Bathroom Tiling Canberra

Bathroom tiling is the surface you see every day, laid over the waterproofing you never see. We tile walls and floors in ceramic, porcelain, natural stone and mosaic, from large-format tiles down, and our own crew lays the tile you choose.

Two kinds of job. In a full renovation, tiling is one stage of the program: after the waterproofing, before the fit-off. In a retile, the layout still works and it is the surfaces that have had enough. In the small original bathrooms of the ex-government houses and 1960s to 1980s brick homes through Belconnen and Tuggeranong, a retile is often the alternative to renovating the whole room.

1. A site visit and a written quote. Before we quote we check the substrate is sound, level and dry, and in a wet area we confirm the waterproofing is in place and certified.
2. The old tiles come off. Walls and floors are stripped back to a sound substrate; our tile removal page covers that stage.
3. Waterproofing first. The membrane goes on to AS3740:2021, a licensed waterproofer inspects it and issues the compliance certificate, and no tiling starts until it is in hand. See waterproofing.
4. The set-out. We plan where the cuts land before the first tile goes on, and the floor is laid with its fall to the drain, so water leaves the shower rather than sitting in it.
5. Tile and grout. The adhesive and the grout are matched to the tile. Silicone sealing of the movement joints is a separate, later step.
6. Handover. The compliance certificate, the warranty paperwork and the care instructions are handed to you at handover.

• Ceramic or porcelain. Both are water-resistant and durable. Ceramic is the cheaper of the two; porcelain is harder and stands up better to heavy foot traffic.
• Tile size. Tile size changes the room more than colour does. Smaller tiles read modern and busy; larger tiles, with fewer grout lines, make a small bathroom look bigger.
• Whether to heat the floor. Porcelain is cold underfoot. If you want the floor warm on winter mornings, underfloor heating has to go in before the tiles do. The floor tiling guide has the rest of the checklist for a new floor.

Our tiles and materials guide compares the options one by one.

If the waterproofing under the old tiles has failed, new tiles will not fix it. Peeling paint, a musty smell, water stains or visible mould all point that way, and the job is then waterproofing. If the layout is the problem rather than the surfaces, the answer is a full bathroom renovation.