Home Improvement Advice for Tiling

Do it Yourself Tips for Tiling

The two most common areas which are tiled are bathrooms and kitchens. Tiles need to be laid flat and on even bed. In bathrooms and kitchens only waterproof grout should be used and should be hygienically safe in kitchens.

Where tiles meet a bath/sink edge there should be a sealer strip which is normally a mastic. When your bath/sink moves (this is unavoidable) you will be able to prevent water leaking behind the tiles, whereas grout will crack.

At the end of a job check that there are:

No loose or cracked tiles

No missing grouting

Tiles are sealed (especially floor tiles)

Tiles come in a wide range of sizes, colours and textures. You should think about the area that you need to cover when choosing your tiles. Large areas may look too bold if wildly patterned tiles are used, and small areas can look cluttered if small tiles are used. Think about the design very carefully.

Tiles are pretty much maintenance free if the job is done properly, make sure that the edges of the tiles are sealed, where they finish and where they join sinks/baths, and grouting is solid and that if needed they are fully sealed. They are easily cleaned and hard wearing.

Tiles are a versatile, hard wearing covering for walls, floors and ceilings. They can be cut to fit any space or shape and are available in many different types of texture, pattern and material.

When using tiles the surface they will be laid on will need to be clean, dry and the right texture to take the tile, the base which tiles are laid on are usually plaster with a specific finish, please see our section on plastering.

It is possible to renew the grouting around the edges and joins of the tiles without renewing the tiles, do not be lead into believing that you should have the tiles renewed as well.

It is possible to replace a cracked or broken tile without renewing all tiles.