Find a Tiler you can trust in Oldbury.

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.

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. 

How To Tile An Uneven Wall

Do you know it’s almost impossible to find a wall in any home that’s fully flat and vertical? Just like floors, walls also have areas of imperfection or where they’re a bit uneven. When it comes to tiling, these are the problematic areas in which you must work around and identify how to solve to achieve a perfect finish. If not, you may as well just have the tiles sticking out and making room for moisture to creep in affecting the longevity of your project.

There a variety of options to tackle an uneven wall surface and one of the best is plastering. To make sure the surface of your wall is even, a great step would be to plaster it. Plastering of a wall can be a very simple task, however, if you lack proper training or experience, you might want to consider getting a skilled professional to handle the project for you. Making sure the surface of your wall is even is a crucial step in the tile installation process and can be quite tricky on your first trial.

Uneven wall is usually as a result of two major factors - sagging of the wall over time and the wall’s surface is not completely flat. To solve this, you’d have to detach the boards. Then, attach a new board and re-skim the walls to create a new flat and even surface you can work on. For small imperfections and dips, simply use an adhesive cement to fill in the gaps in the plaster. This approach is perfect for holes and ding with a depth that’s not more than half a centimetre. When the cement is totally dry, you can sand it to achieve a flat finish. Happy Tiling!

How To Tile A Kitchen Floor

Tiling your kitchen floor can seem a daunting task at first glance, but is a skill that can be mastered after a couple of practices. With this simple guide, you will find it easier to satisfy your kitchen floor tiling needs.

lPrepare The Subfloor

• Ensure the subfloor is very secure to support both the tile and the people working across it.

• If necessary, you can strengthen the kitchen floor with the help of a vinyl, heavy felt or any other good backer board.

• After successfully securing the floor, proceed to clear out all dust and dirt.

lMix The Mortar

• Mix a thinset mortar be referring to the instructions on the package. ( Mix only the quantity you can apply within 30 minutes).

• Once the mixture looks similar to the thickness of mayonnaise, allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before application.

lApply The Mortar

• Apply a thin layer of mortar

• Do not cover extensive areas as the mortar can become very dry.

• Spread the mortar with a trowel in curved patterns to make it flat on the floor.

lSet The Tile

• Set down the tile slowly, apply a little pressure until its holds firmly to the surface. ( Apply a consistent amount of pressure throughout to ensure equal heights for all the tiles)

• Continue with the process until all full tiles are well positioned

lCut The Tiles

• Once all the full tile pieces are in place, start cutting to cover the edges requiring smaller tile pieces.

• Take accurate measurements of the outer edges needing smaller tile pieces.

• Cut the tile pieces to fit the measurement taken with the help of a wet saw or hand tile cutter.

lGrouting

• Remove all spacers and mortar residues and lay the grout

• Apply the grout along the tiles’ seams with a grout float

• Clean out excess grout with a damp sponge after leaving it to dry for about 30 minutes

• Once the grout is fully dried, apply the sealer (the drying process normally takes within 3 to 4 days).

For the best results, it’s advisable to contact a tiling professional for help when it comes to kitchen floor tiling especially if you have no training or prior experience. This way, you can get the best quality and also avoid the regrettable mistakes and extra costs that’s very common with newbies.

When your tiles get old and starts to lose its curb appeal and deteriorate, it’s certainly time to have it removed. When it comes to old wall tiles removal, you have two options which is either you do it yourself or call in a professional – with the latter being more advisable. However, if you wish to save some money on installation and carry out the task yourself, then you’ve come to the right place!

Firstly, you have to know that the bonding agent or adhesive usually incorporated to hold a tile against the wall are always very strong or else you’ll find your tiles peeling off. As a result, to have them removed is not the easiest of tasks and bashing them with a hammer, will only have them broken leaving you with the task of having to scrape off the pieces. A better and much easier approach to removing tiles from a wall will be to pry them off one after the other. So how do you go about this? Let’s have a look!

1. Safety First, Then Remove The First Tile
   Wear a protective eye goggle and gloves.
2. Break up the grout around a tile located atthe wall’s centre using a putty knife and hammer.
3. Place the putty knife under the the tile and gently it with the hammer.
4. Remove The Remaining Tiles
   By tapping and prying using the tools - hammer and putty knife, wipe off all the tiles in the vertical row.
5. Once done, continue to detaching the tiles in the adjacent rows until you’re able to open a wallboard section that’s around 12 inches wide and does not obstruct a stud.
6. Use a keyhole blade to poke it through the wallboard.
7. With the help of a reciprocating saw, cut out the wallboard’s section.
8. Cut The Fasteners
   Using a metal-cutting blade, cut te wallboard-holding fasteners. Make sure the fasteners holding the wallboard to the top and bottom plates of the wall are both detached.
9. Remove All Wallboard Sections
   Using a similar approach, gently remove the other sections of the wallboard.
10. Once completed, you can easily sweep the tiles’ broken pieces.
11. Finally, vaccum the grout dust to ensure the work is neatly done.

If you lack a proper training or experience, taking off your tiles from a wall is best left to a skilled professional for the best results and to prevent potential damages which can lead to additional 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).

Mosaic tiles is a popular choice amongst most homeowners for several reasons. Not only can they be used to create a colourful and beautiful background for your space, they’re also very easy to maintain while also lasting a very long period of time when properly installed. In addition, they’re very easy to install and can also blend perfectly with other types of tiles. If you’re thinking about fitting mosaic wall tiles in your home or office, you’d probably want to know how you can go about the installation. The installation process is actually very easy but if you do not have the confidence required to pull this off, then we’d recommend you call in a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help.

✓ Prepare the surface. This involves switching off the power to electrical outlets, removing wall plates as well as other accessories anchored to the wall and protecting the countertop and other surfaces.

✓ Draw reference lines. Determine the layout of the mosaic tiles.

✓ Install a tile finishing trim. This should be done at the edge of the tiled surface with flat head nails. Then use a 3/16 inches notched trowel to spread a thin coat of tile adhesive over a small section of wall, to one side of the vertical line.

✓ Spread the adhesive. Use the notched side of a trowel to spread the adhesive.

✓ Lay the first sheet. Use the reference lines as a guide to the first mosaic tile sheet.

✓ Verify adherence. Push the sheet gently into the adhesive to ensure that it adheres very well to the wall.

✓ Tap the tiles lightly. Use a rubber mallet to tap the tiles lightly to ensure the sheets are set firmly on the wall.

✓ Caulk the joints.

If you planning to invest in wall panels, it’s worth knowing whether or not they can be fitted over tiles. With the right installation advice from a reliable source, you’ll be able to save yourself both valuable time and money while also making sure that your home improvement project adds immense value to your property and gains from a durable and long lasting finish.

Wall panels, in general, are a cost effective means that you can incorporate to waterproof your bathroom or shower walls, while they’re also known for being incredibly stylish. Another significant benefit, that’s rather surprisingly often overlooked, is the fact that it’s actually a lot easier to clean and maintain when compared to wall covering that incorporates grout.

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, you can fit shower wall panels over tiles. However, it should also be noted that these may not be possible depending on your existing tiles’ conditions. This is because there are tiles that may not be suitable to be covered by shower wall panels. To protect the integrity of your shower wall panels and continue to enjoy it for any extended period of time, there’s a need to ensure that the existing tiles are in the right condition before you proceed. A beautifully finished and mould free bathroom will make your home stand out while also adding more value to it.

As a result, you’ll have to carefully inspect the tiles on the walls you want to cover before you proceed. While the odd cracked tile on a flat surface may not be an issue, all loose tiles should be completely removed (if more than two, you may want to consider removing all). You’ll also need to address other issues like damp or degrading plaster, uneven wall and more.