In short, every house is different depending on room layout, length and width of rooms, and which areas need to be covered. There is also a waste factor to be factored in when working out a plan which can be as high as 20% for the average sized home or higher if it is only small areas to be covered. That is why it is impossible to say with any real accuracy what it costs to tile the average room. At Taupo Tiles, we employ trained salespeople to accurately measure your room and use specialised tiling software to give the most accurate results with absolute minimal waste. Then we can provide you with an accurate cost for your project.
This is one of the most common questions we get, but it's actually very easy to work out if you follow these six steps for each surface you want to tile.
1. Measure and re-measure the length (or height) and width of your space carefully.
2. Record your measurement in millimetres (this is how we measure tiles).
3. Divide the length of your space by the length of your tiles.
4. Divide the width of your space by the width of your tiles.
5. Multiply the number you got in step 3 by the number you got in step 4. This is the number of tiles you need for this surface!
6. Add an extra 20% to allow for cuts, breakages and spares.
Despite the fact that ceramic and porcelain tiles look very similar, there are plenty of noticeable differences between the two. For one, porcelain tiles are known to be denser and less porous than ceramic tiles. What does this mean? Basically, porcelain tiles are better for both indoor and outdoor use, as well as hard wearing. Also, they appear to be denser, because of how they are manufactured.
Although ceramic tiles are highly recommended for interior floors and walls, porcelain tiles are more preferable, especially for places that must endure heavy traffic – this includes hallways, kitchen floors, and commercial applications. Porcelain tiles are highly resistant against chipping and scratching. Typically porcelain tiles are better suited to the floors and ceramic tiles are generally on the walls.
No, but we can provide you with a list of tilers who may be available to assist you. All the installers we recommend are local contractors who are qualified Tilers and who have been in business for a good number of years, so the quality of their workmanship is well known. We highly recommend however you carry out your own reference checking through previous satisfied customers prior to employing the services of any Tiler to ensure you are happy with the person you are entrusting with your project. Another advantage of dealing directly with your Tiler is that there is no mark up applied by ourselves therefore YOU SAVE MORE MONEY!
Yes, you can install your own tiles and we can do a supply only arrangement. We recommend doing some online research first and perhaps look at a few good YouTube videos that explain the basics of setup and give some good tips and tricks, prior to starting. If you are handy with tools; and good at measuring and cutting, then installation of tiles may well be within your means. If you get it wrong, you can always come back and buy more.
We can also supply you with a professional tile cutting machine for a small daily charge to assist you obtaining a professional finish to your project.
Yes, we can do a supply only arrangement if you prefer, supply you with a list of recommended local Tilers who can assist you if required. Of course you may want to attempt to install your tiles yourself and we can help out with some advice and guidance as to how to go about this. We also assist you with a professional tile cutter for a small daily charge if you require it.
At the end of the day, if you happen to damage some tiles and run short, you can always come back and buy more ?.
In general, porcelain tiles are better suited to wet areas, in particular the floors due to their very low water absorption rate, typically less than 1%. Ceramic tiles are fine on the walls but are lighter and more porous so can soak up more water leading to mould and mildew issues.
Another important consideration is waterproofing and tanking of tiled walk in showers. Tiled showers require good detailing and application of membranes and careful plumbing installation to remain waterproof. Poor workmanship can lead to leaks and expensive repairs. As such this should always be carried out by a person qualified in the installation of such waterproofing systems to make sure they comply with the relevant sections of the building code and are also installed in accordance with AS/NZS 4858:2004 Wet area membranes. For further information see http://www.level.org.nz/wet-areas/waterproofing-tiled-showers/
We usually recommend between 3mm and 5mm for floor tiles and no less than 1.5mm for wall tiles. Grout spacers are a fantastic way to ensure your grout lines are level and even, and are available from our Taupo Tiles store.
Most of the tiling tools you'll need for a DIY job will probably already be in your toolbox or shed. There are a few specialist tools you might need to buy and borrow (but most of these are small and very affordable), and a couple of others, like tile cutters should you need them, that are available to buy or for daily hire from Taupo Tiles, Local like you!