub · Flexible tile adhesive 5kg
1 each · Notched trowel
1 bag · Tile spacers (bag)
WR-07Cut tiles to fit the reveal and frameMeasure each cut individually - the two sides of a reveal are rarely identical. Use your tile cutter for straight cuts, and a hand file or tile saw for notches around trickle vents or trim. Leave a 2-3mm gap between the tile and the window frame for silicone; never butt a tile hard against the frame.
WR-08Finish the external cornersChoose a mitred corner, with both tiles cut to 45° and butted, or a plastic tile trim, which is more forgiving for a beginner and protects the edge from chipping. If using trim, bed it into the adhesive on the first face before pressing the return tiles up against it.
1 length · PVC tile trim 2.5m
WR-09Let the adhesive cure, then remove the battenLeave the adhesive to cure for at least 24 hours - check the tub for the exact time. Unscrew and remove the batten, then fill any screw holes left in the wall with a dab of filler and let it dry.
1 tube · Filler
WR-10Grout the jointsRemove the spacers, mix the grout, and push it into every joint with a rubber float, working diagonally across the lines. Wipe off the excess with a damp sponge before it dries, then buff the tiles with a dry cloth once the grout haze has gone.
1 tub · Grout 2kg
1 each · Grout float
1 each · Sponge
WR-11Seal the window frame jointRun a bead of sanitary silicone sealant along the join between the tiles and the window frame. Tool it smooth with a wet finger or sealant tool, and leave it to cure fully - check the tube for the time - before opening the window or touching the joint.
1 tube · Sanitary silicone sealant
1 each · Sealant gun
WR-12Clean up and check the finishPeel off the masking tape and lift the dust sheet once everything is dry. Vacuum up tile dust and offcuts, and wipe down the sill and surrounding surfaces. Check the silicone line and grout for gaps, and dispose of offcuts and empty containers according to your council's waste rules.

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides