Tips on Choosing the Right Quality Tiler in Your Area

You have decided you would like to have your bathroom tiled, or you want to put mosaic tiles on your patio, or terracotta tiles in your study or kitchen - all you need now is a quality local tiler to do your job. Now, how do you go about finding suitable tilers that live close to you and that also have the skills required for your job? Follow our simple tips below and you are on your way to finding a qualified tiler who has the right tiling skills you need, and at the right tiling prices too

Before choosing a tiler you need to think through the type of tiles you need. The price ranges on tiles can be quite significant and some of them work better if you want tiling insulation, and others work better if you want waterproofing, or indeed durability in a high wear and tear tiling space, or simply decorative tiling. One thing to remember is that the tiler you choose to do your tiling will often be able to recommend which tiles work best for your need.

Below are the main types of tiles that are in the marketplace, and the typical uses and some indications of tiling prices

What are the typical uses of tiling in a home?

Tiles can enhance the look of any area inside a home.

Kitchen tiling : The kitchen floors and walls are the most usual tiled surfaces in a kitchen. Tiles are often used for kitchen countertops as well, which require a hard wearing surface. You may also be looking for kitchen tiles to prevent backsplash from your sink from penetrating your kitchen walls.

Bathroom tiling : Most bathrooms now have tiled shower areas, and often bathroom floors are tiled as well. Bathroom tiles are not only a sensible choice, they can add colour and design to a bathroom.

Conservatory tiles: Fireplace hearth tiles and foyer tiles are not only durable material, but add a touch of elegance to the living space. If used well, conservatory tiling can significantly increase the value of your home.

Swimming pool tiles : These are typically used at the bottom and the side walls of a swimming pool.

Roofing tiles : Overlapping tiles or slates are in prevalent use, to provide protection for both pitches and flat roofs from extreme temperature variations and other conditions that often happen in the UK.

As in most home improvement projects, defining scope is an important first step. What areas in your home are you interested in tiling? Laying out the results you are looking for will help you define the scope of your project – improved look and feel of your kitchen, less wear and tear of the kitchen countertop, damp proofing and moisture resistance, improved safety in the bathroom or fireplace are some of the reasons you may want to get your tiling job done. Knowing what you want and proper planning is the key to achieving the results you want.

Whether it is a kitchen splashback and countertop tiling project, or giving your bathroom and shower area a tiling uplift, following a few simple rules will go a long way in ensuring the success of your tiling project.

Deciding on your tile design choice

Remember, you may want to talk to your tiler before you go ahead and purchase tiles - he or she will should be able to offer a lot of advice on types of tile that may make most sense for your tiling job.

There are many different types of tiles for wall tiling, floor tiling, porch and conservatory tiling and even swimming pool tiling. Whether you are looking for roof tiles in London, or basement tiles in Sheffield, your tiler will help you decide which tiles suit your purposes best. However, a little bit of research will mean you can ask the right questions of your tiler, and knowing what types of tiles work better for your tiling project will do you no harm in your discussions.

In colder climates, ceramic tile is preferred in entrances and foyers, corridors, bathrooms, kitchens and basements. In temperate and mostly in hot climates ceramic tiles may be used in living spaces such as family rooms and bedrooms advantageously, but these are not preferred tiling areas in the UK.

In bathrooms, vitreous and impervious tiles (non-absorbent tiles) are used most often. In other areas of the house where moisture and water absorption may be significant, such as basements, non absorbent tiles work better. Glazed and porcelain tiles are preferred in these circumstances.

Choosing your tile design can be fun, but there are wide variations in quality, size, weight, and of course, tile prices. Tiles have a lot of jargon associated with their classification, so read on below to make up your mind.

Ceramic Tiles

This is the most popular type of tile, and is in wide use in bathroom and kitchen wall tiling. You do have a choice between glazed or unglazed ceramic tile, although most people prefer glazed ceramic tiles within home improvement projects.

Quarry Tiles and Terracota Tiles

Made from earth or clay, these are amongst the most “traditional” tiles having been around for hundreds of years. Both terracotta tiles and quarry tiles are fired, and they work well on conservatories and kitchen areas. These tiles are thick and heavy and tend to be more expensive. In addition, they are porous and need to be fitted very well to avoid seepage, requiring more exacting labour and tooling.

Porcelain Tiles

These work best in wetrooms and bathrooms. Although they tend to be more expensive than basic ceramic tiles, they are quite cost effective as they are durable and very easy to maintain. They absorb less moisture than ceramic tiles and are very popular in home improvement jobs.

Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic looks beautiful, and can enhance the elegance of any living area or bathroom. However, as mosaics are small tiles by comparison, they require a lot of careful labour to get right. In general, the smaller the tile, the more the tiling price - mosaics can be expensive.

Marble tiles

Marble is about luxury – durable and hard-wearing it can resist natural forces such as heat, light, moisture and rough weather with ease. There are several types of marble tiles and they tend to be slightly different from each other, although all of them look classy. The one thing to watch out with marble tiles is their tendency to pick up discolouration from acids, food, oils and dust.

Stone Tiles

Stone tiles can come in a wide range – from granite to limestone to slate, they are all quarried and hardwearing. In general, granite is preferred for bathrooms as it is ultra-durable and impervious to water, although in a rough finish to avoid tripping. Slate tiles are used in roofing, but also for kitchen countertop and backsplash work, or around the fireplace hearthing.

Glass Tiles

Good looking, glass tiles blend well in the modern home. Durable, especially heavy glass tiles, they are easy to maintain and come in scratch proof varieties.

As you can see from above, there are several different tile design options available for you. If possible, always go with detailed advice from a professional tiler, who will be able to tell you what suits your requirements and price best.

Choosing the right tiler for you

Ok so you now know exactly what you want done. How do you now go about choosing a local London tiler you cna trust, or a rated quality Birmingham or Manchester tiler?

There are many ways to find a list of local tilers – some easier than others.

• You could use search engines to get a list of local tilers. The risk here is that you have no real knowledge of how good they are or what skills they really possess and it can be time consuming calling numerous tiling specialists, having to leave messages asking them to call you.
• Another option is to use the yellow pages but again you have the same issues as using a search engine.
• A recommendation – this is arguably a better option than using a search engine or yellow pages but you are unlikely to have more than one recommendation which makes comparisons difficult
• An easy, hassle free way of identifying local skilled bricklayers is to use the service of a site such as www.xpertfind.com. xpertfind.com has a database of skilled tilers along with rating and feedback provided by customers like yourself for all their tilers. You simply post details of your job on the site and wait for suitably skilled, local tilers interested in your work to contact you. It is a quick and easy way for customers to find local tilers for a whole range of jobs and the website has national coverage. So whether you are looking for emergency waterproofing bathroom tiling in London, or porch tiling in Devon, you can post your tiling job online and let xpertfind.com do the hard work of finding 3 local quality tilers who can provide you with quotes. Who you go with is your decision. The site even has tips on how to deal with tradesmen.

Once you have got 3 suitably skilled, local tilers how to do you choose between them?

Ask for references

When hiring a tiler, don't be shy in asking for references on their work. Ask for photos or call the references and check if the tiler did a good job – websites like xpertfind will give you a good steer on the quality of the tradesman based on the previous feedback that has been left on the website.

Compare your quotes

Tiling prices do vary a lot, as different tiles, as well as quality of materials used can vary a lot. Your tile price is the most important factor, so make sure you have asked the tiler where he or she is sourcing tiles from, and whether they are getting wholesale tile discounts. To make the tiling quotes comparable, ask the tiler to break out area of tiling (or tiles used), prices for tiles and consumable such as tiling tools and labour costs. Ask for details of material used for bonding, and the level of finishing they will do.

Make sure you have a detailed quote from each of the tilers you have identified and compare estimates on the cost of the project and see how they differ. The written quotation should list materials, labour and VAT (if appropriate). Ask them in person why things cost the way they do and why they charge what they charge to do the job. If the tiler is honest, he or she will be open about the costs of materials and the profit they are trying to make.

It is fairly standard for the tiler to ask for a deposit to cover the cost of the materials. However you should not be expected to pay the balance until the tiling job has been completed to your satisfaction.

Time to complete the job and where it will be completed

Be clear on how long will it take your local tiler to complete the job. Finding a tiler who can work efficiently and quickly is beneficial - they will cost less because the hours will be less, and they will probably do a higher quality tiling job as well

Are they licensed or registered?

Tilers in the UK are not required to hold any qualifications to practice. This does not mean there are no professional tiling qualifications – a good tiler may have an NVQ or SVQ qualification or may have taken college courses to qualify in tiling. Often, a tiler would have undertaken apprenticeship, and you should find out how long the tiler has been in the trade. Websites like www.xpertfind.com will tell you very clearly what qualifications are in place, and how long the recommended tiler has been practicing. When engaging your tiler, ask for proof of qualifications they possess.

Click on this link to: Post a Tiling Job and let xpertfind find a local tiler for you