Find a Tiler you can trust in Banstead.

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. 

Are you looking to tile your bathroom floor very soon? Well, we’ve got you covered! Tiling is not the easiest skill to acquire and definitely not one you’d not want to try out on your bathroom with some practices. For the best results and to get it right the first time, we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional especially if you’re inexperienced or without a bathroom tiling training. Hopefully, this quick step-by-step guide will put you in the right direction.

Bathroom Floor Tiling Procedures

• 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.

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 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.

Can You Tile Over Floor Tiles?

Are you about to tackle a refurbishment or renovation project? If yes, then you might be worried about the removal of your old tiles before installing the new ones. Being fully aware that this process can be time and money consuming, it can only make sense to consider whether you can tile on existing tiles. The answer is yes, however, there are a few details you must take into account when embarking on this cost-effective journey. Here’s our advice:

lSelect The New Tiles

• Take into consideration the surface behind the tiles and the weight it’ll be able to withstand.

• For plasterboard, the surface can withstand about 30kg to 32kg per m2 (28.5kg of tile/square metre and 2.5kg to 3.5kg of adhesive and grout).

• For skimmed plasterboard, the surface can hold about 18kg to 20kg per m2 ( 16kg of tile/square metre and 2.5kg to 4kg of adhesive and grout )

• Consider the existing tiles, if heavy enough, then your choice for the new tiles should very light.

lPrepare Old Tiles

• Confirm that the old tiles are well glued to the substrate.

• Check that the tiles are level. If not, use a grinder to flatten out any humps.

• Remove the sealer for the old tiles, if any.

• Clear out all dust and dirt.

lLay New Tiles

• Spread a layer of flexible adhesive.

• Lay the new tiles

lFinish The Project

• Fill the joints with an appropriate tile grout.

• Seal the edges with a sealant.

It’s as simple as that! However, it must be said that if you’re lacking the appropriate training or experience to pull this off, then you probably would not want the first trial on your prized asset. For a top quality job and to avoid unnecessary costs, you can reach out to a tiling professional for help.

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.

A tiled floor perfectly blends style with function, be it a sophisticated matte finish or a gleaming glossy sheen. Moisture and stain resistant, floor tiles represent a practical choice for a busy home and its elegance makes it even more suitable irrespective of the interior design project. What’s more? Floor tiles are generally cost effective and requires low maintenance, however, this doesn’t mean you should not show your tiled floor some love and care from time to time. If you’re wondering how to go about the maintenance of your tiled floor, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to share with you some maintenance tips to take care of your floor tiles. Let’s take a look!

• Get rid of excessive dirt on a regular basis. From mere food stains to more serious scratches, a busy domestic life can significantly shorten the lifespan of your tiled floor if care is not taken. While being easy to clean makes the maintenance quite simple, regular upkeep of the floor is quite important as loose dirt and debris can wear away your flooring’s finish over time.
• Do not ignore the grout. While the surface is stain and moisture resistant, same thing cannot be said of the grout. To keep the gout lines clean, simply make use of a soft bristle brush or a white pencil eraser.
• Try out deep cleaning your flooring. Although regular maintenance of your flooring is essential to have your floor looking clean and neat, deep cleaning is just as important to preserve the overall finish of the  floor.