Quantity

• Measure the areas to be tiled.
• Order an extra 5% to 10% for wastage.
• For diagonal applications, 25% more is advisable.
• For floor or wall borders, measure the length required.
• For wall tiles, minus out the window and door areas.
• For bathrooms, it is advisable to tile to the ceiling instead.
• Bring your drawing plans, sketches and measurements.

Shades & Sizes

• Ceramic tiles are made of natural raw materials. Just like the raw materials, they exhibit unique veining and colour distribution. A single piece of ceramic tile does not necessarily portray a whole assortment of the same item.
• Before confirming your purchase, lay out several pieces of the desired tiles and view them from at least one (1) meter away to gauge how a full application might look like.
• Tiles come in various work sizes or sub sizes. For easy installation, purchase the same work size or sub size for one area.

Before fixing tiles, you should:

• Open and lay out several cartons of tiles to confirm a natural and harmonious blend of shades.
• Plan for an open joint or tiling gap of 3 – 5mm.
• Do a small test patch prior to full grout application.
• And as a good practise, for polished or structured or rough surface tiles, apply a sealant or grout release product prior to grouting. Or refrain from using contrasting grout to avoid possible staining or stubborn grout haze.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
For households with small children, babies or the elderly:

• Textured-surface tiles provide more slip-resistance that suit driveways, wet kitchens, bathrooms, balconies and patios etc.
• If smooth tiles are preferred, limit their application to indoor areas such as dry bathrooms and light cooking kitchens. Choose smaller tiles for the extra gridlines (and in effect, traction level) they provide.
• Light coloured tiles make it easy to spot dirt for prompt cleaning.
• The rougher the tile surface, the easier will dirt get trapped. The smoother the tile surface, the higher is the probability of slipping.