Q & A 

The main reason for DIY is the belief of saving money among many other reasons. These are valid motivations, but you should be clear about: 

• Have the proper Know-How to maintain a qualitative standard.

• Be aware of and meet all appropriate building codes.

• Understand why you must follow regulations and codes.

In reality it takes many years to become a good tiler. But because a lot of DIY tilers are amateurs in that field it's more likely that the outcome is not as desirable as it was hoped for. Especially when the hidden faults and flaws of their work only become  apparent when it's too late and the damage is done.  The initial cost of hiring a professional tiler will always be cheaper than having to pay for repair damages from a  gone-wrong DIY job. 

Firstly,  there are no required courses and qualifications to become a tiler which creates a risk of inexperienced tilers, which is why it is important to hire highly reputable tilers to ensure high standards are met.  

Secondly, there are many materials on the market which are either not suitable to be used in the tiling industry or are used in the wrong situations either due to lack of understanding or because of budget restraints.

Most houses in NZ are built in a timber-frame-system which is inherently more flexible than a traditional brick house in Europe. However, wood or GIB based construction materials are not ideal when exposed to water or moisture. These materials have to be handled as if they hold permanent increased risks to be affected by it.  So any water, moisture or mold can affect the structural integrity and lifespan of those building materials negatively and require proper waterproofing, installation and tiling methods, especially around showers or bath tubs.

Water damage prevention starts by understanding all details of  how water penetrates different materials, joints, cracks and the capillary effect  So the combination of the right building materials, construction techniques, and proper allowance for movements of building structures are of the upmost importance for long-term water tightness without any risks to the building.

So again, the best and safest way getting a good tiling job without any water-leak issues is simply having the job done by a tiler with a good reputation who also guarantees the job. 

The advantages are:

• It's made of a high density foam

• lightweight

• reinforced by a fiberglass mesh on both sides 

• coated with a special plaster, no sanding necessary prior waterproofing or tiling 

• insulating

• shock absorbing

• sound proof

• water resistant- no rotting when wet 

• tiles can be glued on by using standard flexible tiles adhesives

• tiles can be grouted by standard flexible grouts

• after placing order (if not in stock already) delivery time is very short, approx. 3 days

• can be made in any shape or size

• can be made to any requirement

• can be installed into the floor or on top of the floor

The advantages, similar to our shower base boards, are:

• It's made of a high density foam

• lightweight

• reinforced by a fiberglass mesh on both sides 

• coated with a special plaster, no sanding necessary prior waterproofing or tiling 

• insulating

• shock absorbing

• sound proof

• water resistant, no rotting when wet 

• tiles can be glued on by using standard flexible tiles adhesives

• tiles can be grouted by standard flexible grouts

• comes in standard size of 2400x1200mm 

• comes in standard thicknesses of 10, 20, 30, 40 ...up to 100mm or custom-made orders 

• an be made to any requirement, like L-shape or U-shape for boxing-in elements

• can be used to construct tiled partition or shower walls, benchtops, shelves, soap niches, foot rests in showers, bath cradles

• easy to install without cutting into the floor or sub-floor therefore, less installation time

• easier and safer to waterproof compared to classic drain channels

• easy to clean as there is only a small/steel plate to keep clean  

• works the same way as the classic channel drain while the rest of the shower floor is flat, just tilted towards the drain 

• overall slick & minimalistic design

NO!

When it gets wet (i.e. from behind the waterproofing) it swells and therefore can lift the floor tiles which will result in compromising the waterproofing and tile work.

Acrylic Caulk is not watertight. Therefore a quality Silicone with an mould inhibitor should to be used.

• make sure when laying the tiles they don't touch each other in the corners and to leave a gap of about 2-3mm

• make sure all gaps have been cleaned of any access tile adhesive (or grout) while still fresh

• gaps must be dry, clean of dust or oily substances

• prime the tile edges before applying the silicone

• before applying the silicone, fill the gap with a filler rod to 2/3 of the depths to avoid silicone adhering to the substrate 

• avoid at all cost a so called "Three-Sided Adhesion", which means the silicone should only adhere to the 2 tile edges of that gap

• apply an  even  bead of silicone of about 5-6mm width and then take the access away by using a special smoothing tool which should be  dipped into soapy water

• the silicone bead should have a triangular shape

All gaps, joints or expansion joints need to be free of dust, dirt or access tile adhesive before sealing off with silicone. Therefore it is recommended to apply the silicone first. When the grout work needs to be done first, ensure all  open gaps, joints or expansion joints are covered by a masking tape to prevent grout from entering those spaces. 

Never fill those gaps with grout and apply just a silicone layer on top of them. 

Most tile adhesives are mixed with water and therefore  have a high water content. A tiled area is ready to be grouted (gaps between the tiles are being sealed off) when it's fully dried out. But if there is still moisture from the water content underneath the tiles when grout is applied  "evaporation pressure" from the water content could lift off the tiles from the substrate and break the bondage, creating a  loose or cracked tile as a  result.

Smaller tiles need less tile adhesive than bigger tiles and therefore the drying time is shorter.

Bigger tiles need much more tile adhesive and it will take much longer before the water content is low enough to be ready for grouting.  Be careful when trying to speed up the drying process by using high temperature heaters or fans as they can cause cracks in the tiles adhesive or a complete decay of it.

If the work is time-sensitive there are special fast-curing tile adhesives and grouts available which allow grouting and finishing the tile work within hours.  

Different sizes as well as different qualities of tiles require different width of grout lines.

Tiles up to 100mm length have 2mm grout lines

Tiles from 100 to 200mm length have 3mm grout lines

Tiles  from 200 to 600mm length have 4mm grout lines.

But many people prefer for all sizes of tiles a very small grout line which can result in problems while installing.  

The standard tolerance for length and width of a tile is 0.6% or max. 2mm.

The standard tolerance for straightness of all 4 sides is 0.5% or max 1.5mm.

The standard tolerance for angularity of all 4 corners is 0.5% or max. 2mm.

That means bigger tiles can have big variations in term of measured in mm. 

it is often impossible to maintain a very small gap while laying because of those variations in size, i.e. if 5 tiles are to be laid in a row with a 1mm variation there will be a difference of 5mm at the end. The result is called "stepping".  Therefore we recommend to check the tiles for uniformity in size very carefully either before ordering but latest before installing in order to determine the proper possible minimum width of the grout line.

To achieve the best possible result of a narrow grout line is by purchasing high quality tiles which are rectified/ calibrated by re-cutting them a second time to get extreme low tolerances during the manufacturing process.

The 3 tasks of silicone in a tiled bathroom are:

• making sure gaps are waterproof and leakproof (no water will get through sealed gaps)

• creating a tolerance for flex (building elements can move or vibrate within a certain range)

• guaranteeing hygiene (by sealing those gaps no germs, bacteria or other unwanted organism and dirt can accumulate underneath)

How to avoid mould growth:

• use silicone with fungicide inhibitors

• apply a proper form of silicone bead with a smooth surface, best silicone form is a triangle instead of a  rounded form

• keep silicone joints and beads as clean as possible after using the shower or bathroom

• keep grout lines and silicone beads as dry as possible after using 

• maintain good ventilation of bathroom, keep moisture content below 70%

To ensure the water drains properly the shower floor must have an appropriate slope/gradient towards the drain.

• If the slope is to shallow the water won't run off fast enough in relation to the flow rate of the shower head  and there will be a backlog which could lead to flooding the whole bathroom.

• If the slope is too steep it creates the risk of being slippery when wet which can lead to harmful accidents, resulting in an unsafe shower.  

• the right slope is between 1-2 % or within 1m there is a fall of 10-20mm towards the drain.

For Mosaics all surfaces must be dead flat. That applies also to all waterproofed and taped areas where overlapping  occurs, i.e. in corners or joints. 

For standard tile applications a rule of thumb says the bigger the tile the more even and flat the substrate (wall or floor) must be.

A tolerance of evenness of max. 3mm per metre should be maintained for laying standard sized tiles. But for tiles of a size from about 1200mm a tolerance of max, 1.5mm per metre should be maintained throughout the whole area to be tiled. 

Short- answer: No.

There is only one ideal situation for laying tiles the relative fast and easy way: Big even areas with only straight parallel cuts to be done. 

Most situations require a lot of difficult cuts and holes to be drilled.  Smaller tiles are easier to install, except for mosaics, than big tiles.

It requires a lot of experience to handle big sized tiles properly because they are very heavy and delicate as corners or edges are very fragile and are easily chipped/damaged when handled. Also a misplaced cut or hole can ruin  the whole tile which may represent 1 sqm of area or even more.

The bigger the tile the more evenness of the substrate is required. For example a tolerance of max. 1.3mm per metre evenness should be aimed for if a tile of a size 1200mm long is to be installed.

The bigger the tile the higher the consumption of flexible tile adhesive.

Big tiles require also a carefully planed tile lay-out for every tiled wall of the room as well as a good floor plan to achieve the most perfect design and esthetic look. 

In summary: big tiles are very challenging when it comes to the planning process and the installation. Under normal circumstances the installation takes more time in comparison to smaller tiles. The over-all costs are also higher than using smaller tiles.

The reason why they are so popular is mainly the beauty in terms of a bigger seamless tiled area.

In normal circumstances it is not needed nor required.

Those are special tiling materials designed for specific places such as commercial kitchens, areas with very high hygienic requirements like surgical theatres, pathologies, slaughter houses, etc. Also bathrooms or showers in public swimming pools require such products as they are resistant to special cleaning products, chemicals or disinfectants.

Standard domestic or private bathrooms or showers aren't placed under these regulations therefore, quality standard flexible tile adhesives and grouts will serve the purpose very well.

There are some exceptions when you  have to use Epoxy products  in a domestic bathroom. However, these situations are rare but include using acrylic tile-able shower hobs or wall linings.

• Depends on what the conditions are those tiles have to endure.

• It is not always necessary to get expensive high-end quality tiles installed. 

• If a floor gets a lot of heavy traffic with high exposure to dirt then a porcelain tile of very high quality will be the best choice., i.e. main entrances, malls, stairways etc.

• But if the floor hardly gets stressed and almost only barefoot trafficked  a standard ceramic or porcelain tile will do the job just fine, i.e. en-suite, powder room.  Make sure it will be fit for purpose, i.e. in a wet room it must be also a slip-resistant floor tile.

• The same applies for walls: if they won't get handled so hard a standard ceramic wall tile will be good enough. 

In general: the best tiles are from reputable manufacturers who can guarantee minimum tolerances of their tiles in all dimensions, have a very high consistency of  good quality of the material, texture and colour, and can guarantee availability of certain series for  several years. An important aspect is a matching set of floor and wall tiles regarding the size.

Standard wall tiles are Ceramic Tiles being made either of soft clay-based  ground material or have a less abrasion resistant glaze because walls are normally not so much exposed to stress in comparison to floors. Therefore on average they are cheaper than floor tiles. They are not suitable for floor coverings.

Standard Floor tiles are also Ceramic Tiles, but they are designed to handle more stress and therefore are being made of strong clay-based, double fired materials and have a long lasting and hard-wearing glaze. Generally those floor tiles are suitable as wall tiles as well. On average they are more expensive than wall tiles.

Another type are Porcelain Tiles. They are almost indestructible as they are being made of a mixture of stone dust, colour pigments etc. which is compressed under very high pressure and then sintered under very high temperatures. The result is a uniform hard-wearing material which can even be polished. Those surfaces are the most scratch-resistant among any tiles and can be used on high-traffic areas like malls, airports, main entrances etc. Because of their beauty, big variety of colours, surfaces, sizes and especially accuracy in sizes they have also became very popular in the private sector. Porcelain tiles can be used on floors and walls.  However, they come in a big price and quality range.

Mosaics are one of the most complicated and difficult tile work out there.  The process starts when drawing up a plan on paper.

The installation normally happens today by placing sheets with sometimes hundred of small pre-attached mosaic tiles into a very thin bed of tile adhesive. Those sheets must be of very high quality in order to get invisible transitions from one sheet to the next sheet.  Another method is to handle every single Mosaic piece which is even more complicated and difficult.

The most important part of a beautiful and technically correct Mosaic work is the perfect preparation work of the substrate and space to be tiled. Total evenness  of the area to be tiled is paramount, because of the very thin layer of tile adhesive there is no room for adjustments.

It is important, that only full (uncut) mosaic tiles are to be seen on the finished work. 

To achieve a flawless grouting all access tile adhesive must be removed when fresh before filling the grout lines with suitable grout.

Many high quality Mosaics tiles have very delicate colours or glaze (i.e. gold plated, fine glass coating) and must be handled with extreme care. There are also special grouts available to prevent scratches or other damages of those Mosaics.