As a starting point, have a look at our Customer Service team’s top tile renovation tips – and be sure to check out our favourite summer entertaining tile finishes too.
HAVE MORE THAN ONE DESIGN IDEA READY TO CHOOSE FROM BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING
As much as you love a certain tile or colour that you saw in a magazine or on Pinterest, it is not a given that the showroom will have the exact same colour or style available. So, ensure you’ve saved a selection of your favourite images or Pinterest pins on your smartphone to compare with products when you’re at the showroom.
We know that choosing your favourite looks can be a bit daunting – after all, we are talking permanent floor and wall finishes here! – which is why we have a dedicated online idea book. Here you will find ideas for every inch of your home, from kitchens and bathrooms to livings rooms and patios. Carefully curated with themes, each slide packs an inspiration punch like no other – you will definitely be spoiled for choice with ideas to choose from!
THINK ABOUT (AND MEASURE) THE SPACE YOU WILL NEED TILES FOR
It is important that, before you go shopping, you know the square meter size you will need tiles for. (Tip: Measure the length and width of the area and then multiplying these numbers to get the area’s square meters.)
Why do you need to know this? Tiles are sold by the square meter (and priced as such). It’s also important to purchase extra tiles as “attic stock” for future repairs or should tiles break during the tiling stage. We always recommend adding 10% to 15% to your tile order to allow for this.
UNDERSTAND WHICH TILES ARE SUITED FOR WHICH AREAS
Not all tiles are suited for the same areas.
Floor tiles can be used on walls; however, wall tiles can’t be used on the floor. This is because tiles made for walls are generally not hard or durable enough to be used on a floor.
Also, keep in mind, some tiles will reflect light more than others making them better suited to areas that don’t get a lot of natural sunlight. Some tiles become slippery when wet and if you have children who enjoy racing around this could end in tears. For swimming pool surrounds, we recommend using non-slip tiles, or even better, In/Out Technology Tiles! These tiles have a matt finish when dry (perfect to use absolutely anywhere in- or outside your home) but have the added benefit of becoming non-slip when wet (isn’t technology amazing – read our blog post about this ground-breaking innovation).
If you are unsure which tiles to consider for which areas, we wrote all about busting the myths about slip-resistant flooring which is sure to help you.
