Is it realistic that I could tile a room myself

salbot

Hi, I need my utility room tiling and after gettings quotes I realise it is going to cost about £700 including everything. Is it realistic that i could tile it myself if I took my time?

I realise that tiling is a skilled trade and don't want anyone to think that I think it would be really easy and anyone could do it but I have heard a few people say that they have done it themselves.

Has anyone done it? Am i being really unrealistic?

Thanks
Salbot:)

latecomer

Absolutely. Are the walls vertical and flat? this makes a huge difference and are there any windows or other items you need to tile round as cutting shapes can be difficult.

djheath

No you're not being unrealistic. Tiling is very easy to do, but it is also easy to make it look bad.

The hardest part is knowing where to start. I.e how will the tiles look when they are laid. You dont want tiny slithers of tile in areas where you will see them, so make sure you measure the area lots, lay the tiles out and see how they will fit.

Getting the correct tools is useful too. A diamond wheel tile cutter, (though noisy, messy - cut tiles outside!!), is very quick and easy to cut tiles and shapes and removing thin strips. They can be had for a bout £30 from b and q and worth every penny!
A good tile cutter for scoring and snapping the tiles is also very useful and better than manual scoring and snapping over a pencil etc.

Have a look on line for tutorials on tiling, but it is very easy to do!

SailorSam

So long as the floor is fairly sound and level it's a straightforward job if you take your time.

googler

Wall tiling, floor tiling, or both?

salbot

Well, i really need both doing.

bigblackdog

it is possible , i did it , good luck

sillygoose

Yes!
Although a tiling virgin, I did my large conservatory floor, and that was over electric underfloor heating too. Although if you can get a bit of help for a couple of hours from someone with some experience it makes all the difference. I would confidently do it alone elsewhere now. I get compliments on how good it looks.

Hardest part was mixing the buckets of tiling cement, initially using a cheap (£5) mixer tool on an electric drill and then by hand when the drill struggled, if I were doing a lot again I would hire a mixer. I used quick setting flexible tile cement so couldn't hang about.

If doing thick floor tiles I read in reviews that some people struggled with the cheapest low powered cutters from the likes of B&Q. I can highly recommend THIS one from Wickes, with 700 watts it shrugs of anything, great value at £78, the easier the cutter keeps up to speed the cleaner the cut, especially the last bit (less chipping) and who knows how often it will be useful in future.

wallbash

Going with the flow here , get on with it.
The only suggestions I will add . If ( and you should) use a wet disc. wear something waterproof !

Also ( and expecting some smiles) with a complicated pattern or wall, I have been known to draw the tile shapes on the wall . Get the very first tile correct , relative to the area.

latecomer

wallbash wrote: »

Going with the flow here , get on with it.
The only suggestions I will add . If ( and you should) use a wet disc. wear something waterproof !

Depends if you stand in front or behind the cutter

Get the very first tile correct , relative to the area.

I would go further and say get the first row correct

avantra

Absolutely go for it. Use good adhesive and grout.
We did our bathroom and I would say it was a medium DIY task.

Here is the manual we followed:

http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/how-to-fit-wall-tiles