What to consider before retiling your kitchen

There are several things to think about before tiling your kitchen floor.

We spoke with the Andy from ABM Tiling Limited to see what to look out for when setting out to tile your kitchen floor.

What is the first thing you should do before tiling your kitchen?

Before tiling your kitchen floor, it’s important to think about what you will be tiling on to.

Often we have to re-tile floors for customers because they haven’t been put down properly the first time.  I would recommend avoiding tiling onto existing tiles.

If you do have to tile onto the existing tiles then the appropriate preparation is needed to ensure the adhesive bonds to both tiles.

Usually we deal with screed or cement floors, plywood or chipboard floors.

In all of these cases it is important that the wall is sound, secure and that there is no movement.  Often this can be fixed by using 18mm plywood or screwing down a floating chipboard floor.

If you have both screed and wood floors (this is the case in many homes that had an extension built) you will need to install crack isolation matting to keep the tiles from popping or cracking where the two substrates meet.

What should people think about when choosing a kitchen tile?

Usually when choosing a tile for a room I always think about what the room is going to be used for.

For some people, a kitchen is a very peaceful place where they want everything to shine and look perfect, for others it can be a very busy place full of family and pets (and some messes along the way).

If you live in a country house, and your dogs are going to be walking through with mud, then you want something that you can clean easily and you don’t want to worry about staining the tiles or the grout – essentially what I am saying is, don’t buy tiles that are not going to suit your lifestyle.

Are there types of tile that a person should avoid in the kitchen?

To be honest, not really – certain types of natural stone or ceramic tiles can stain easily but if the tiles are installed correctly then you shouldn’t have to worry too much.

With that said it is really important to make sure that certain types of tiles are maintained properly. Ask your tile retailer for any specific maintenance information involving the tiles you like.

Any other words of advice?

Under Floor Heating is a great option for those winter months.  If installed correctly, with a suitable insulation board, they can be more economical than most people think.