Find a Tiler you can trust in Abercraf.

Kitchen fitters are often trained carpenters and not all will offer tiling but many will know a tiler that they have worked with in the past. If you are looking to get your kitchen retiled without fitting a new kitchen when it's worth talking to tilers directly to get a range of prices.

It's useful to know in advance what tiles you like, a visit to your local tile store and either pick up a brochure or take some photos. It's probably better not to purchase the tiles at this moment though as often your appointed tiler may be able to get you a better price for the tiles or recommend alternatives. 

Are you interested in fitting tiles in your home or office? If yes, then you’d probably want to know the total cost of getting the project over the line. And being fully aware every job is unique, having a cost per square metre to work with will give you a more accurate price estimation for the overall project. 

First and foremost, the cost of a tiler depends on a wide range of factors such as the type of floor tiles and the size of the area. The cheapest of them all is the vinyl tiles which can be easily cut through and waterproof when properly sealed. As a result, making them a better fit for bathroom floors. Other kinds of tiles include ceramic tiles, mosaic tiles, quarry tiles and porcelain tiles. Each of the types have their own unique qualities including the quarry tiles’ durability and the afore-mentioned vinyl tiles’ waterproof qualities.

Having in mind that the major part of your tiles cost largely depends on the size of the area and the type of tile selected, you can then go ahead to contact your preferred tiling professional for an installation quote. The average price of bathroom tiles installation ranges about £20 to £25 per square metre. Meanwhile for a kitchen floor tiling project, the cost should range between £20 to £50 per square metre.

Finding a tiling professional you can rely on to complete your project and deliver a top quality job while also offering a very competitive price can be almost impossible. The professional you use greatly determines the price of your tiling effort, so there’s the need to review various professionals before making a decision.

Due to its numerous advantages, bathroom floor tiles are a popular choice for homeowners across the country. Not only are they durable and good looking, but they’re also resistant to both moisture and stains. Hence, they’re very easy to maintain and with skill, confidence and patience, can also be relatively easy to install especially when compared to wall tiles which is a vertical surface.

Fitting bathroom floor tiles requires a lot of planning as it can be easy to make costly errors here and there. Generally, this task shouldn’t pose any serious difficulty for a confident and patient DIYer. However, if you lack these attributes, then it’s advisable to call in a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the bathroom floor tiles installation process. Let’s get started!

• Make Sure You Have A Levelled Subfloor

✓ Your subfloor’s stability is crucial for the success of your tile laying.

✓ Once done, then you can start planning how to level the floor.

✓ Identify the highest point of your floor and place a really long level to determine the dip and hump spots.

✓ Fill in the identified low spots with mortar.

• Cut The Tiles

✓ Using a wet saw with a diamond blade and pump, cut through the tiles to get the appropriate shape.

• Choose The Appropriate Adhesive

✓ To best adhesive is probably the one written on the label and suggested by the manufacturer.

✓ If uncertain, you can make use of a modified mortar

• Prepare The Area

✓ Using the prepared mixture of your mortar, prime the surface by spreading it on the floor with the trowel’s flat side.

✓ Once done, you can add more mortar with the ridges of the trowel.

• Space The Tiles

✓ Tile spacement depends largely on the surrounding walls. Straight walls equal straight tiles, if not your judge would be required to ensure a great outcome.

✓ If the wall is straight, make a space of about an eighth of an inch. The bigger spacing, the higher the possibility for the grout to become visibly discoloured.

• Use The Right Grout

✓ With sanded and unsanded grouts having a variety of colours, choosing the ideal grout can a tricky affair.

✓ The size of the spaces play a huge role in determining the best choice.

✓ Use a sanded grout if the spacing is an eighth of an inch or more. However if less, make use of the unsanded grout.

How To Tile A Kitchen Wall

Tiling a kitchen wall can seem like an easy task until you get started. Errors made will forever be evident for everyone to see unless you’re prepared to spend some extra bucks. When done right, it can actually be a very satisfying project, but don’t even think about rushing into it. If you lack a proper training or experience, it’s advisable to leave the task to a skilled professional for the best results and to avoid extra costs. This guide is meant to give you a detailed insight into the process and help you avoid possible errors.

lPreparation

• Ensure you have the required amount of tiles, adhesive and grout.

• Take the tiles measurement and calculate in square metres.

• Determine the number of tiles to be used and add about 10% to the total number to cover for possible wastage.

• Check to surface to make sure its clean and dry.

lMark Out The Area To Be Tiled

• Mark out the width of the tiles with spacers using a baton of timber.

• Position a tile against the bottom-most point and draw a line.

• Put a baton along this line and follow this by a vertical line at the wall’s end.

lInstall The Tiles On The Kitchen Walls

• Apply an even layer of adhesive with a wall trowel on the kitchen’s wall surface.

• Place the first tile on the adhesive and apply small pressure, do this for the remaining tiles with similar pressure to ensure its levelled.

• Make use of tile spacers to get a uniform space in between.

• Leave the adhesive to harden before applying the grout.

lGrouting

• Remove the tile space and clear out excess adhesive

• Prepare the grout

• Make use of a grout float to apply the mixture into the joints.

• Let the grout dry up a bit before washing the surface off with a sponge and water.

How To Remove Tile Floor

Removing old tile can be a very tricky process which require lots of skills and experience to get right, the first time. Here, you’ll learn the best approach to removing your old tile by yourself. During the removal process, be sure to incorporate the necessary tools while also protecting yourself by putting on the recommended safety requirements. These includes a floor scraper, paint scraper, dust mask, handheld chisel, safety glasses, drop sheet as well as leather gloves or top quality riggers.

Tile Removal Process

lBreak The First Tile

• Use a hammer to break the first tile (target the centre of the tile with the hammer).

• To protect yourself from the sharp edges of the broken tile, use a drop sheet to cover the surfaces.

lRemove The First Tile

• With a chisel, remove the broken tile that’s still bonded on the floor.

• Position the chisel on the grout line at the tile’s edge to remove the broken but glued tile.

lBreak Up The Remaining Tiles

• Break up several tiles at once and use the floor scrapper to remove it.

• Ensure that the bonding agent used is pliable to make the job a soft work. If the bonding agent is a bit more permanent in nature, then you might want to consider a dynamite to dislodge the flooring.

lRemove The Mortar

• Hit the mortar with a hammer on a 2 to 3 foot square section to remove it from the underlayment.

• Scrape off the mortar’s broken pieces using a floor scraper

• In the event whereby most of the mortar is not removed, your best bet would be to change the underlayment.

• Bonding agent (adhesive) removal is not the easiest of tasks. To make it a bit simpler, you can softening the adhesive with a heat gun before scraping with the help a wide putty knife.

Tile removal is not only a tedious task, but can also be harmful if adequate care is not taken. If you’re inexperienced or not well trained, we’d recommend you hire the services of a professional to avoid making mistakes and incurring extra costs.

Can You Use Floor Tiles On Walls?

Some floor tiles are so lovely you just can’t help but wonder if its safe to be used on the walls as well. If you’re also thinking along the same line, you’re not alone! Several other home and property owners are busy finding answers to this particular question. Now let’s look at the possibilities.

Generally, any tile designed as a floor tile by the tile manufacturer can also be laid on the wall (vertical surfaces) as well as countertops. Due to the fact that the floors are usually subjected to greater use than the walls in terms of foot traffic, the durability required is also considerably greater. Therefore, a floor tile with Abrasion Resistance values ranging from I - V is suitable for wall installation. However, you should take note that exterior wall applications must be different from its interior counterparts and must only be incorporated on tiles that are frost resistant.

There are two other factors that must be taken into consideration before you install a floor tile on your walls which includes the weight of your tiles per m2 as well as the strength of the surface in which the tile is to be installed. If you don’t want your tiles falling off, the combined weight of the tiles with the adhesive and grout should not be more than the maximum weight required per m2 (20kg to 35kg depending on the wall substrates).

Now that you have an idea of the possibilities of installing floor tiles on walls, it must, however, be said that reverse is the case when it comes to installing walls tiles on the floor. Wall tiles are, generally, not suitable to be laid on the floor as they are mostly non-vitreous ( can not withstand excessive impact, abrasion or thaw cycling).

Have you laid your tile and left it to set? If yes, then the next step is to start grouting. Before you get started there’s a need to make ready the right grout for the type of your grout as well as background material. If you’re not certain of the right grout you can reach out to the grout manufacturer for help. Grouting of floor tiles is not the easiest and tasks and should be left to a reputable professional in order to avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary costs. In this post, we’re going to take you through the processes involved in grouting of floor tiles in order to put you on the right track. Let’s take a look!

1. Depending on the adhesive used to lay your tiles, make sure you leave enough time for the tiles to fully set.
2. Get a mixing bucket and mix grout powder and water as instructed on the packaging. Ensure not to make too much as this will make it solidify quickly and unstable.
3. Apply some grout on the tiles - hold the grout float at 45 degree angle and apply the grout to fill all of the joints.
4. Once you’re done grouting all of the joints between the tiles, leave it for up to 10 to 15 minutes to dry before wiping down the tile surface using a damp sponge. Ensure not to apply too much pressure on the grout joints.
5. Let the tiles rest for about an hour so as to allow the grout solidify and harden a bit more. Once done, proceed to take off the excess grout and smooth it off.
6. Wipe down the tiles until they’re totally clean using a clean cloth.

If you’re thinking about the better option between tiling your walls either before or after fitting a kitchen, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll give a good insight on the best practices to help you plan and also avoid making costly mistakes.

The short and simple answer to this question is - it depends. It depends on structure of your home or property, your kitchen as well as the surface in question, the materials selected and also your unique preferences. This answer is mainly provided because there’s no tile industry standard explaining when a kitchen or cabinet should be fitted. Therefore, there’s a need to check the suitability of any structure and substrate needs by a professional before you determine the type of tile installation as well as when to install the tile.

If you decide to install the wall tiles before fitting the kitchen, here are some benefits you stand to derive:

✓ There will be no finish cuts or sealant application required for the perimeter joints at the finished sides of the cabinets making the installer’s job a lot easier

✓ This also implies extra square footage for the installer, but less detail as well as trim work.

✓ Water leaks from the kitchen won’t be able to cause much damage.

✓ It allows for more flexibility when remodelling in the future.

However, installing the wall tiles after fitting the kitchen also comes with some advantages. Let’s have a look!

✓ This means less in square footage, but more time in both detail as well as trim work.

✓ The risk of damage to the wall tiles by other trades is significantly minimized.

✓ It’ll be easier to change the wall tiles later on without having to remove the kitchen.