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However, if you’ve never worked with them before, it can be tricky at first. Although, we’re here to help with our detailed guide on completing a tile floor installation.
Tile Cost Calculator - Job Cost Calculator
If you’re carrying out your tiling project to a set budget, it’s always good to know exactly how much it’ll cost. Please use our Tile Cost Calculator below.
What is a Gap Size, and Why is it Important?
In layman's terms, it’s the size of the gap between the sides of one tile to another. You would use grout to fill in these gaps for two reasons, the first being a stylistic decision, and the other is, so the tiles are held together.
Your floor tiles' gap size depends mainly on two variables; the type of tile and what they’re being fixed to. Common tiling knowledge dictates that floor tiles should be 3-5mm apart.
If the tiles are laid on a wooden floor, grout should be used; as wooden floors tend to move around, this could damage your tiles if the grout isn’t used.
How To Measure For Tile Flooring
There are a few calculations involved. Please follow the steps below; bear in mind this is using the example of a standard rectangular room.
- You’ll want to measure the length of the walls. In this case, we’ll say the shorter wall is 4.4 feet, and the long wall is 6.6 feet.
- You multiply both of these numbers together to get your area. In this case it would be 4.4 x 6.6 = 29.04 square feet.
- Experts recommend that you factor in the overage, which is another term for wastage. This would usually be 10% of the area; this is 29.4 + 2.94 = 32.34 square feet.
How Much Do Floor Tiles Cost? What Determines This?
There are, of course, variables to consider when thinking about tile prices. The price can be determined by what kind of tile they are, the process through which they’re made, the material they’re made from.
For example, the most popular type of tile would be ceramic. They’re cheap, come in a vast array of colors, designs, and sizes.
You could expect to pay between $5 and $35 per SQM. These types of tile are relatively straightforward to produce, with less of a process.
In comparison to that, a tile on the other end of that scale, rough-cut marble tiles are a lot more expensive as the process to make them is longer and more complicated.
You would expect to pay between $25 and $150. You can get imitation marble for a lot less, as it’s just stone made to look like marble.
Types of Tile
Each type of flooring has its similarities and differences; in the following section, we’ve compared standard flooring options and some pros and cons.
Tile vs. Hardwood
Tiles can be used in any part of your home, whether on your bathroom floor or kitchen walls. They’re a great option if you want to brighten the place up as there are many colors and patterns to choose from.
Hardwood floors also provide the same stylistic flexibility as well as being a moderate price. However, they scratch relatively easily but can be refinished multiple times due to their thickness.
Ceramic vs. Porcelain Tile
Ceramic tiles don’t require a sealant; they’re relatively cheap and are easy to clean. However, they’re not the best when used outdoors or in high-traffic areas of the home, somewhere like a bathroom.
Porcelain is made in a similar process but is much more durable. Therefore it can be used in more high-traffic areas of the home. You can also find frost resistant porcelain tiles to be used outside.
Porcelain Tile Pros And Cons
Porcelain is a lot more durable and can be used in high-traffic areas. You’ll also be able to find frost-proof tiles that can be used outdoors. Porcelain also doesn’t require sealant.
Porcelain's downside is that these tiles are a lot heavier than other types; therefore, they must be secured tightly to a strong wall.
Tile vs. Laminate
Laminate flooring effortlessly imitates tiles or hardwood flooring and is relatively cheap compared to both tile and hardwood.
Laminate can also be installed in most areas of your home. The only downside with laminate is that after a few years, it can begin to wear down.
When Other Tools Will Come in Handy?
Having the correct kit for tiling floors is always helpful as it can be a time-consuming job with even the best of equipment. We’ve highlighted below some tools needed for the task.
Wet Tile Saw
This tool cuts tiles with a blade made from either diamond or carbide grit. The cutter works by dowsing water on the tile and blade to limit overheating.
Grout Float
The grout float is used to press grout in-between the tile spaces; if there’s excess, it can be scraped along with the other tiles until gone.
Tile Nippers
Tile nippers remove irregularities on the tile and help you shape the tile. You won’t always need this tool, but there’s nothing else like it to do the job when you do.
Rubber Mallet
Rubber mallets are used to gently tap the tile and secure them without breaking the tile.
Notched Trowel
The notched trowel comes in various sizes of notches used to spread the mortar onto the wall or floor. Thinset mortar requires square notches, which is best for floor tiling and v-notches are best for wall tiles.
Hold up, are you interested in other topics related to tile? If so, these might be something to check out:
Conclusion
Tiling your floor or walls can be a daunting task. But, with the proper research and information, it’s more than possible. There’s, of course, variables involved, like those included above, follow what we’ve told you, and you’ll have it done in no time. Tiles can be a beautiful addition to brighten up a living space or bathroom. They come in so many patterns and designs.
People Also Ask
Like with most projects, there’s always going to be more questions than answers sometimes. That’s why we’ve compiled and answered some of the most common questions asked regarding floor tiling.
How Much Does It Cost To Tile A Floor?
If you’re working from the example, we gave earlier. That would be an area of 32.34m2 or 106 square feet; if you use the cheaper ceramic tiles of between $5 and $35, that will give you a range of $160 to $1,120.
That’s if you do the labor yourself. If you factor in grout costs, that would be between $2 and $4 per square foot.
What Is The Average Labor Cost To Install Tile?
The average range of a contractor would charge between $5 to $10. This option might be cheaper as they already have the tools required.
How Much Thinset Do I Need Per Square Foot?
We had used the measurement of meters. However, in square foot, the area would be 106.1ft. Therefore we would need a minimum of two 50lb bags of thinset. That would translate to around 1lb of thinset per square foot. But, some extra thinset would be recommended as a reserve
How to Put Down Tile Floor
- You’ll want to start by drawing out some guidelines so you can plan how many tiles you’ll need.
- If you want to do a dry test, feel free. You want to take your trowel and apply a thin layer of mortar on where you’ll place the tile. Tap it down with your rubber mallet.
- Once the tiles are all in place, you can set your grout into the spaces using your grout float. Wipe away any excess with a sponge.
- You can then move on to the next layer.