Don’t you just hate it when a builder does sloppy work? We had a small sink installed on our patio at our little roundhouse a few weeks ago, and I wasn’t very happy with the finished look. Don’t get me wrong; the contractor knew how to do all the plumbing bits. But when it came to finishing things off, he didn’t have a clue. Look at this patio wall!!!
UGH!!! That’s just gross.
This is our holiday home, and when we’re there, we spend a lot of time on the patio enjoying this view.
The last thing I wanted was to get distracted by the mess the builder left behind. I’m a bit anal when it comes to things like that. We had two choices, get someone to fix the problem for us or do it ourselves.
Not much of a choice when you don’t have a lot of money, so we went for the DIY option. Since we don’t have a tile cutter, we decided to use these easy-to-install grey pebble tiles.
One finger cannot lift a #pebble
Okay, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
How To Tile a Patio Wall In a Day
The pebble tiles we chose to tile our patio come in 30 cm x 30 cm sheets. There are about 50 pebbles stuck onto a sturdy mesh-like backing. The mesh is really easy to cut with a pair of scissors, so you don’t need any fancy tile cutters ;-)
Because the gaps between some of the pebbles are quite wide, we used coarse mosaic grout adhesive to attach the tiles. The manufacturer adds sand to the mixture so it doesn’t crack or shrink as easily as non-sanded grout would.
We chose a dark grey adhesive to match the darkest colored pebble on the sheet and mixed it according to the instructions on the back of the packaging.
The mixture should look like creamy, thick, smooth butter.
Using a trowel, we applied the adhesive (grout) evenly onto the rough, yucky patio wall.
I found it easier to work in sections and to put a thicker layer of adhesive onto the wall.
That way, when you squish the pebble tiles on, the adhesive oozes through the mesh, and it sits firmly.
The best thing about using pebble tiles is you can just use a pair of scissors to cut the mesh backing it when it doesn’t quite fit into the space. Note to self: Please wear gloves the next time. I think I lost all my fingerprints tiling the patio wall.
Once the grout adhesive sets, we applied a little more between the “pebble gaps” and then sponged off any excess.
Lol, look at my hair. I really need to do something with it; every time we go down to the coast, I end up looking like an upside-down mop. Okay, wait, that’s not true. I always look like an upside-down mop.
We didn’t buy enough tiles to go all the way around. It’s a budget thing. So I removed some of the pebbles from the mesh and made a hubby a big, fat heart just to remind him how much I love him. If you do have spare pebbles left over, save them to make these 10-minute napkin rings.
Here's a happy fact. Penguins propose with a pebble :-)
The grout adhesive works really well as paint too.
Now I just need to figure out how to hide that white pipe.
I may just paint the PVC next time we go down. But for now, I’m in love with how the patio makeover turned out.
All in all, it took me just over three hours on a beautiful Saturday morning to transform our patio.
Don’t you just love that face? It’s from an old fountain.
And some plants to soften up the look.
Our seashell collection found a home in the old rusty pot.
We filled our pot plants with succulents. They’re such rewarding plants, drought-tolerant and almost maintenance-free.
Okay, so I lost my fingerprints somewhere on that wall, but I really think it was worth every second.
I’d love to hear what you think about the patio wall makeover. Were pebble tiles the right choice?
If you’re planning on tiling your patio soon, don’t forget to pin the tutorial for later.
Sharing is caring ;-)
If you’d like to make something similar, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more crafty ideas to share with you ;-)
Sending love and blessing as always. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
52 comments