Get Ready To Start Tiling

It's very easy to go steaming into your DIY tiling project with all guns blazing, but it's well worth spending a couple of minutes reading the checklist below, just in case you have overlooked something of importance.

1. Ensure that your wall is in good enough condition to tile over and check that there is not any blown plaster present?

2. Have you spent time carefully working out your start point and getting your levels correct? Space the tiles correctly to avoid finishing with a tile slither on one side.

3. Assess the various types of bonding products on the market ensuring that you are using the correct product. For example - the type of bonding material used in a wet room has different qualities to that required in a kitchen.

4. If you don't own a good quality wet tile cutter, visit your local hire shop and ask them what they have for the job. The project will run much smoother with a good quality cutter.

5. Have you considered all of the different types of tile materials and their pros and cons? Some will be extremely costly and others excellent value. Some will look stunning and others not so stunning. Don't forget to look online for great price comparisons.

6. Have you considered underfloor heating prior to starting your DIY tiling job? You won't want to finish the job and then wish you had underfloor heating.

7. Give careful consideration to the various types of grouting and the available colours. Remember that creams and whites will unfortunately end up needing much more cleaning when used on floor tiles.

8. For many DIY tilers the grouting process appears to be a bit of a 'black art' but it's not. With the correct grouting tools (which are not expensive) and a look at a 'DIY Grouting' video on YouTube, you'll be all set and on your way. Remember the golden rule, if you're grouting your floor or wall by using your finger as the spreader - you are most definitely doing it wrong.

9. Give special thought to any tiling that is over wooden boards. Special, purpose made matting for use between wooden floors and the tiles may be required to prevent the grouting from cracking.

10. Don't forget the tile edges and decorative inserts. The right choice can very possibly turn a nice job into an amazing job.


So there it is. No doubt some things have been missed but the important points are in there. Read other tiling 'How To' articles on this website, visit tiling company websites for useful tips, visit YouTube and other video sites for some excellent instructional films. Don't forget product websites as a great source of knowledge. Whilst they might be biased towards their particular product, they often give some extremely valuable and useful advice to the budding tiler.

Good luck!