Are you gearing up for a tiling project at home? Before diving in headfirst, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the common pitfalls many DIYers encounter during tiling. By being aware of these mistakes, you can save valuable time, money, and energy while ensuring your tiles turn out looking fantastic.
Tiling Mistakes to Avoid
Making an incorrect estimate of how many tiles you’ll need
Is there anything more frustrating than getting to the end of a bathroom or kitchen makeover and realising you’re a few tiles short of completing the job! ‘A common and sometimes costly mistake when buying tiles is not taking into consideration wastage and breakages,’ explains Hamish. ‘Which is why we recommend ordering an extra 10 per cent to cover this. A small cost for ensuring you have the right amount of tiles to complete your project.’
It is worth noting that different batches of tiles can vary in colour too, making it all the more important to get it right from the get-go, to avoid any mis-matched shades in your design.
Top tip: ‘When it comes to laying tiles in a herringbone formation, we recommend ordering an extra 15 per cent to allow for all of those fiddly cuts that need to be made.’ Source: IdealHome
Causing the tile to crack
When cutting tile, take some precautions to make sure you do not break them. Too many broken tiles will become wasteful and expensive.
Using a diamond wet saw is the best method for cutting tile. A diamond saw blade is abrasive and not toothed.
Before cutting, mark the tile with a pencil. You can use a regular lead or wax pencil for this.
Place the tile against the fence and line up the line with the blade. You will need to wait for the water to flow after turning the saw on.
Use a slow even pressure while making your cut. As you get to the end of your cut push the two halves together. Holding the tiles stops them from breaking.
If you hear the blade slow down as your cutting then you are pushing too fast. The harder the material you’re cutting is, the slower you need to go. Source: Rubi
Choosing the wrong grout colour
‘Not only will grout color affect the final project result, picking the wrong colour could also affect and even damage your tiles,’ says Hamish. ‘We recommend using lighter colored grouts for most products, in particular natural stone, encaustic and terrazzo tiles, rather than black or bright coloured as these can cause staining in the natural pores of the tiles.
‘Ensure you have selected a grout product that is suitable for use with the material of your chosen tile, and desired joint width.’ Source: HomesAndGardens
Should any bumps occur during your tiling process, or if you want an experienced set of eyes on the job to avoid rookie errors, call us! We are always here to help ensure your project goes off without problems.
