theosmith Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 right, ive gone to shop and purchased 30m2 of ceramic floor tiles to do the living room, hallway and toilet the floor its going on is some kind of tile down very matt! and is in a flat! im just wondering what price i should expect to pay for installation or whether i should it my self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Get someone in unless you are very confident. It's one of those jobs that can be DIY . But it's on full view if it's not quite right, I botched one once , and the little flaws bugged me for two years until i had it redone by a pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Laying these is a whole different ball game to wall tiles. Not a job for the feint hearted, consider seriously getting some quotes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Are the existing tiles flat, secure, the correct level and are you intending to tile over them ? Its not that difficult if you use some common, careful measurements and plan the cuts beforehand, Check for the squareness of the rooms, get a decent tile cutter, available to hire from Travis perkins 1/2 mile from you.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Don't do it. Get a tiler in, if you supply should be about £25 m2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I shouldn't go on top of existing. At very best it still raises the level up at worst it needs re-doing with fresh. Its not hard if your capable and have the time and practical skills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazbrit Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Nothing wrong with going over existing tiles as long as they're solid enough and you dont mind the floor been 10-15 mm higher. Also what are the existing tiles laid on? If wood you're gonna need a flexible adhesive and grout, in my opinion I'd get flexible anyway as you can still get movement on a solid floor. If you were confident and only doing one room I'd say have a go yourself but because your going into several rooms you'd be wise to get a tiler in (£15-25 per metre). Make sure you get someone reccomended as there's plenty of fly-by-nights around who reckon they're qualified after going on a 3 day course......oh by the way I'm a City and Guilds qualified wall and floor tiler with over 25 years experience. Bit too far from me though but if you need any advice get in touch and I'll help you the best I can. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 (edited) Easy if you have the time and a cutter (water cooled circular cutters are less than £50)-use a flexible adhesive and work from the centre of the room outwards-don't forget spacers if needed. When I do mine I usually do as large a central span as I can leaving enough room to walk around-let these set overnight then I work from this area outwards. Don't forget to alter the doors-easiest to just take them off and refit to the correct length once the floor is finished. Edited January 1, 2014 by bruno22rf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theosmith Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 few nice tips there lads, the price for a proper installer certainly not cheap. im going to look at each room as a seperate section and not try to join in! if it was about £300 for the inital 23m2 i would pay that well happily but seems not the case! i like the idea of starting centre of room to have a base to work from but id fear that there would be more unnecessarily cuts around the out side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 few nice tips there lads, the price for a proper installer certainly not cheap. im going to look at each room as a seperate section and not try to join in! if it was about £300 for the inital 23m2 i would pay that well happily but seems not the case! i like the idea of starting centre of room to have a base to work from but id fear that there would be more unnecessarily cuts around the out side Always work your layout from the room centre, you can always adjust but the walls will not run square so to start flush from a wall is a dumb move and to not know how big the last section will be is a problem in waiting (try cutting 10mm strips of tile say). tiling is mostly best drawn out to scale unless the layout and room are very basic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR1 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 You pay for what you get , here in the South the cash rate is about £28 per m2 including adhesive and grout, most tilers want to use there own regular supplier. Layout is important to get a decent looking finished job , cuts are second nature to a good tiler as is getting a flat finish, Large format tiles are harder to lay than smaller ones due to not being so flat. Some of the porcelain tiles will not snap on a scribe type cutter and have to be cut with a diamond blade (wet cut not necessary) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Is it a modern property.? Do you have under floor heating currently... when you say "some sort of tile down" could you be more specific..? is it a ceramic tile, wood, vinyl. ? Tiling over existing ceramic tiles is fine but you should make sure the surface is completely level and sound and level it off if not, with a self levelling latex first or you will find that instead of being able to use a thin bed adhesive you will have to use something thicker and this may well give you a nasty conflict of levels at door thresholds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 This annoys me, amateurs trying to do a professional job, I'm a professional carpenter and charge a fair rate for an excellent days work. We are all good at something so stick to what you know. Get a professional tradesmen in to do the job, I know some cracking tilers who charge £25 per m2 and do a superb job, not sure if the rate will be the same to travel to Harlow but if you wanted their number I could always pass it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I will have a go at just about anything but floor tiling is one job I backed away from! I had my hall, downstairs toilet, and kitchen floors tiled professionally, no way could I have got them as flat or to look so "right" well worth every penny. KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 This annoys me, amateurs trying to do a professional job, I'm a professional carpenter and charge a fair rate for an excellent days work. We are all good at something so stick to what you know. Get a professional tradesmen in to do the job, I know some cracking tilers who charge £25 per m2 and do a superb job, not sure if the rate will be the same to travel to Harlow but if you wanted their number I could always pass it on. Where do you draw the line, DIY is a national pastime, there are many very capable people out there and many numpties, we all have to find our level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 This annoys me, amateurs trying to do a professional job, I'm a professional carpenter and charge a fair rate for an excellent days work. We are all good at something so stick to what you know. Get a professional tradesmen in to do the job, I know some cracking tilers who charge £25 per m2 and do a superb job, not sure if the rate will be the same to travel to Harlow but if you wanted their number I could always pass it on. Why should it annoy you? My old man has recently tiled his other halfs kitchen and utility room to a very high standard, he can do most things very well as he's had to all his life due to money. If people are capable of doing an excellent job themselves then let them get on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puggers Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I had a go at tiling a small area in the past and regretted it, all bar the experience I learnt of never trying it again! As others have said, it's a whole different game to wall tiles and like much DIY it's down to the preparation as if you skimp here you'll know about later. We recently had our kitchen through to utility, downstairs loo and then the ensuite done by a fella who had left the forces and he was absolutely superb and charged a flat rate which I worked out was roughly £20 a square metre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theosmith Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 ok few things to add now, the floor underneath is not tiles but some kind of bitumen where tiles had been laid or something (according to tiler) ok so i have now been given a quote from a full time tiler £140 for adhesives,grout, and some latex for the hallway! £560 for the laying he is saying it could take a whole week to do. so £700 for whole job excluding the tiles. total area is aprox 32m2 as had a proper measure up and also want to do the kitchen the build is quite old maybe from the 70s perhaps not too sure but its not modern and never been updated other than some paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 So get two more quotes and pick the best one, not necessarily the cheapest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 ok few things to add now, the floor underneath is not tiles but some kind of bitumen where tiles had been laid or something (according to tiler) ok so i have now been given a quote from a full time tiler £140 for adhesives,grout, and some latex for the hallway! £560 for the laying he is saying it could take a whole week to do. so £700 for whole job excluding the tiles. total area is aprox 32m2 as had a proper measure up and also want to do the kitchen the build is quite old maybe from the 70s perhaps not too sure but its not modern and never been updated other than some paint That would have been a timber block like Parquet or an old asbestos based Floor tile bedded in Bitumen, I would suggest. I wouldn't be tempted to try and remove it. Asbestos reinforced bitumen adhesive was once common. Take advice from your professional tiler but I would be tempted to use a polymer modified adhesive as cementious based adhesives are not suitable for use on existing bitumen. To latex the whole floor If deemed necessary with SBL would be between £4 and £5.00 per m2. You can then use a thin bed adhesive and keep the total floor thickness to a minimum and avoid annoying differences of level at door thresholds. Make sure in wet areas like the kitchen the grout and adhesive is water proof and not water resistant, a professional tiler will recommend this in any event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazbrit Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Sounds about right price wise, but should only take 2-3 hours to put the self-leveller down a couple of days to tile it and 2-3 hours grouting. Three days max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theosmith Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 i think the £560 labour is not terrible and id had thought 2days work but admitidly the hallway has loads of cuts to be done . i have booked the guy in, saw lots of pics of his work and he is happy for me to pay after except for buying the materials. once ive stripped out all my old carpet i shall try to get a piccie up.......hes not coming til the 20th he also said something about sealing the floor with a uni bond, he is only leveling out the bit in the hallway into a vary gradual slope otherwide would use rather alot of materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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