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hi all, im looking for some advice im hoping to tile a down stairs toilet, but have never tiled before is it easy to do, do i have to put anything on bare plaster before tiling
thanks

No it is easy....the skill is making it look right. The things you have to get right is setting out so that the tiles look balanced. Cutting tiles to size needs a good cutter and you will need a notched trowel. Premixed adhesive is not the best and it best to get bagged stuff and mix it yourself. And finally do not rush to do the grouting and again use dry mix. Finishing beading can be a bit tricky to get the mitres right in window reveals.

Other than that it is a piece of p*ss

DWD

thanks like i said never done any tiling before and thought i would give it a try, as the quotes i have had seem expensive what other tools do i need

jayj wrote:hi all, im looking for some advice im hoping to tile a down stairs toilet, but have never tiled before is it easy to do, do i have to put anything on bare plaster before tiling
thanks

Some of it is common sense and really quite easy to grasp the basics but some tiling can be extremely difficult and require an extensive technical knowledge of what you are doing.

Which category your tiling falls in to will depend on the current state of the walls and the type of tile you intend to use.

In a dry area such as a downstairs toilet were the tiles are more cosmetic and decorative rather than providing a function beyond a clean wipeable surface, then you are at the easier end of tiling (if you don't go for anything other than small format ceramic tiles).

How good the tiling will look is down to your attention to detail.

jayj wrote:thanks like i said never done any tiling before and thought i would give it a try, as the quotes i have had seem expensive what other tools do i need

What tiles have you choosen and how large is the space?

i was just going to used a plain white tile size 148x148 the room is only small i think the last tiler i had for a quote said the room was 5qm

jayj wrote:i was just going to used a plain white tile size 148x148 the room is only small i think the last tiler i had for a quote said the room was 5qm

For those tiles, with walls in good condition, not too many akward cuts round pipes ect, a guide price would be £150-£200 inc materials (not tiles) depending on where you are in the country. The prices you have had could be higher but i'd expect the tilers to be taking out the toilet and basin if you have one before tiling and re-installing after.

Are these the sort of prices you have had?

my prices were 250 - 280 without tiles

jayj wrote:my prices were 250 - 280 without tiles

More realistic. If you were in London then I would be charging, circa £280 plus parking and congestion charge.

I would give it a go mate, some things I learned/made mistakes as a novice

1. plan it out! don't start tiling until you are certain that you know where the tiles will go. Sounds obvious but check for small slivers especially if you are doing a blockwork type of fashion

2. Never assume walls are straight, level, flat or plumb etc. A corner can have a wall bowing in like a banana so if you start with a full tile at the bottom, 2nd row up, by the time you get to the middle you can be left with a largish gap

3. I cannot get on at all with rapidset adhesive, sets far too fast for me. I need to use the slow setting stuff

4. use a thicker rather than a thinner bed of adhesive, i.e. a larger trowel, especially if you have large tiles. Otherwise you push one corner in and the other pops out.

5. Don't skim on the adhesive and materials decent tile adhesive and grout , much easier and can save you loads in the long run. The bagged stuff is very easy to mix, you can get a paddle mixer for a few quid

6. Grouting seems to have a way of making a bad job look good as can a neat silicon line, Look at screwfix for something called a fugenboy for making near silicon lines

7. For a bathroom or shower, thin grout lines rather than thick ones. They always mould up and look crap after a few years

8. Look at examples of ideas from tiling showrooms, hotel brochures etc Metal trims look great in my view

9. Thing about a built in tile shelves if appropriate, I wish I have done that

10. Take your time, it can be a stressful job so don't rush

11. surface preparation is very important for a novice. The pros I'm sure can get around lumps and bumps but I found it hard to manage



check if you need corners, means using an angle grinder or wet tile saw, they are cheap enough though


The pros can poor scorn all over my experience but this is just simply my comedy of errors when I did it

Best of luck

give it a bash.. i did and it turned out ok even with the walls being an absolute mess :) started doing floor tiles now! and im no pro



my top tip: clean adhesive off the tile asap! dont let it set!

It is certainly a job a beginner do it your selfer would be able to start out on. Just make sure the flooring tiles are aligned properly. That is where it can look amateur or professional. Also, like another member mentioned, you've gotta make good cuts. Make sure your spacing is good too. Follow the recommended drying times as well. Don't rush it.

Let us know how your progress is going. Tiling is a fun job that is quite rewarding. You get a big effect from not that much work. I am actually getting ready to install a tile floor in our bathroom. Anybody know any good places to get floor tiles? Has anyone tried Link removed by mod 6If so, were you pleased or no?

Tiling can be easy enough as long as you follow a few simple rules; plan out where your tiles are going, keep it clean as you work (especially grout lines) and use those spacers. Couldn't be simpler.

thanks for advice but have give it a bash and didnt go right as my walls seem to be out in the corners so now trying to find a local tiler