Category: Tiling News and Blog

Tiles are a perfect finish for a wet room. What appears to be a straightforward task will need some prior planning. Laid correctly, a tiled finish in the wetroom will last for many years.

For expert training in tiling, whether in a wetroom or anywhere else in the house, check out our comprehensive range of tiling courses.

Drainage Systems

Traditionally, a wetroom will drain from all four walls towards a Square Drain situated in the middle of the room or can be situated in the corner of the room where the existing shower was. The floor would then be covered by tile or anti slip vinyl.

Stone In-Fill Grills offer a much more aesthetically pleasing finish. The drainage grills will run across the room and fall into the waste before the room. Lengths of tile will be dropped onto the grills. A pleasing flush tiled finish is the result.

Frameless Grills take the concept to a new level. A mere 5mm of visible gap means the floor will appear completely tiled.

Choosing A Tile

Tiles chosen for a wetroom need to compliment the drainage system being used.

Mosaic tiles should only be used with a traditional style drain. Ceramic tiles can be used with any drainage system, provided they fit exactly around the drain. A cut edge will not be the same colour as the rest of the tile. Porcelain and Natural Stone tiles are both suitable for all types of drainage system.

So, having chosen your tiles, it’s time to start preparing your wet room.

Priming The Wet Room

A primer, suitable for the type of subfloor, must be laid and then allowed to dry. This ensures that the area is sealed and dust free, a tanking membrane would then be placed onto the walls and floors and all the corners sealed.

Adhesive Choice And Method

An adhesive must be applied over the whole area to fix the tiles, the adhesive must be rapid setting to ensure it cures on top of the non porous membrane. It should also be a flexible adhesive so that the tiled floor can absorb any movement or provide a better bond.

Cutting Tiles

Plan the tiling pattern to suit the drainage. Keeping cuts to a minimum and using envelope cuts done on a wet saw, particularly near the drain, will minimise the risk of water finding a route beneath the tile bed.

Grouting

When grouting between the tiles choose a fully waterproof, flexible grout, which has been designed to withstand the forceful jets from a modern shower.

Silicone

Once everything is tiled a silicone bead should be applied to where the wall tiles meet the floor tiles to ensure a seal between the two

A well tiled wet room can be quite a statement in the home. Why not get some training from us before tackling your own. We have course aimed at all levels of experience. Get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss your tiling needs.

Tiles are a perfect finish for a wet room. What appears to be a straightforward task will need some prior planning. Laid correctly, a tiled finish in the wetroom will last for many years.

For expert training in tiling, whether in a wetroom or anywhere else in the house, check out our comprehensive range of tiling courses.

Drainage Systems

Traditionally, a wetroom will drain from all four walls towards a Square Drain situated in the middle of the room or can be situated in the corner of the room where the existing shower was. The floor would then be covered by tile or anti slip vinyl.

Stone In-Fill Grills offer a much more aesthetically pleasing finish. The drainage grills will run across the room and fall into the waste before the room. Lengths of tile will be dropped onto the grills. A pleasing flush tiled finish is the result.

Frameless Grills take the concept to a new level. A mere 5mm of visible gap means the floor will appear completely tiled.

Choosing A Tile

Tiles chosen for a wetroom need to compliment the drainage system being used.

Mosaic tiles should only be used with a traditional style drain. Ceramic tiles can be used with any drainage system, provided they fit exactly around the drain. A cut edge will not be the same colour as the rest of the tile. Porcelain and Natural Stone tiles are both suitable for all types of drainage system.

So, having chosen your tiles, it’s time to start preparing your wet room.

Priming The Wet Room

A primer, suitable for the type of subfloor, must be laid and then allowed to dry. This ensures that the area is sealed and dust free, a tanking membrane would then be placed onto the walls and floors and all the corners sealed.

Adhesive Choice And Method

An adhesive must be applied over the whole area to fix the tiles, the adhesive must be rapid setting to ensure it cures on top of the non porous membrane. It should also be a flexible adhesive so that the tiled floor can absorb any movement or provide a better bond.

Cutting Tiles

Plan the tiling pattern to suit the drainage. Keeping cuts to a minimum and using envelope cuts done on a wet saw, particularly near the drain, will minimise the risk of water finding a route beneath the tile bed.

Grouting

When grouting between the tiles choose a fully waterproof, flexible grout, which has been designed to withstand the forceful jets from a modern shower.

Silicone

Once everything is tiled a silicone bead should be applied to where the wall tiles meet the floor tiles to ensure a seal between the two.

A well tiled wet room can be quite a statement in the home. Why not get some training from us before tackling your own. We have course aimed at all levels of experience. Get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss your tiling needs.

With your training complete, it’s time to get out into the world and start tiling for customers. This can be an awkward time. Potential customers will be keen to see examples of your work. Yet until you’ve completed projects, there’ll be nothing to show. This isn’t a dead end, though. There are a number of ways to put together a portfolio.

Follow these tips to put together a portfolio:

Keep all of your coursework.

Whilst training, you should take good quality photographs of your work. Even a small area which has been expertly tiled is evidence of your work.

Work with an established tiler.

Reach out to fellow tilers. Maybe through contacts made on your course, or by contacting tradespeople in your area. Be honest with your experience too. If you get lucky, you’ll get some work which you can then evidence, to show the quality of your work.

It’s who you know.

Offer to tile your Nan’s bathroom or your mate’s conservatory floor. There will be people in your network who would be happy to have their homes revitalised for a reasonable rate (or in return for a roast dinner and a couple of cold beers). Maybe that downstairs cloakroom in your own house could do with a splashback behind the sink.

The key? Take photos of your creations once complete.

Hopefully, using the above tips, you can start to gather a body of evidence. Ask for testimonials too. A few words from a happy customer who is willing to be named adds authenticity to your portfolio.

Be sure to take plenty of photographs of all of your work. Use a photograph editor to write a few comments on the pictures explaining the job. If there has been a substantial amount of preparatory work, use some before and after shots too.

Create a stored folder somewhere safe, other than just your ‘phone or laptop, just in case you lose the original. Document editors, such as Google Docs, are good for creating your portfolio, easily inserting pictures and text into a document.

But what can you do with this portfolio in order to reach potential customers and employers. The internet can be a frustrating, time consuming (and time wasting) monster sometimes. Now is the time to get the virtual world to work for you:

• Facebook – create a Facebook Business Page. Using no more knowledge than most of us need for our personal social media accounts, you can create a professional looking presence one of the biggest platforms of all. Even if it doesn’t attract much attention, you can use it to show potential clients.

• Instagram is another platform to get on. It is the social media platform that allows us to take photos on our smartphones and post them immediately online for the world to see. It has an easy to use business option too.

The internet offers other opportunities to advertise your skills and showcase your portfolio:

Checkatrade, Rated People, TrustaTrader and many others are like old style Yellow Pages. You can register and customers reach you when searching for a tiler.

And keep that Google Docs file handy to share with anybody you might who might just know someone who needs a tiler.

Don’t forget, aside from all of our courses here at UK Pro Tiling we offer after care for all of our students and plenty of guidance on setting up a tiling business.

If you’ve recently completed one of our comprehensive tiling courses, you are, no doubt, ready to start earning as you impress your clients with your tiling skills.

You’ll need to make sure you’re tool bag is fully laden with the very best in tiling tools to get the job done professionally.

Gone are the DIY days of making do and mending!

We have put together the following guide to kitting yourself out.

Just make sure your tiling kit is not without:

• Manual Tile Cutter – the majority of tiles needing a cut can be trimmed to size using a manual cutter. With the advantages of needing no power, nor a particular workstation, manual tile cutters are ideal for moving around the tiling job with you.
• Electric Tile Cutter – perfect for fast and accurate cutting. Avoid cheaper DIY models which have neither the power, nor the quality of blade to tackle hard tiles. A good quality electric cutter will give a clean, precise cut every time.

• Drill And Drill Bits – many jobs will require tiles to be fitted over pipes, electrics and other obstacles. For the finished work to look the part, the holes drilled for these awkward spots should be true and clean. A drill with variable speeds and a top quality set of diamond drill bits should mean every job has that perfect finish.
• Electric Mixer – a hand held mixer, with variable torque settings, will ensure that your adhesive and grout are mixed consistently every time. Lumpy adhesive, with dry balls hidden in the mix will cause you issues when laying the tiles. The same applies to grout. If money is tight, an adaptor and a whisk bit could be attached to your existing electric drill.
• Trowels – When laying adhesive to walls or floors, a smooth and consistent depth will lead to a smooth and consistent finish on the tiles themselves. To achieve this, selecting a tiling trowel which fits your hand perfectly is key. With the trowel comfortable in your hand, loaded up with adhesive, you should get that even distribution as the adhesive is spread onto the wall.

• Grouting Trowel – the grout is the icing on the cake of a tiling job. No matter how well you have laid the tiles, if the grout is poorly applied, that will be what draws the critic’s eye. As with your tiling trowels, get the weight and handle size which best fits you. Be sure to look into the smaller, different shaped trowels designed to get into those difficult to reach corners.
• Tile Spacers – it may seem obvious, but keeping a good supply of all sizes and types of tile spacers in your tool kit could avoid a frustrating interruption to work if you run out.
• Levelling System – there are a variety of levelling systems on the market, designed to remove all guesswork out of keeping everything perfectly smooth. A relatively small investment could mean your work’s standard will soon demand the reward to pay all that investment back.
• Tilers’ Lasers –  for laying of of tiles, particularly on the floor, and for perfect levelling, a laser system could be a wise investment. Whilst not essential for a tiler, the time they save and the consistent accuracy could mean they will soon be earning their cost back for you.

• Buckets And Cloths – turn up to every job with a good supply of clean buckets, cloths and wipes so that you can keep the work area clean and tidy as you go. Scrambling around the floor looking for something to wipe up a spillage can be very annoying.

If you need training in any area of tiling, or just a refresher, be sure to get in touch with us here at UK Pro Tiling.

Fireplaces were traditionally decorated ornately with tiles. As interior design fashions and fads have changed over the years, often these fireplaces were buried behind smooth plastered walls.

Interestingly, particularly as wood and other fuel burners are becoming more popular, fireplaces with tiles are seeing the light again. From traditional Georgian designs to more modern decorative patterns, fireplace tiles are, once again, becoming popular.

As well as adding aesthetic value, tiles can form a fireproof barrier between the fire and the rest of the house.

So if a customer is looking for new tiles to be installed around their fireplace, how can you best advise them?

Here are some tile around fireplace ideas from UK Pro Tiling Training on how to choose the best fireplace tiles:

Consider using a fireplace tile set

Fireplace tile sets feature ornately painted feature tiles, as well as a band of long trim tiles. Depending on the type of tile set chosen by the customer, a fireplace tile set can offer a classic, retro or chic modern look. You may use one complete tile set or fit a couple together- just be sure to guarantee a perfect match if you are fitting multiple sets together.

Suggest a modern touch

Even when working on an ornate, moulded fire surround, a modern flavour can be used as a contrast. A modern look can consist of a large, smooth finish, or the area between the fire and surround could be filled with high-gloss mosaics.

The customer may not be aware of all the tiling options that can be applied to the fireplace. It may be a good idea for you to put together a portfolio that includes various options so that the customer can see the variation available to them.

Use appropriate tiles

What type of tile should go in front of my fireplace?

Tiles which are suitable for a fireplace surround include:

• Ceramic
• Porcelain
• Glass
• Marble
• Terracotta
• Granite
• Other natural stones

Consider the project- Is it a new installation or revamp?

If the fire, or wood burner is being installed into a new location, this increases the options for tiling designs. Presented with a blank canvas, you have the opportunity to dream up designs to suggest to the customer, whether simple and neat- or extravagant and outlandish.

Can I use tiles around my wood burner?

Fires can be recessed into the wall with a flue inside a chimney. Or a fireplace could be free-standing, with an encased flue taking another route out of the building.

Tiles could become the focal point in a room or a plain design may be used to allow the fireplace itself to be the star of the show.

A whole wall could be tiled to frame a fire. A brick pattern tile design which repeats onto the hearth could bring the whole feature into the room.

Where a free standing wood (or multi-fuel burner) is being used, there are even more tiling options to think about. Unlike an open fire, the back of a fireplace could also be tiled. With the sides and back tiled, a burner could be subtly framed by decorative tiling.

Whatever the choice of design, make sure that you are tiling onto a non-combustible board surface.

Where is the home? Is there a more suitable tile for the location?

Natural stones work well in country settings, maybe in a barn conversion. The textured finish of granite is rugged in appearance and durable- and should last as long as the house.

New-build houses may be better off with a ceramic tile.

Will the fire consist of floor tiles?

Sitting on the floor, tiles will be more vulnerable to damage. Confirm that the chosen tiles are suitable for laying on the floor before purchasing. All of the same tile materials used on the wall can also feature on the hearth.

Would you like some advice on tiling around a fireplace?

If you would like to learn how to tile around a fireplace and some gather some more information about which tiles are best for fireplaces, then contact us at UK Pro Tiling Training.

The kitchen is often thought of as the heart and soul of a home. Often a “meeting room” for families- whether that be in the morning over breakfast or sharing the day’s events as an evening meal is prepared.

Kitchen floors take some heavy duty wear. From boots and shoes, animals, food spillages and frequent mopping, all contribute to testing the durability of whichever type of flooring is chosen.

The kitchen is commonly the first room to have a makeover and, generally, a lot of financial investment tends to go into the kitchen.

When planning the kitchen, time should be taken into considering the floor too. The floor can be as much of a feature as the worktops and cupboards as well as being functional and ready for everyday use.

And if a tiled floor is required, what is the most durable tile for a kitchen?

Porcelain Tiles – Porcelain tiles are widely championed as the toughest tiles and are likely to withstand the treatment dished out to them in a kitchen. Fired at high temperatures, porcelain tiles are strong. Colour is added to porcelain tiles during the glazing process and this colour will remain for the lifetime of the tiles. Almost completely resistant to water penetration, porcelain tiles are certainly a tough choice of kitchen flooring.

How to choose the best kitchen tiles – a well prepared kitchen floor with expertly laid tiles can give the wow factor to any home. Porcelain tiles aren’t the only tile option, other materials should be considered before making a final choice.

• Ceramic tiles are easier to install than porcelain but are more porous and will need periodic treating to maintain the glazed finish.

• Stone floor tiles are great for a more ‘real’ finish. Careful cutting and laying of the textured finish of stone can give spectacular results.This floor will require regular maintenance.

• Marble tiles offer a sleek, elegant look, perfect for a contemporary kitchen design. Highly polished marble can really grab attention as its vibrant colours stand out. There may be practicality issues as marble can be extremely slippery when wet and in some cases even when it is dry.

Sandstone, granite, quartzite and even glass are other tiling options.

Whatever style of kitchen tile is chosen, the floor should only be laid on a perfectly prepared base which has allowed for the weight the tiles are adding to the floor. Precision cutting equipment is essential to avoid unsightly ‘nibbled’ edges to any cut tiles.

While there are other types of flooring available for kitchens (real wood, wood effect vinyls, wooden tiles, click together flooring), tiles, whichever style is chosen, are generally considered to be the best option. They will last longer and with proper care and maintenance will maintain their appearance throughout their life. Damage to a tile can be fixed by replacing a single tile as opposed to a locked together or one piece flooring system.

If the look of wood really is the only choice, why not use porcelain faux wood tiles?

If you would like to learn how to tile a kitchen floor and some more information about why tiles are best for kitchen floors, then contact us at UK Pro Tiling Training.

Here, Darren from UK Pro Tiling shows you everything you need to know about tile cutters and tile cutting.

Tiling a floor is slightly different to tiling a wall in that it needs to be durable to foot traffic. The last thing you want is to spend time and money laying a floor only to find your floor won’t last the journey.

Darren Yorke, founder of UK Pro Tiling Training, believes that any professional tiler should be able to learn how to lay floor tiles with the correct tiling training.

When tiling a floor, it is important to prepare the floor correctly and take your time during all stages of the project.

Here are a few key steps on how to tile a floor

:

1.Prepare the floor

There are many different problems that can cause failure if the floor is not prepared right, the main one is bounce.

Bounce is a potential problem, especially on a wood floor board, and has to be controlled. A 6mm cement board overlay is the best thing to combat bounce.

Make sure the floor is clean, dry and apply SBR primers, use a flexi adhesive and grout. It is best to start furthest away from the door.

2. Work out the starting point

It is best to ensure that the floor is set out correctly so you don’t end up with small cuts anywhere. If its a square room you’re tiling, then you can put a centre line down the middle and start either side of this line.

You can also tile in the middle of the room, depending on which gives you best tile cuts. To do this, place your key tile at the opposite end of the main door and then tile backwards to the exit door.

3. Mix your tile adhesive

You will need a powdered cement-based adhesive for floors, one that you mix up yourself. Avoid ready-mixed adhesives as these take too long to dry and are generally not strong enough.

If you are using porcelain or natural stone, or if the floor has any wood features, then flexible cement adhesives would be required, floor cement usually has 20 minutes work time from mixing and sets in 3 hours.

4. Apply the adhesive

Once you are happy with the position of the key tile use a 10mm-12mm square notched trowel and make sure you trowel the ribs in one direction. Keep the trowel at a constant 45-degree angle.

5. Lay the rest of the tiles with the adhesive

Apply the tiles working across the room in rows of two at a time, blocks of 4 tiles together. Make sure you consistently check the levels and apply 3mm spacers between the tiles.

6. Cut tiles where necessary and lay them with adhesive

It is best to cut the tiles against the walls as you go so when you get back to the exit, the whole floor is completely tiled ready for grouting later.

7. Grout the tiles

Grout the tiles using a rubber grout float. Use a cement-based grout and force it into the joints between the tiles. Once this is achieved, get a sponge and clean the tiles using swirling motions, rinsing the excess grout off with clean water until the tiles are clean and the joints are smooth.

8. Clean down the floor of any excess grout on the tiles, then wait for the floor to dry

Make sure you do not let any adhesive or grout dry and harden on the tiles. This will be very difficult to remove once set.

Learn how to tile a floor with UK Pro Tiling Training

UK Pro Tiling Training can provide you with the education you need to complete professionally tiled flooring project. You can also take a look at our floor tiling guide for some tips on your floor tiling project.