Floor and wall tiling is a finish that is going to be in your face for years to come and needs to be absolutely perfect. Every joint, whether vertical or horizontal, needs to be correct.
Tiling is a finish that is hard to repair or correct if not done right first time, but like everything else with building, it’s all about preparation.
Insist that the tiler checks all the substrates before he starts. Wall plaster and floor screeds need to be hard and not sandy, as the best tile adhesive in the world will not stop the tiles popping if the adhesive is applied to a loose surface.
Get the tiler to agree and sign off that he is satisfied with the surfaces that he will be tiling on.
Surfaces must also be level and plumb. While tiles can be cut, you don’t want to see cuts out of square because the walls or floors have been built or laid badly. Check and check again before tiling begins.
A handy tip for tiling old floors or walls, which may not be square, is to lay the tiles diagonally, as this disguises the fact that the tiles are getting smaller as work proceeds.
Once the tiler is satisfied with the surfaces, ensure that any necessary waterproofing has been completed as this can also upset line and level.
Never rely on tiles, grout or adhesive to form a permanent waterproof barrier in showers or on balconies.
These areas must be fully waterproofed with the appropriate materials, and ideally the waterproofing membranes should be protected by screeds or plaster before tiling begins.
Choose the correct tiles for the purpose. Small tiles do not suit large rooms and conversely large tiles look hideous in small rooms.
Also remember that bulky tiles such as quarry tiles or stone tiles cannot be laid with small joints. It is also virtually impossible to get a completely level floor with these.
Don’t expect the tiler to work miracles if you choose second-grade tiles or floor and wall tiles of different sizes, with a border of a different size, all for use in the same bathroom.
Plan carefully and get the tiler to lay out the tiles first. This will help you to see where the joints or cuttings are going to show.
Before tiling starts, ensure that you have the correct adhesive for the type of tile being used.
You will also want to check that you are happy with the colour of the grouting: once you start scratching out, the job will never be 100 percent right.
I think of all the trades involved in building, the tiler needs to be cut more slack than most.
He is, after all, laying a tile not chosen by him on a surface prepared by others for a client, who expects the end result to be perfect.
Of course, this is not an excuse for bad workmanship.
Modern technology has given tilers the ability to cut small circular holes for shower pipes or to mitre corners, so be demanding within reason.
But don’t expect the tiler to lay a square metre of mosaic for the same price as 16 number 250 x 250mm tiles.
Handy hints for dampproofing your home
Rising damp is one of the most written about subjects when it comes to building problems. It is, therefore, well worth the time to spend a couple of hours browsing the Net, if you want to dig deeper.
Rising or salt damp is caused by moisture in the surrounding ground rising up by capillary action in walls, until it peaks out. It leaves a tide mark of dissolved salts, usually not higher than the hip height of an average person. If left untreated, the combination of dissolved salts and moisture will break down the surrounding surfaces, causing plaster to fall off walls, skirting's to rot or paint to peel off walls.
Rising damp is more likely to occur in older houses because modern building practices and legislation make it compulsory that a damp-proof course be fitted into your walls at about 150mm above ground level.
The problem has been studied since the early 1800s when damp was identified as a health risk. Early damp-proof courses were formed from harder or denser materials such as slate, slowly being replace by bitumens and lately, plastics.
Although rising damp manifests internally, the initial cause is usually found externally. Penetrating damp appears in places built higher than the damp-proof course, often surrounding areas such as flower beds.
The ground “bridges” the proofing, allowing water to enter the wall above it and causing moisture to begin to rise.
Once you have eliminated the above possible cause, the chances are that your damp-proof course is either nonexistent or has failed.
Before going further a word of warning: putting new floors into homes can increase the chances of rising damp and replacing timber floors with concrete can cause major problems if the new floor goes in at the wrong level, is not properly waterproofed, or is laid in such a way that the existing dpc is bridged. Ensure that your builder knows what he is doing.
Prevention is often better or cheaper than cure, so begin your treatment of rising damp by ensuring that you have no standing water around your house.
Paving should slope away from walls, water channels should be watertight and excess ground water should be drained away by means of “agricultural”, “French” or “ground drains”.
If the above does not solve the problem, then it is time to call in the experts.
There are so many different methods of treating rising damp that it is impossible to go through them in detail, but the basic rules for employing a contractor apply. Ask if his work is guaranteed and if he has contactable references. Check carefully what is excluded from the quotation, as well as what is included. For example, replastering and painting.
Get at least two quotes, ensure that you spend time with the estimator and fully understand what is going to happen. Most of the systems used locally originate from Europe and are easily checked on the internet.
While contracting myself, we installed a rising damp-prevention system imported from the UK but eventually decided to stop.
The problem was not that the system did not work, but that associated problems could result in relationships with the client souring.
Remember two things. Firstly, your contractor can easily come across problems that were not identifiable at the time of tender and secondly, water really does have a mind of its own.
There are many good systems that cure rising damp. However, water having been blocked off in area “A” has a nasty habit of rearing its head in areas “B” or more in the next year. This is not something that your contractor can be held responsible for but he should make you aware of the possible problem at tender stage. - Weekend Argus