Find a Tiler you can trust in Devon.

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 A Floor

Are you interested in having a tiled floor in your residential or commercial space? There are so many benefits that comes with installing tiles and that’s why so many home or property owners are considering it. Not only do they increase the visual appeal of the property, but they’re also resistant to moisture helping to increase the durability of the house, whether it’s wall or floor tiles. So if you wish to lay tiles for your house, this guide will help put you in the right direction, ensuring you get it right, the first time.

Floor Tiles Installation Procedures

lFloor Preparation

• The first step is to prepare the floor by moving all objects like mortar, adhesives and more.

• Use concrete patching compound to fill ill low spots and cracks, until the floor is levelled.

• Ensure the floor is dry and clean.

lPattern Layout

• Take the measurement of each wall’s length while also taking into account the room’s diagonals.

• To help place the tiles in an orderly manner, make use of a chalk to mark down lines on the levelled surface in question and ensure it’s parallel to the walls.

lAdhesive Preparation

• Mix the appropriate amount of water with the adhesive (bonding agent).

• The mixture should be toothpaste-like thick to ensure the durability of the tiles.

lTiles Placement

• Depending on the tile’s size, evenly spread the mortar on the floor using a notched trowel.

• Lay the first tile on the bonding agent (adhesive or mortar) and apply a gentle and little pressure on the tile.

• Repeat the technique for other tiles using plastic spacers to ensure the edges and corners are properly aligned.

lTiles Cutting

• Cut the tiles (if necessary) with the help of a wet saw or scoring cutter featuring a diamond-tripped blade.

lGrout Application

• Filling of the tiles’ gap is done using the grout. It can be applied to the joints with a rubber float.

• After application, allow the grout to set up for some minutes.

• Use sponge and a bucket of water to clear out any adhesive leftover.

lGrout Sealing

• Use a foam brush or applicator bottle for the sealants’ application.

• Clean out excess sealer within 10 minutes.

Floor tiling can be a very tricky activity that can end up being disastrous, especially when done by a novice. Unless you have prior experience or well-trained, it would be advisable to employ the services of a seasoned professional - it’ll save you lots of time, money and guarantee a top quality job is done.

If you’re not an expert floor installer who would take wall tile installation as merely being a vertical floor, you are advised to be very cautious when tackling the project. The installation of wall tiles follow some set of rules which you’d better not break if you really wish to protect your investment. And worst of all, a wall tile done wrong is a lifetime penalty of having to look at it. So how can you get it right? Well, probably by reaching out to a wall tile installation professional for a good quality solution that’ll save you time, money and effort. However, we’ve put together this guide to help give you an insight of how it works and also to help you avoid some unnecessary expenses. Let’s have a look!

• Hang a batten board

✓ Start your rows of tiles or bottom-most course with a batten board which works to prevent spillage of tiles.

✓ Position the batten board at 3/4 of the tiles’ height. Ensure not to start at the floor.

• Form A Pyramid Shape With The Tiles

✓ If you’ve reached the bottom row of tile, then arrange the tile in a pyramid shape. To achieve this, you’d have to install the tiles one through four as instructed. Each following row will be draped over the pyramid.

• Examine The Floor For Level & Walls For Plumb

✓ If your floor level or plumb is off by a maximum of a half-inch over the course of 8 feet, add extra baseboards and trim to cover up the problem.

• The Least Size Of Tiles To Be Used Is Half-Wide

✓ Ensure that no “silvers (tiles that are lower than half the width of the tile in question) are incorporated in the project.

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.

Removing floor tile is always a simple task until you get started. Then, you’d realize not only is it a tedious and time consuming task, but also one with multiple hidden challenges that’s only revealed once the project is underway. If you have no experience or perhaps you lack the confidence required to pull this off, we’d highly recommend you call in a professional who can guarantee the best outcome and save you some unnecessary spending. However, if you wish to tackle this yourself, this guide would be your perfect partner to ensure a successful outcome.

To get started, you’ll need the following tools; hammer, chisel, pry bar, scraper, trash can as well as a broom or shop vac.

1. Remove fixtures. Ensure the room is empty and remove all fixture that may get in the way.
2. Pick a starting point. Use a hammer and chisel to chip out a tile and create a starting point for the task. Depending on how the tile is affixed and the underlayment type incorporated, the tile may remove easily or require some effort. Use a hammer, chisel, pry bar or pole scraper to remove the tiles.
3. Remove the tiles. From the starting point created, proceed to pry up the tiles. Deposit then in a trash can or large bucket in order to reduce clutter.
4. Access underlayment. There are cases whereby the tiling is attached directly to a concrete floor or subfloor, however the common practice is having a plywood or mortarboard underlayment. The damaged underlayment should be detached to expose the subfloor.
5. Clear debris. Wipe out all debris from the floor using a broom or shop vac.
6. Remove nails. If you removed the damaged underlayment, you may have to either remove or pound in some nails to get a level surface.

How To Remove Tile Adhesive From Wall

Do you feel your tile design choices are outdated and want to replace it with a more stylish one? Or perhaps you’re just struggling to remove the old tile adhesive from your wall. Putting on a new wallpaper or repainting your wall might be a cup of tea, but retiling is surely a different experience altogether. After detaching every single piece of tile from the wall, you’ll still have the strongly glued adhesive to battle with. If not done properly, you may as well damage the wall which will trigger a new additional cost for repair. We’d recommend you get a professional helping hand for the best results if you’re without a proper training or experience. However, this guide will teach you everything you need to know about the process. Let’s get started!

Materials Required

• Steamer

• Protective sheets

• 4-inch scraper

• Clean cloth

• Protective gear - face mask, eye goggles, gloves.

Tile Adhesive Removal Process

• Cover The Floor

Ensure that the floor is well covered to collect the residues falling off from the wall with some protective sheets.

• Heat Up The Adhesive

Using the wallpaper steamer, heat up the adhesive to make it a bit loose and softer. Do this by slowly moving the steamer around and ensure not to stay on one spot for too long.

• Scrape Off The Mortar

When you can tell the adhesive is properly softened, use the 4 inch scraper to wipe it off the wall. Do this until all the adhesive has been completely removed.

• Clear Out The Fallen Residue

Clean up any mortar that has fallen on the floor.

After the tile adhesive removal, your wall may need to be skimmed depending on its state. This is to put the surface in a good and flat condition before installing the new tiles. The wall may also need to be re-plastered if the adhesive is extremely strong.

How To Tile A Bathroom Wall With Large Tiles

It is crucial to make the walls of your bathroom waterproof, and a great way to do this is by installing tiles on them. And to make it more effective, less time consuming and a lot easier, you can make use of the large tiles in your shower. So how do you have them installed? With this brief guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the bathroom wall large tiles installation. Let’s have a look!

lGet The Appropriate Substrate

• Clean the surface on which the large tiles will be placed

• Make use of levelling spacers to ensure the large wall tiles are even.

• Get a cement-made backer board to install the tiles

• You made require a large format wall adhesive for the installation, if the large wall tiles are different

lSet The Layout

• You may need a dry layout for the tiles installation (installation without mortar or other bonding agents).

• Start with the first wall opposite the bathroom’s entrance

• Once completed, you can continue with the remaining parts of the bathroom wall.

• Place the first tile at the centre.

• Place the subsequent tiles on each side of the previous ones to have a more balanced installation.

There are three varying materials that can be utilized in installing heavy wall tiles. These includes thin set mortar, epoxy and mastic. However, you should always make use of epoxy for large format tile layout. To do this, simply place the tiles at your desired angle and gently twist them to hold firmly in place. Continue with this process till you have successfully covered the entire bathroom wall with the large tiles. Once done, leave the bathroom wall to dry.

It is advised that you hire the professional services of a tile installation company in order to get the best outcome especially if you lack the necessary experience, tools and knowledge to carry out the project. This will save you some time, effort and money.