Find a Tiler you can trust in Caldicot.

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.

If you’re considering the installation of large format porcelain tiles in your home or property, you’d probably want to know how you can go about the laying process. Large porcelain tiles can measure up to 3m in length and as a result, requires specialist skills, equipment as well as products in order to see to a high quality installation of the tiles. In this guide, we share with you expert tips that’ll help install large porcelain tiles onto floor space with relative ease. Let’s take a look!

✓ Prepare the tiles. This includes cleaning the surface of the tile of any dirt, dust and removing any temporary protective layers. This is because any contamination to the tile’s surface can affect the suction action of the lifting frame.

✓ Cut your porcelain tiles. For cutting, the tiles should be transferred to a stable base for for more accuracy and clean cut. Use the measurements to get a perfect cut and if you’ll require a straight cut simply use the score and snap tools and techniques.

✓ Prepare the adhesive. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prepare the adhesive.

✓ Install the large porcelain tiles. Use a 4mm notched trowel to backcomb the adhesive onto the tile’s reverse. All ribs should run in same direction and also be parallel with the shortest length. Use a larger notched trowel to apply the adhesive to the substrate. Once you’ve applied the adhesive to both surfaces, you can then life the tiles into place with the lifting frame. Then use the tile levelers to ensure the tiles are flush at the joints and wipe off any excess adhesive

✓ Apply the grout.

Kitchen floor tiles are a very popular choice for several reasons. They’re durable, visually appealing, resistant to moisture and stain and also relatively easy to maintain and install especially when compare to wall tiles. This is a task that can be done by any competent DIYer but requires a lot of patience as well as confidence. If you lack these attributes, then we’d recommend that you hire a professional floor tiler who can guarantee the best results the first time. In this article we’ll take you through the kitchen floor tiling process. Let’s get started!

• Prepare 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.

• Mix 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.

• Apply 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.

• Set 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

• Cut 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.

• Grouting

✓ 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).

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.

How To Take Tiles Off A Wall

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!

lSafety First, Then Remove The First Tile

• Wear a protective eye goggle and gloves.

• Break up the grout around a tile located atthe wall’s centre using a putty knife and hammer.

• Place the putty knife under the the tile and gently it with the hammer.

lRemove The Remaining Tiles

• By tapping and prying using the tools - hammer and putty knife, wipe off all the tiles in the vertical row.

• 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.

• Use a keyhole blade to poke it through the wallboard.

• With the help of a reciprocating saw, cut out the wallboard’s section.

lCut 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.

lRemove All Wallboard Sections

• Using a similar approach, gently remove the other sections of the wallboard.

• Once completed, you can easily sweep the tiles’ broken pieces.

• 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.

How To Lay Tiles On Concrete

Installation of tiles on concrete sub-floors can be done with relative ease under adequate guidance. Here is what you have to do.

lPrepare The Concrete Subfloor

• Ensure the concrete is dry, clean and must be at least 6 weeks old.

• If there are dips and humps, level the concrete using a levelling compound.

lSet Out

• Working from the centre outwards, take a measurement of the floor (both length and width) and draw a cross at the centre.

• Lay out the tiles from the cross with a space of 3mm between each tiles. This will allow for movement stresses within the floor and later to be filled with grout upon installation of the tiles and adhesive dried.

lCut The Tiles

• Due to the particularly had nature of some floor tiles such as natural stone and porceclain, high quality tools are usually required to produce a clean cut through the tiles. With the help of an electric wet cutter alongside a slide cutter and nippers, your job would be made a lot easier.

• For a better result during intricate cuts, make use of a cardboard template.

lFix The Tiles

• The tiles should be fixed using a cement-based adhesive.

• Ensure to refer to the packaging or product data for the mixing ratios information.

• Stir the mixture till its lump-free

lApply The Mixture

• Spread the mixture onto the concrete sub-floor to create parallel ribs with the help of a floor trowel.

• Push the tiles into the parallel ribs.

• Clear out any excess adhesive from the tiles surface with a damp sponge.

• Do not walk on the tiles for at least 2 hours.

lGrout

• Once the adhesive is dried, wipe out any dust, adhesive or dirt from the tiles’ gaps.

• Mix about 4 to 5 parts of grout powder with 1 part of water and ix together.

• Apply the mixed grout diagonally across the tiles using a soft rubber grout float.

• Wipe out excess grout from the tiles surface and allow the tiles to dry.

• Stubborn residues can be cleaned using any washing up detergent with warm water within 24 hours after grouting.

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.