Tile laying – What you should pay attention to

1. Planning the layout

The first rule is to plan carefully in advance. Think about where grout lines and cuts will be concerning your planned floor plan. You want your space to look balanced and symmetrical.

Also consider door thresholds and floor obstructions such as kitchen, lavatory and vanity base cabinets, as it is common to tile only to the feet of these base cabinets to reduce costs.

2. To heat or not to heat

Before the first tile is installed, you need to make an important, unseen decision. Will the floors be heated? Heated floors are a luxury that is not as expensive as you might think. In an average-sized bathroom, a heated floor in the cold season often costs less than £600 more than a radiator or heated towel rail in a bathroom of around 4 m2.

3. material of the tiles

The three most common tile materials are porcelain, ceramic and natural stone. Consider whether you want to tile floors or walls, a shower, or a kitchen backsplash. Next, consider the durability of the material, as each material has its pros and cons.

The ShapeHouse team will be happy to advise you. Porcelain is more durable than ceramic, so we usually use porcelain for flooring, but some ceramic tiles are suitable. We like to use ceramic for backsplashes and walls. You can read about the pros and cons in detail here.

4. Finished floor heights

You need to consider the construction of your floor. Underlayment, underfloor heating mats and adhesives can easily raise your subfloor by an inch before you have even considered the depth of your tiles.

If you are renovating a room or building an extension, we may need to sand the underside of your doors to account for this extra height or adjust the height of worktops and cabinets accordingly. Without knowing your choice of tiles or tile type, we cannot factor this work into the preliminary cost.

 5. Size and pattern

Larger tiles can make small spaces look grander due to the larger format and relative lack of grout lines. On the other hand, smaller tiles can make an area feel more intimate. For example, in a shower zone within a niche, a mosaic can be a nice effect.

The tile and colour-matched grout lines help the floors to look uniform, and by carrying the tile throughout the entire space. Costs for tiling labour can vary depending on the size and pattern and expect to pay between £80 and £110 on average per m2 for tiling labour.

6. Existing Floor Preparation

We are often asked if you can tile on top of existing floor covering. While the answer is more than often no, sometimes you can. We prefer to strip things back and start over again.

On a new extension, this does not matter as the new floor will be built flat and straight. With the existing floor, you will want to ensure any underlying issues are resolved. Once you’ve removed your current floor can be assessed and your on-site Project Manager can advise.

Timber Floors: Tiling directly onto floorboards is a definite no. There’s just going to be too much movement and flex which will eventually cause your new tiles to lift or crack. Chances are though, you’ll be working with wood for renovation works, especially if you live in an older property.

You can still have your dream tiled floor as we can overboard or remove and fit a new ply floor ready for tiling. We would use a decoupling mat or sometimes referred to as a crack mat to prevent movement.

New Solid Floors: If tiles need a strong and stable sub-floor, then concrete or screed is the perfect base to tile to. Generally speaking, most new floors will be screened.

Before tiling, we would brush and vacuum the surface then seal the porous surface with a suitable primer – this will help create a stronger bond with your tiles.

7. Adhesives and Materials

it pays to make sure we are using the correct adhesive for the job at hand. Porcelain floor tiles should always be laid with a flexible, cement-based adhesive from a reputable brand.

A high-performance tile adhesive should accommodate some movement and vibration, whilst offering exceptional adhesion and a choice of slow or rapid setting times. Our clients usually supply tiles, adhesives and materials. However, we are happy to do this to ensure that the best products are used.

8. Waterproofing

If we are tiling a wetroom, it is vital to waterproof the substrate and seal the room. Whilst porcelain tiles are virtually non-porous, water can seep down through the grout joints into the substrate below. The ultimate belt and braces approach is to fit cement boards or pre-formed shower wet room trays to your substrate and tank the joints to ensure a watertight seal.

9. ShapeHouse Tilers

Last but not least, your ShapeHouse tiler. We think a good tile fitter is worth its weight in gold. No two rooms are the same, so an experienced tiler will be able to assess your floor and propose the best action to take.

Rather than rush onto the tiling itself, he or she will take time to understand your expectations, prepare the subfloor and will be conscious of mixing tiles to ensure the best chromatic effect.

Expect to pay a little extra than the norm for a skilled tiler who can integrate with the other teams which include kitchen fitters, plumbers, plasterers, and electricians that will be involved in your project.