Tiling

General Overview

Start a tiled wall with a full tile at the floor, and add a sealant between the tile and the floor.
Tiles cannot bend around corners, they need to be cut and then a grout, caulk or sealant line should be added from floor to ceiling.
Grout is used between individual tiles
Sealant is used below wet areas
Caulking is used above wet areas
Edging is used for a decorative finish to tile edges
Tiled skirting is applied using different filler techniques depending on what surfaces they join.
Tiles can be applied in different arrangements and different finishes
Well - designed tiled shelves fit around the tile size to prevent cutting.

Tile Finishes

Gloss Tiles

Gloss tiles have reflective qualities and can reflect shapes and sometimes even subtle colour or details such as writing on an object placed in front of them.

Satin Tiles

Similar to Gloss tiles, satin tiles can reflect shapes but generally don't reflect details or colour. They tend to have a subtle stippled texture to them, meaning they appear in between a gloss & matte finish.

Matte Tiles

Matte Tiles - Matte tiles tend to have a smooth overall surface even if it features a 3D Geometry.

The surface contains microscopic textures but these are not noticeable by eye - however this does mean that objects cannot be reflected. Any light that interacts with a matte tile is blown out meaning it has a gradient like effect across the tiles entire surface.

Tile Arrangements

Herringbone Arrangements
Bond Arrangements
Offset Arrangements
Cross Hatch

Grout needs to be applied on all edges for all tile arrangements

Metro Tiles

Flat Metro Tile - Flat metro tiles have rectangular shape but are not raised, they appear like normal tiles. They tend to be applied with an offset arrangement

Classic Metro Tile - Metro tiles have a rectangular shape but have a raised geometry with chamfered edges. They usually also have an offset arrangement, appearing like bricks.

Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic tiles are supplied in squared sheets. They have netting applied to the back of them to group them into easily installed sections. The online measurements usually correspond to the grouped sheet rather than each individual tile.

In this example the 30cm X 30cm measurement is representative of the whole sheet. Each sheet contains 15 tiles vertically & 15 tiles horizontally, meaning each individual tile measures roughly 2cm squared.

Glazed / Handmade Tiles

Glazed and/or handmade tiles, have a much more irregular appearance. Each individual tile has a slightly different colour, tone and shape, creating a far more varied appearance.

Due to their irregular shapes, handmade tiles don't fit perfectly together and they tend to have a slightly bumpier surface creating raised gaps between the grout and tile edge.

Irregular shapes .
variation in colour or hue.
Patterns on tiles may differ very slightly.
Glazed tiles have a smooth bump to their surface.

Grout Detailing

Grout is always needed when tiles are used. It can come in a variety of colours. Most commonly Grey and White.

Common practice is 2-3mm for WALL tiles and 3-5mm for FLOOR tiles.

General rules:

Grout sits just below the tile not flush - this is more obvious with simple flat tiles (first picture)
With handmade, glazed tiles that display slightly more surface variation, the grout stays level, but the tile seems to dip and rise, creating a slightly more rustic uneven look. (picture 2)
Grout must be applied to all edges of each tile.

Sealant Detailing

Sealant is added to tiled areas that need secure waterproofing, ie. around bathroom ceramics. Its a slightly thicker substance and has a rubber- like texture to enable it's waterproof qualities. It mainly comes in a white finish but can also be transparent and colour specific. As a general rule, you apply sealant below wet -areas.

Where do you apply sealant:

To seal the gap between a tiled wall & floor
To seal corners of tiled walls that come in direct contact with water ie. corner of the shower walls.
To seal the gaps around the base of bathroom ceramics (sink, bath, toilet)

Caulking Detailing

Caulk is a hard acrylic corner filler, mostly used for above wet-areas and between dry decorative transitions.

Where do you apply Caulking:

To seal the gap between a tiled wall & ceiling
To seal areas that need a thicker substance than grout i.e above the sink
between a picture rail and a wall, because you can paint over it, unlike sealant.

Tile Edging

Tile edging is mainly used in place of grouted edges/corners. They are used mainly for a more decorative, finished style, and can be used for a more luxurious & considered appearance.

General Rules:

Metallic Edging (contemporary)

Metallic edging is installed underneath the tile, and sits flush against the tile surface.
Metal edging can be used in between tiles for a statement decorative look.
can be used on tiled shelving or wall corners

General Rules:

Ceramic Edging (Traditional)

Ceramic edging is installed as an additional tile, and can vary in geometry. They tend to have similar geometry to wall beading to zone off tiled areas.
They can match the same colour & finish as the tile surrounding it. Or they can have a different finish depending on how its styled by stylists.

Tiled Skirting

Tiled skirting is used mainly in bathrooms to prevent water damage to the walls. They can be used below a tiled wall or a plastered wall, and can be sealed with either grout, sealant or a tiled edging it just depends on where the tiles meet:

Grout

where a tiled skirting meets a tiled wall

Sealant

Where the tiled skirting meet the floor

Tile edging

Where the tiled skirting meets a plastered/painted wall

Tiled Steps

Tiles on steps need to be grouted on all edges of the tile, and can either use the side of the tile as an edging strip, or an edging strip can be added to the corner of the steps for a higher end look.

Tiles need to be fixed to the wall edge too with suitable filler i.e grout or sealant.

Tiled shelves

In order to look neat and well designed, shelves tend to be designed around the tile size.

This means a shelves width, depth and height are measured to fit full tiles within them. This reduces the amount of cut tiles and therefore creates a more considered & tidy overall look.

Tiled Floor Junctions

Tile junctions can be sealed with grout or a decorative edging strip depending on how gradual the transition should be.

Definite Transition Junction

Door or entry ways tend to be quite definite transition points, so these junctions tend to be sealed with a solid strip. The most common being a wooden transition strip, or a thin metal edging strip.

Gradual Transition Junction

There are some instances where tiles transition within a space, to subtly zone off areas of the same room. One example might be were tiles meet a wood floor within the room as a design feature. These Junctions tend to use grout in order to seamlessly blend two finishes together.

Statement Transition Junction

Floor Junctions can be designed in order to emphasise an area. These can have quite specific designs, and will be specified by a stylist on the Style board as a design feature.

Basic Wood Transition Strip

Grouted Floor Transition

Minimal Edging Strip

Basic Wood Transition Strip

Grouted Floor Transition

Wide Edging Panel

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