Find a Tiler you can trust in Southport.

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. 

Thanks to its durability, resistance to moisture and stain as well as aesthetic appeal, ceramic tile is a popular material for floor installations. The same qualities that makes it stand out for both kitchen and bathroom floors also makes it a natural choice for walls.

Fitting of ceramic wall tile is a task that requires pre-planning and lots of patience. Generally, it’s usually not that difficult to do but it can be very easy to make mistakes here and there. And because you’ll have to attach a relatively heavy material to vertical surfaces, the project can be somewhat trickier than ceramic floor tile so more care and skill is required here. This can be done by any competent DIYer who is confident and also patient. If you lack any of these attributes, we’d recommend you call in a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the ceramic wall tiles fitting process. Let’s take a look!

✓ Prepare the room. This includes switching off power to electrical outlets, removing decorative wall plates and other accessories on the wall, protecting the surface and taking out the baseboard.

✓ Draw reference lines. Using a chalk line draw a reference line on the wall to be tiled.

✓ Spread the adhesive. Use a notched trowel to spread the tile adhesive

✓ Install the first tile. Use the reference line as a guide to fit the first tile near the centre of the wall, twisting it slightly so its firmly in place. Then check to ensure the tile is level and adjust if you deem fit.

✓ Install all tiles. Following similar technique to install the remaining tiles and use tile spacers to ensure even gaps

✓ Clear out excess adhesive and remove spacers.

✓ Apply grout. Dampen the grout with clean water before the grout application

✓ Caulk the joints. After like 10 days, use silicone sealer to caulk the expansion joints.

How To Remove Tile From Wall

Have you stumbled on some stylish new tiles you wish to install in your home, be it bathroom, kitchen or living room? Or perhaps you just feel your old tiles have outstayed their welcome and need a to install a more modern and appealing wall tile. The first step before installation of the new tiles will be to remove the old ones which can be done by following these simple steps below:

lSafety

• To remove wall tiles, you’d have to chip them away and that implies shards of porcelain, ceramic or glass flying around. Hence, your safety should be a top priority.

• Use safety goggles and protective gloves to protect both your eyes and hands.

lCover Up

• With several sharp objects flying everywhere, all objects in the room are far from safe.

• Use a cardboard or old sheet to protect the room and valuable objects from damage.

lAssemble The Tools

• For wall tiles removal, you need just two tools - a hammer and a chisel that’s a bit thin.

• In the event whereby a chisel is not available, you can make use of a flat headed and large screwdriver.

lGet To Work

• Feel for a loose tile to start with and if successful, chip it out with a chisel.

• If you can’t find a loose tile, then break one by sticking the centre of a tile with a chisel and hit it hard with a hammer.

lRemove All Tiles

• Once you’ve been able to chip away or break the first tile, you can easily get access to other tiles.

lClean Up

• Try to get as much dried adhesive off the wall as you can by gently tapping it with the chisel and hammer so as not to damage the wall.

• Once done, put away the cardboard and dust sheet which should have collected much debris.

• Use a brush and dust pan to clean out the loose pieces (if any).

Wall tiles removal can be a very dangerous process which should be left to a professional especially if you lack a proper training or experience. This is not only to prevent anybody being hurt, but also to avoid any possible damages to the wall or any valuable object which can result in additional cost on repair or replacement.

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.

Adhesives are an integral component used in the floor tiling installation process. The issue, however is, there are a number of different adhesives available which each having their specific uses. If you’re wondering the best adhesives to use on floors, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to give you some tips to help you determine the most suitable adhesive for your floor tiles. Let’s take a look!

The best adhesive for your floor tiles will depend on the space the floor resides in. However, in general, thinset mortar is the most common for floor tiles and not pre-mixed adhesive. For instance, if you’re placing your tiles in an area that contains moisture like in the bathroom, the most suitable adhesive to use would be thinset mortar.

When it comes to installing your tiles on top of wood flooring, your best bet would also be using thinset mortar. With that in mind, it’s crucial that prior to any tile work being carried out on wood flooring, you put a tile backing board on the top of the wood or plywood. This is important to make sure there’s an even surface for the adhesive application which guarantees the durability of your floor tiles. Furthermore, if you’re looking to use tile adhesive on a cement surface, the best tile adhesive to use will also be thinset mortar. If you want to do this, you should first make sure that all dusts or debris on the surface are removed to ensure that the adhesive sticks as it should. Once done, you should proceed to even out the cement to ensure that it’s not sloping. This should be done to guarantee the best results.

Due to the plethora of benefits ceramic floor tiles are able to provide, there’s little surprise they’re a popular flooring choice amongst homeowners. 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.

If you’re looking to install ceramic floor tiles by yourself, you’ve come to the right place. This is a task any confident and patient DIYer should be able to do with ease. However if you’re not confident enough to pull this off, it’s advisable to get a professional for help. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of fitting ceramic floor tiles.

✓ Prepare the subfloor. This involves making sure the layout is even from side to side on both directions, picking up loose tiles and setting them aside.

✓ Spread a thin set of mortar over a 3x3 foot section at the intersection of the layout lines using a notched trowel.

✓ Start to lay the tiles from the centre point of the two layout lines. Simply set the individual tile into the mortar and tap gently with a rubber mallet. Ensure to use spacers at the corner of each tile to maintain an even grout line between the tiles.

✓ Continue spreading the mortar and complete laying of the tiles

✓ Once all the tiles have been perfectly fitted in the mortar, proceed to mix the grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and apply it with the use of a rubber grout float.

✓ Wipe clear any excess grout with a grout sponge. Once done, let the grout dry up a bit, then remove the haze that comes up.

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.