Tile materials
Porcelain vs ceramic tiles: which should you actually buy?
A London tiler's straight answer on porcelain vs ceramic tiles — water absorption, strength, cost, where each one belongs and where each one fails.
7 min read
Tiling advice
Tile and tiling guides written by the people holding the trowel
Ten in-depth guides covering the questions we get asked on site every week — what tile to buy, what it costs in London, how wet rooms are waterproofed, and where cheap work goes wrong. No filler, no affiliate links.
Costs
How much does tiling cost in London in 2026?
Honest London tiling prices per square metre for bathrooms, kitchens, floors, wet rooms and Victorian hallways — plus what makes a quote go up.
8 min read
Design
The best tiles for a small bathroom (and the myths to ignore)
Large or small tiles in a small bathroom? A tiler explains tile size, grout colour, layout and the tricks that genuinely make a small bathroom look bigger.
6 min read
How it's done
Wet room waterproofing explained (tanking, falls and where leaks start)
How a wet room is actually waterproofed: tanking membranes, corner collars, falls to the drain and the five places leaks really begin. From a London tiler.
7 min read
Victorian & geometric
Installing a Victorian tiled hallway: a realistic guide
How a new Victorian geometric hallway floor is installed: choosing tiles, preparing the substrate, setting out borders and sealing with a breathable sealer.
8 min read
Materials
Epoxy vs cement grout: when the expensive one is worth it
Epoxy grout costs more and is harder to install. Here's exactly where it pays for itself — wet rooms, kitchens, pools, commercial — and where cement is fine.
6 min read
How it's done
Large format tiles: what installers need and what can go wrong
1200x600mm and bigger: substrate flatness, back-buttering, levelling clips, movement joints and the mistakes that cause lipping and hollow tiles.
7 min read
Outdoor
Outdoor porcelain patios: how they're laid properly
20mm porcelain paving done right — full mortar bed, primer slurry, 1:80 falls, frost resistance, grout that doesn't crack and matching indoor tiles.
7 min read
How it's done
Tiling over underfloor heating without cracking it
Why tiles crack over underfloor heating and how to stop it: decoupling membranes, S2 adhesive, movement joints and the 7-day commissioning ramp.
6 min read
Commercial
Specifying commercial tiling: slip ratings, grout and programme
How to specify tiling for restaurants, retail and offices: PTV and R ratings, epoxy grout, coving, movement joints, RAMS and working around trading hours.
7 min read
Practical
How to prepare for a tiler (and get a better job for less)
What to do before your tiler arrives: ordering the right quantity, sequencing trades, clearing access, power and water, and the decisions to make early.
6 min read
Tile topics we cover
Our guides are built around the questions people actually type — the product research questions as well as the "who can fit it" ones, because they are the same decision.
- porcelain vs ceramic tiles
- best tiles for bathroom floor
- best grout for wet room
- epoxy grout vs cement grout
- rectified porcelain meaning
- natural stone tiles maintenance
- marble tile sealing
- tile slip resistance ratings R10 R11
- how many tiles do I need calculator
- large format tile adhesive
- mosaic tile installation
- terrazzo tiles
- zellige tiles
- microcement vs tiles
Same-day quote
Get a fixed price
Send a photo of the wall or floor and your postcode — we usually reply the same day.