Smart Tiling Tips

If you're thinking about tiles for a new house or simply giving the old tiles in your house the occasional evil eye, then you're at the right place. We've asked our expert tilers to give us their tips.

Karl, with less money to spare these days, are there ways to save money on tiling?
Yes, there's definitely some very good deals out there on tiles and tiling - so it's actually a good time to get tiling done. Tiles last forever essentially, so it makes sense to get it done now at a good price.

If the tiles themselves are fine but you'd like to give the area a "freshen up", think about cleaning and regrouting. As well as tiling, we also offer services like cleaning, sealing and regrouting. It's amazing the difference it can make - the tiles themselves don't age so the whole space looks like new.

Can you give any advice about choosing a tiler?
If it's a project that has the potential to stand out and make a statement, it's important that it should be done right. The finish is critical with tiles - mistakes really stand out and an inferior job will always bother you. If you do change it and you have to have it done again by someone better, you'll pay more in the long run.

On the same note, unless, you're very proficient I would be wary of tiling diy -It can be very, very hard to get right - especially when the house has uneven floors and the lines aren't exactly straight. Even for experienced tilers, that's a headache. It can also end up costing in broken tiles because you don't have professional grade tools.

Ask prospective tilers how long they've been tiling and what kind of experience they have. If you're unsure, contact one of the big tiling suppliers - they'll be able to tell you if they've heard of that tiler or not.

Remember, a good tiler will be proud to give you references and show you work that they've done for other people.

What does a tiler cost?
The cost of tiling depends on a number of different elements including:
Who is supplying the tiles and the tiling materials? The tiler or yourself?
What site preparation does the tiler need to do before the tiling can start?
How large is the area to be tiled?
What type of tiles are you laying. For example, marble and porcelain tiles require special adhesives and special cutting machines. So they will cost more to install than standard ceramic tiles.

Any other advice?
Talk to your tiler! You may know exactly what you want but it's still a good idea to ask your tiler if they have any advice. For example, a tiler may suggest an idea that you haven't thought off such as a different shade of grout colour.

They might also have practical advice about the suitability of the tiles you've chosen for that particular area. For example, sometimes customers want to use wall tiles on the floors so that the colours blend in. I would recommend against that because wall tiles really aren't strong enough for the floor.

Another practical point is how much of the area to tile - tiling a small area around the shower end of the bath is a bad idea. Yes, it'll save some money in the short term but the splashes will ruin the wall before long.

What type of tiling does your company do?
The whole range! We specialise in floor and wall tiles for kitchens, bathrooms, countertops, splashbacks, foyers, fireplaces, patios, pools .

Customers can choose from any type of tile including: slate, marble, mosaic, travertine, limestone, porcelain, ceramic and can recommend colours, suitable grout and adhesives if needed.

pickapro.ie would like to thank Fran And Karl Ronan, for their helpful advice and tips for this article.