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DIY tiling: don’t try it before reading these tips from the tradie!

August 11, 2020 2 Comments

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As we spend more time at home, Aussies are picking up their tools and diving into DIY reno projects of all shapes and sizes. But knowing where to start can be daunting for even the savviest of renovators, and tiles can be especially tricky if you’ve never tiled before.ย 

Kyal Demmrich on the job

As a renovation expert, carpenter and The Block alumni, Kyal Demmrich has spent his fair share of time diving into DIY renovations with his wife Kara. โ€œWe have completed more than 35 reno projects now, and over that time Iโ€™ve found that knowing what our end goal is, including the style weโ€™re going for, really does help with the rest falling into place,โ€ Kyal says. With the right information and the right tools, most renovations are relatively easy, particularly when you follow a few simple tips.ย 

With tiling, once people have landed on design elements like choice of tile and laying pattern, most of the hard yards have been run โ€“ though caution needs to be taken to avoid missteps such asย using unsuitable adhesives, tiling on surfaces that are not dry, and failing to measure and cut accurately.

โ€œThere is a great saying in the trade: Measure twice, cut once. Thatโ€™s my golden rule for all things tiles and DIY,โ€ Kyal says. โ€œFrom calculating how many tiles you need, through to the cuts and configuration of the tiles themselves, never underestimate the importance of a good old tape measure and solid forward planning.โ€

Other tile ‘tricks of the tradie’ offered by Kyal:ย ย 

Dry surfaces: Before you start, your surface should be dry, clean, and smooth. If you are tiling in a wet area, it must be waterproofed correctly before you commence tiling.

Clean tiles are a must: Tiles should be dry and completely clean. Any loose powder on the backs of tiles should be removed to avoid contaminating the adhesive. A fine bristle brush is good to help with this.

Not all adhesives are created equal: Do not skimp, and make sure you choose the right adhesive for the surface and type of tile. There are many brands of adhesive out there, and they are all designed for specific types of tiles and tile surfaces.

Size does matter for the novice DIYer:ย Tiling with big tiles is tough, even for seasoned pros. Large format tiles are heavy and are expensive to replace if mistakes are made, so DIY novices should aim for tiles no bigger than 300 x 600mm.

Start with the grate:ย The secret with tile layout is starting from the floor grate (either inside or outside the shower) and working your way outwards. Draw up a plan of your floor/wall/splashback and map out where your tiles will go. At this point, you should also check that you have the correct fall to the grate. This ensures that your water will drain away correctly.

Dry laying is everything: Dry laying tiles first ensures you have the correct number of tiles as well as creating a vision of how they will look. Dry laying is also the perfect time to confirm whether you are happy with your tile choice, or if you need to make last minute changes.ย 

Lay tiles carefully: Tiles that are placed unevenly create an uneven joint (or โ€˜lipโ€™) which could be a trip hazard โ€“ there are levelling products out there to help with this. Make sure you tile the floor before your wall โ€“ wall tiles should slot neatly above your floor tiles. Where silicone is used, leave a 2-3mm gap where walls and floors meet.  

Peel and place technologies: A fantastic product to make your tiling even easier is BT-Instalay CTU by Gripset. This flooring system is a game-changer and can prepare a surface for tiling in only four quick and easy steps. BT-Instalay CTU is also 10 times lighter than cement sheets, making it an ideal flooring system for DIYers. It is also a waterproofing membrane if you are using it in wet areas.

Grout is a gift: Follow the manufacturerโ€™s instructions exactly. Wait at least 24 hours after laying before grouting and protect the tiles from any water or weather conditions by covering them with old clean sheets. Do not grout where walls meet floors or where two walls meet. Instead, apply silicone when the surrounding grouted area is dry. Epoxy grout is a fantastic option due to its durability and stain resistance. It is a breeze to clean and perfect for outdoor or wet areas, making it an exciting alternative to cement grout.

Kyal is an ambassador for Beaumont Tiles, Australiaโ€™s biggest retailer of tiles and bathroomware with 118 outlets across most states.

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I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
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Comments

  1. AvatarAlicia says

    April 6, 2021 at 5:45 am

    Hi, where did you purchase these floor tiles? I love them!

    Reply
  2. AvatarBrady says

    January 25, 2022 at 9:32 am

    Where did you get your tile? They are amazing!

    Reply

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