Fitting floor tiles - how much, or how complicated?
Discussion
Hi All,
I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
In the region of £25/m2 should get you good quality, much less than that figure and i'd be a bit warey. If you want to have a go yourself keep the joints about 6-8mm(ish), this gives you a bit more scope if the tiles are slighty out or if the floor is.Use about a 13mm notched trowel and this will also help if the floor isn't true.
Spudler said:
In the region of £25/m2 should get you good quality, much less than that figure and i'd be a bit warey. If you want to have a go yourself keep the joints about 6-8mm(ish), this gives you a bit more scope if the tiles are slighty out or if the floor is.Use about a 13mm notched trowel and this will also help if the floor isn't true.
Would that £25/m2 be just labour, or also materials?I finished laying tiles in my porch yesterday (diagonal laying is much harder than square) and I'm now waiting a couple of days for them to go off to grout them in.
My wife and I tiled our kitchen floor (after a flood) three years ago. As you said, it was cheaper (and more hardwearing) than laminate and whilst I wouldn't say it was easy in the slightest, we took our time and did it properly.
It's very satisfying and not as hard as it looks, just make sure you get a diamond tile cutter, not one that snaps the tiles, this way you can make the awkward shapes, oh, and some knee pads.
John.
My wife and I tiled our kitchen floor (after a flood) three years ago. As you said, it was cheaper (and more hardwearing) than laminate and whilst I wouldn't say it was easy in the slightest, we took our time and did it properly.
It's very satisfying and not as hard as it looks, just make sure you get a diamond tile cutter, not one that snaps the tiles, this way you can make the awkward shapes, oh, and some knee pads.
John.
jhfozzy said:
My wife and I tiled our kitchen floor (after a flood) three years ago. As you said, it was cheaper (and more hardwearing) than laminate and whilst I wouldn't say it was easy in the slightest, we took our time and did it properly.
.
Have you got a picture of what it looked like after you'd ripped up the rest of those horrible beige tiles?.
Kermit power said:
Hi All,
I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
Most of the ground floor of my house is slates, I got them from a local independent place for about £10 a square metre. Laying them is easy, but you need to allow for the cost of grout and cement, plus if you're using real slates you will need a diamond disc tile saw as you can't split them like normal ceramic.I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
Also, when grouting up you have to clean up the faces as you work along, as the slate is unglazed so the grout sticks like s
t to a blanket if you don't remove it immediately...Have a word with:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?mem...
He happens to be my brother and is also a tiler. I am sure he would be happy to give you some advice.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?mem...
He happens to be my brother and is also a tiler. I am sure he would be happy to give you some advice.
Kermit power said:
Hi All,
I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
With real slate tiles you are supposed to sort them and pick the thickest one to lay first then bring all the others upto this level.I had thought I'd like to have quarried slate tiles in our new kitchen/diner/lounge, but I'd somewhat given up out of expected cost.
Then I found really nice tiles in Wickes for £14.99 per m2, and am now reconsidering, since this works out at about half the price of laminate.
I know we'd need to make sure the floor is strong enough - waiting to hear back from the builder on that as he's off this week - but if it is, does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
Also, if I decide to look for someone else to fit them, does anyone have an idea of fitting cost per m2 for around 30 m2?
I've done it, and I'm a girl 
Just make sure you get your floor all level first or they will not only look awful the grout will crack over time and the tiles start to wobble. Plywood the floor (if you can) always makes it easier (and easier to replace if needed).
Give yourself decent spacing, get a good level and tile cutter, take your time and you'll be fine!
Saying that, for my wall tiles I had a proper tiler do them, and he used all sorts of fandangly laser measures and cutters etc. It looked bloody amaxing when he was done though!
Just make sure you get your floor all level first or they will not only look awful the grout will crack over time and the tiles start to wobble. Plywood the floor (if you can) always makes it easier (and easier to replace if needed).
Give yourself decent spacing, get a good level and tile cutter, take your time and you'll be fine!
Saying that, for my wall tiles I had a proper tiler do them, and he used all sorts of fandangly laser measures and cutters etc. It looked bloody amaxing when he was done though!
Kermit power said:
does anyone know if fitting floor tiles is any more complicated than fitting wall tiles? Indeed, given that the surface is horizontal, is not even easier?
IME, floor tiling is much easier. Just take your time (i.e. don't try to do the whole lot in one go). Get one row/column done perfectly square, let it set and then use that as your datum. Also, mark on the floor (in pencil) the area you are just about to tile so that you know where/how far to spread the adhesive - much easier (and less waste) that over doing it with the adhesive and then having to scrape it off later.
For that big an area I may suggest having it done professionally unless you are confident you can keep a good level, you don't want to find the floor starts under the skirting at one end and 10mm up the skirting at the other, bare in mind your walls are unlikely to be completely square so you may need to trim small pieces off etc. Also consider how good a surface the floor will be, my old terraced house had tiles through the bathroom to the kitchen including the back porch bit meaning the floor could be seriously slippy and cold.
I tiled our kitchen floor. Never done any tiling before (apart from a couple of small fireplaces) and it wasn't at all hard.
Good cutting wheel is essential.
The hardest part was the tiles. We chose 'uncalibrated slate', which meant that the pieces were roughly the same size but varied significantly, and the sides of them weren't parallel. Worse, they varied by a factor of 3 or possibly more in thickness. And the thin ones broke as soon as you lifted them.
The tiling was easy, but I'd recommend buying something other than the slates which we had (Topps Tiles BTW. Who were very helpful and I'd recommend them.) Subsequent tiling with porcelain and ceramic tiles have been much easier. (Apart from cutting porcelain tiles. They are seriously, seriously hard.)
Oli.
Good cutting wheel is essential.
The hardest part was the tiles. We chose 'uncalibrated slate', which meant that the pieces were roughly the same size but varied significantly, and the sides of them weren't parallel. Worse, they varied by a factor of 3 or possibly more in thickness. And the thin ones broke as soon as you lifted them.
The tiling was easy, but I'd recommend buying something other than the slates which we had (Topps Tiles BTW. Who were very helpful and I'd recommend them.) Subsequent tiling with porcelain and ceramic tiles have been much easier. (Apart from cutting porcelain tiles. They are seriously, seriously hard.)
Oli.
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