Lesson 1Cutting and shaping tiles: wet saw, angle grinder, nippers and proper edge finishingThis section covers safe and accurate cutting and shaping of tiles. You will compare wet saws, angle grinders, and nippers, learn edge finishing methods, dust control, and techniques for neat cuts around fixtures, niches, and floor wastes.
Using a wet saw for straight and mitre cutsAngle grinder techniques and blade choiceTile nippers for small notches and curvesEdge smoothing, arrising and polishingDust control and personal protective gearLesson 2Application of waterproofing: number of coats, wet film thickness, curing, lap details around joints, penetrations and drainsHere you will learn how to apply waterproofing membranes in wet areas, including required coats, wet film thickness control, curing times, and correct lapping at corners, joints, penetrations, and drains to achieve a continuous, durable barrier.
Calculating required wet film thicknessNumber of coats and recoat intervalsLap details at corners and wall-floor jointsSealing around pipes, mixers and drainsCuring conditions and protection from damageLesson 3Inspection and testing: bond tests, hollow-sound detection using a mallet, waterproofing continuity checks and flood testingHere you will learn how to inspect and test waterproofing and tile work. Content includes bond testing, detecting hollow-sounding tiles with a mallet, checking membrane continuity at details, and performing controlled flood tests in wet areas.
Visual checks of membranes and detailsSimple bond and pull-off field testsHollow-sound detection with a rubber malletFlood testing shower bases and floorsDocumenting defects and repair proceduresLesson 4Tile layout and set-out: dry layout, symmetry, grout joint width, tile orientation and reference linesHere you will learn how to plan tile layout in bathrooms. Topics include dry laying, symmetry, grout joint width, tile orientation, reference lines, centering on features, and managing cuts at corners, niches, and drains for a professional finish.
Reading plans and measuring the bathroomEstablishing control and reference linesDry layout to test pattern and cutsChoosing grout joint width and alignmentCentering tiles on key visual featuresLesson 5Tile fixing methods: back-buttering, butter-and-bedding for floors, wall adhesive application methods and correct trowel sizesThis section explains correct tile fixing methods for bathroom walls and floors. You will learn when to use back-buttering, butter-and-bedding, correct trowel sizes, coverage targets in wet areas, and techniques to avoid voids under tiles.
Choosing trowel notch size and patternBack-buttering large and dense tilesButter-and-bedding for floors and fallsAchieving minimum coverage in wet zonesAvoiding voids and air pockets under tilesLesson 6Substrate preparation for waterproofing: primers, fillets at wall-floor junctions, surface profile requirementsThis section covers preparing bathroom substrates before waterproofing. You will study cleaning, priming, forming fillets at wall-floor junctions, crack treatment, falls to drains, and surface profile requirements for reliable membrane adhesion.
Cleaning and decontaminating substratesSelecting and applying suitable primersForming cementitious fillets at junctionsTreating cracks, holes and surface defectsChecking falls, flatness and surface profileLesson 7Waterproofing strategies: sheet membranes, liquid-applied membranes, cementitious waterproofing — selection criteria and compatibilityThis section compares sheet, liquid, and cementitious waterproofing systems for bathrooms. You will learn performance criteria, substrate compatibility, typical failure modes, and how to select systems that meet codes and manufacturer guidance in Uganda.
Sheet membranes: types, uses, limitationsLiquid-applied membranes: key propertiesCementitious coatings for wet areasCompatibility with substrates and primersChemical resistance and service conditionsLesson 8Tile adhesive selection: cement-based thinset, flexible mortars, rapid-set adhesives — selection by substrate and tile typeThis section explains how to choose tile adhesives for bathroom walls and floors. You will compare cement-based thinset, flexible and rapid-set mortars, and match them to substrates, tile formats, porcelain density, and expected movement or moisture.
Cement-based thinset classificationsFlexible mortars for movement-prone basesRapid-set mortars: uses and limitationsAdhesive choice for porcelain and large tilesAdhesive compatibility with waterproofingLesson 9Assessing moisture-damaged masonry and block walls: cleaning stains, removing failed render, and drying strategiesYou will learn how to assess moisture-damaged masonry and block walls before waterproofing. Topics include diagnosing moisture sources, removing failed render, cleaning efflorescence and mold, and controlled drying strategies that avoid further cracking.
Identifying moisture sources and pathwaysTesting masonry moisture contentRemoving loose render and contaminated layersCleaning efflorescence, mold and stainingDrying strategies and re-rendering timingLesson 10Grouting, sealants and movement joints: grout types, joint cleaning, silicone sealants at perimeter and fixtures, and expansion joint placementYou will learn how to grout and seal tiled bathrooms, including grout types, joint cleaning, mixing and packing techniques, silicone at perimeters and fixtures, and designing movement and expansion joints to control cracking and leaks.
Selecting cementitious and epoxy groutsJoint cleaning and preparation before groutingCorrect grout mixing and applicationSilicone at perimeters, corners and fixturesMovement and expansion joint placement
