Save money and time with experienced, high quality bathroom tiling! With reliability and commitment, we assure a proper treatment, even for small intervention work, not only for full renovation.
With reliability and commitment, we assure a proper treatment, even for small intervention work, not only for full renovation.
The bathroom is not just any other room in your home. It is a great place for you to calm down the stresses of the day with a nice warm or hot bath. Besides, it is the next place you will want to step once you’re out of your bedroom. Literally, it sets the tone of how your day will look like. This is why you should invest in quality tiling materials such as porcelain, marble, travertine and the ceramic. These materials are also useful to your other rooms including the kitchen.
How you build and tile it goes a long way in determining your overall comfortability. You want to enter in there and stay like for eternity because of the sheer elegance of the flooring material and beauty of the ceramic materials that décor the walls of your shower room.
A great way to quickly fix all the messes is by enlisting for the services of a professional tiling contractor for amazing bathroom tiling. Make sure to invest in quality materials that will leave a mark. A few of the materials to consider for use while fixing this important room include marble, porcelain and ceramic. One of the biggest hurdles for homeowners is always finding the best bathroom fitters to do the job for you. It’s not just about fixing the room but also creating a sense of style that leaves it strikingly relaxing.
If this sounds like something you want to get done, or you just want to pamper and renovate your washroom, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty about its tiling.
How to Start Tiling A Bathroom Wall
If your budget allows, getting the services of a tile contractor to do the work for you, then you can be guaranteed to get an ideal style for the wall. On the contrary, you do not have to fret if your budget is way below the cost of the tile project. The thing is you can choose to go the local way and turn this into a Do It Yourself venture.
For starters, depending on the tiling ideas you have for your bath room wall, begin with measuring the right height of tiles needed. You want to have with the right measurements in mind so that you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of things going forward. You will need a spirit level for drawing a horizontal line. After finding your the correct height, make a 20mm mark below that height. If you happen to come across a low point on your floor that needs covering, you will have to reduce the height by 20mm.
The next step in line is to mark your datum line. You can do this by mounting a makeshift timber so that the top edge of its line will align with your datum line. Use a spirit level to help you check whether the timber is horizontal. If this is okay, reinforce the mount with two other studs at both ends of the timber.
The tiling can’t commence without a glue. Make sure the glue is conducive for use with waterproofing for the sake of your waterproof lining.
What follows next is to begin the laying. It’s important to adjust the width of the last tile in a row by pre-trimming it to fit well. Always makes sure to level up the first row before you continue.
Where Should You Start Tiling a Bathroom?
There are many answers to this question that resonate most with one’s experience. A local tiling contractor would prefer to begin with wall tiling and finish with flooring while others would rather begin with the shower floor then up the walls. However, a good number of bathroom fitters also prefer to follow the code which dictates that the wall tiles must overlap those on the floor.
For instance, if you are tiling a shower, make sure to begin with the floor first. Create space on the first row of the wall by screwing level batten on the wall and make it high enough to accommodate a tile below it at the lowest point. After doing this, start tiling the walls and finish up by removing the level batten, and measuring the remaining tiles at the bottom for a correct fit.
Practically speaking, it would be more prudent to begin with wall tiling before proceeding to flooring. Many local tilers advocate for this style of doing things as it makes you finish your job faster like in a day depending on the extent of your work.
The common procedure used by many bathroom fitters begins by leaving the first row close to the floor out, doing wall tiling followed by floor then wind up with the last row on the wall. Common knowledge also dictates that beginning with wall tiling before the flow has the resultant effect of making the flow dirty or get damaged. You can space a day between the tiling of the floor and finishing up with the bottom row on the wall the following day.
How Do You Prepare Bathroom Walls for Tiling?
Apparently, you can’t be able to do the bathroom tiling on walls that have not been prepared for tiling. Whether it’s your kitchen or bath room wall, setting them up for tile installation is key to avoid the extra cost of paying bathroom fitters and buying materials that you may have to incur in replacing fallen tiles. Put in mind that the techniques needed to prepare a wall that is painted are different from a wall that has not been painted.
First, ensure to remove any wallpaper or molding on the walls. It’s important that you also get rid of the moldings on the floors and those that surround the windows and doors on the wall. Also, remove all the tiles that have been fixed on the drywall.
Before doing the bathroom tiling on the drywall, you have to be careful not to cause any wall damage in the process. The drywall has to be well-fixed with nails or screws to the studs in the walls. Before doing the installation, the importance of removing the drywall first can’t be understated.
Normally, the drywall is replaced with a water resistant backer board. This is necessary for the obvious reason that constant exposure of walls to water gets them damaged. The same concept applies to tile installation in the bathtub and shower.
Before any tiling can begin, you have to check the backer board and ensure that it has a smooth surface. Subsequently, divide the wall into four parts by measuring its width and height and finally marking the intersection points with chalk. In the event of a painted wall, there are also necessary precautions you need to undertake. Ensure to clean the surface of the walls with ammonia-containing cleaner. Finally, smoothen the walls with sandpaper and remove dust with a damp cloth.
How to Prepare the Bathroom Floor for Tiling?
You don’t want your floor cracking up after you are done with bathroom tiling. There is a greater need to prepare the subfloor before tiles arrive. From the word go, have your numbers right. You don’t want to order tiles that are less in number than the one required for your floor. Ensure you take the length and width measurements of your floor, multiply and add ten percent to cover for any deficit that may arise when flooring your bath room.
If you are just renovating an existing floor, you will need to decide whether you want to add another layer of tile on the existing one. If this is the case, chances are high you are will lose about 10-15 mm of your room height. You may also consider removing the existing floor all-together. However, be warned this could turn out messy as it has the potential of damaging your sub-floor. If you choose to go this route, ensure to your sub-floor is dry, stable and well-leveled. That being said, it all boils down to what you want for your floor.
One other thing to put in mind is the wetness of your bath room. Given that they are bound to be wet most of the time, you will need to waterproof them. The same applies to other areas such as laundry and your kitchen. Also, when sourcing for a local tiling contractor to do the job, ensure they got a waterproof expert in their team who will do a thorough job in making sure the room is waterproof.
How to Waterproof Bathroom Floor Before Tiling?
Any water leaks on the floor including your kitchen is a recipe for disaster when it comes to bathroom tiling. Here are quick steps you will need to put in action to ensure you got a waterproof floor.
Clean the floor
As a non-issue as it may appear, cleanliness during tiling can’t be stressed further. Get rid of all debris and dust before you begin tiling.
Apply the primer on the floor
Applying the primer on the floor is pretty easy. Use a paint roller to do your job. The best way to do it is to begin from the back corner and work your way around the walls at the height of 20 cm maximum. Once you are finished with the walls, move downwards and apply the primer on the whole floor.
Seal all gaps with silicone
When the primer has dried up seal all the gaps between the wall and floor including any other gaps, you will find on the floor. Avoid leaving excess silicone on the floor by getting rid of it with a silicone scraper. More importantly, allow the Silicon to dry for at least 24 hours before you begin waterproofing.
Apply masking tape
Masking tape helps in demarcating the level you want your intended ceramic or porcelain floor to be made waterproof. In normal cases, apply the masking tape up to the level you applied the primer.
Apply a waterproof agent followed by a waterproof membrane
Just like you applied the primer, apply a waterproof agent beginning from the back corner. You can do this best using a roller. Only apply it to the height you applied the primer. Also, apply it at the joint of the wall and the floor. This is always followed with the application of a waterproof membrane before finishing up with waterproofing agent on the whole floor.
Small Bathroom Tile Ideas
There are a number of ideas you could consider when conducting bathroom tiling. If you can’t get a tiling contractor then you can rely on these ideas. First, it is uneconomical to go for a large ones that will have to be trimmed severally to fit in the room. You want to choose smaller tiles that will fit its size without having to cut them through. The downside to using small ones is that they create a busy feel. Two best brands you could use to stop this effect are the Mosaic and the Metro tiles.
You also need to look at the choice of color. Most people prefer bright colors such as cream, white or light grey. While they give you a sense of comfort and beauty, neutral colors also work wonders in providing you a clean and calm tone. However, the best ones to use are those that reflect light and gives the room a modish look.
You can also opt for style through the use of patterned tiles. On the flip side, they have the tendency to portray a cluttered feeling. If it turns out this way, try creating featured walls to help keep your eyes off the floor. This adds a fancy twist to your sense of style.
Not among the least of choices, the use of mirror finishes is also a great idea that you could opt for. This is better when you factor in a glossy finish as well. Mirror finishes create reflective surfaces while a glossy finish allows the light in your room to radiate the whole room effortlessly.
How Much Do Bathroom Fitters Charge Per Day?
Definitely, you will not only have to face the cost of purchasing tiles in your budget but also paying the fitters. The price of tiles could also vary with the different materials in the market such as marble, travertine, porcelain or ceramic. Travertine is among few of the tiling materials that brings to you a mix of elegance, beauty, and class. So, here is a quick rundown of the bathroom tiling costs you will have to incur. This also depends on the activity they will have to carry out for the day. As a matter of fact, marble leaves your bath room floor radiating with elegance. Here are the approximated charges by most bathroom fitters:
Installation Activity – Price – Job time
Tiling a bathroom : £400 – £1300 # 1-5 days
Tiling a small bath room : £700 – £950 # 1-3 days
Changing taps on basin : £50 -£80 # 1-2 hours
Install a bath : £130 -£220 # 3-5 hours
Install underfloor heating : £350 – £850 # 5 hours – 2 days
Installing a pedestal basin : £70 – £120 # 1 -2 hours
Toilet installation : £75- £140 # 2-3 hours
The Best Bathroom Wall Tiles
Looking to spruce up your shower room, right? We have compiled for you a list of the best wall tiles that delivers a unique sense of style and look. This list is not sufficiently exhaustive. You can still find other bathroom tiling ideas and tile types out there and you will be good to go for an awesome bath. You might want to consider the services of a tiling contractor to get the best from your shower room.
- Ferrara Travertine Tiles
- Rustic Metro Tiles
- Venato tiles
- Rebus Living Tiles
- Antique Smooth Crackle Metro tiles
- Country cottage metro tiles
- Wood Effect split face tiles