Well, you have chosen your new tiles and are looking forward to fitting them in your bathroom or shower cubicle, whether you are fixing them yourself or asking a tile fixer to do the job for you it is good to have a little extra knowledge to ensure that your new tiles stay looking that way!

The base of the tile is actually called “biscuit” and whilst we are not talking Rich Tea, Hobnob or any other famous biscuit of the edible kind there is one major similarity between tile biscuit and its edible namesake – both change considerably if they get wet! Dunking biscuits aside, tile biscuit is glazed on the front surface, this part of the tile is water proof and stops water from penetrating the porous tile biscuit from the front but does not protect from water reaching the sides and back of the tile – this is where good fixing comes into play.

When fixing tiles it is important to ensure that the substrate is sound and free from damage, this will help the tiles to adhere fully to the wall. Adhesive should be suitable for the application, if you are fixing the tiles in a shower area the product used must be suitable for this purpose and will probably say shower proof, water resistant or water proof. To ensure that the adhesive “goes off” correctly it should be spread and not dabbed on to the tile. Please note, if you are using a power shower be sure that your adhesive and grout are suitable for this type of facility as not all are!

Once the adhesive has been left to cure for the time stated in the instructions it is time to grout. Once again ensure that the grout you are using is suitable for wet areas (if you are using coloured grout it is recommended that you test on a non – fixed tile to ensure that it does not stain the tiles). When grouting it is important that the whole of the joints are filled right to surface of the tile, if the grout is washed out too much then the porous biscuit edges will be exposed to water and this can cause the tiles to change colour.

Before using the shower or getting the tiles wet it is recommended that the grout is left to cure for as long as possible or at the very least for the time stated on the product packaging.

Finally, it is important to seal any exposed areas with silicone, for example along the edge of the bath, along the edge of the shower tray, along the shower screen or anywhere where the tiles have been drilled (if in a wet area). Ensure that the silicone has been left for the full 24 hours before using your shower or bath.

With a few careful considerations your tiles should look as good as new for plenty of years to come.

Have a look at our full tile range at www.tileclick.co.uk or visit one of our stores at Swindon, Bristol, Gloucester or Cardiff.

OK, so you have taken the plunge and ordered your brand new bathroom, you may well be thinking what next? Bathroom renovations can seem mind boggling as you are dealing with so many different trades but with some careful planning your project has a much better chance of going smoothly.

Firstly, you need to decide who is going to do the work for you and you need to think about every aspect of the job from the pipe work, to the installation, to the tiling and the electrics. So, where do you begin?

Your bathroom supplier will probably offer an installation service. This usually involves them sending in a team of plumbers, tilers and electricians to fit and supply the entire bathroom. Sometimes firms employ their own fitting teams or in other cases they sub contract the work out to local tradesmen. This can be easier on the homeowner as they are not left to book individual trades and project manage the work themselves which for some can be a huge bonus. As well as plus points there can be downsides to using a company to organise the whole project as whilst it can be more convenient it is often a  more expensive option so it is worth doing some sums to ensure that you are not paying too much over the odds. The other drawback of the work being done in this way is that you don’t know who will be doing the job for you, there will not be any opportunity to meet the tradesmen in advance of the work beginning so you will not have any knowledge of the quality of their workmanship, how respectful they will be when working in your home and how reliable they may be. Before booking this type of installation it is worth checking with the company what the procedure is in the event that you are left dissatisfied with the end result; most companies will be happy to put right any problems if they should arise.

Another way to achieve a professional bathroom installation is to purchase your bathroom suite, tiles and fittings yourself and arrange for some local tradesmen to carry out the work. This is often a more cost effective way of completing your project and it gives you, the homeowner, so much more control over the job. You will need to book a tiler, a plumber and an electrician.

Before booking anyone for the project it is worth getting a few quotes, if time permits it is recommended that you obtain three quotes for each trade. When someone is working in your home it doesn’t just come down to how much they are charging, it is important to chat with them when they are quoting for your work as you will need to feel that you can trust them to carry out a good, tidy job. Ask for quotations to be done in writing with an itemised cost breakdown, if there are certain materials that you require to be used such as anti mould sealants etc ask for these to be included. Don’t forget to mention about disposal of your old bathroom if this is required. It is important to ask about availability as you will need to try and coincide the bathroom delivery (check with the supplier for an estimated delivery date) and the other tradesmen so that there are no lengthy delays.

Ask the plumber and tiler for an approximate schedule so that you know who to book and for when,  there will need to be an element of fluidity as situations can change if any problems are uncovered.

If you have not used the trader before, do some research. You can check review sites, look at the companies own website, request photos of previous work or ask if you can have the name and phone number of a previous client. A good professional will have no problems in you doing this and are often very pleased to show off their work.

Once you have everything booked in to an approximate time scale, you know the level of work required by each trader and how long each phase is likely to take you can rest easy in the knowledge that you have everything penciled in ready for the big start date!

Tiles are manufactured from natural materials and with the best will in the world there may be slight variances between production runs. For this reason most tile manufacturing operations will distinguish between runs by printing a batch number or code on the packaging.

The format of batching differs depending on which company made the tiles, some products will display a long code comprising of numbers and letters to ascertain details such as shade code, date of production and product quality. Products by Britsh Ceramic Tile would feature a 5 digit code on the bottom corner of the sticker probably starting 10, 11 or 12 but more recently they have gone on to adopt a simple system that shows the date that the tiles were made on the packaging.

It is important to remember that popular tiles may go down the factory lines for a few days at a time and although they may display a different date on their batch details consecutive date’s should be fine to use together as very little within the process will have changed. The problems may begin if customers try and use tiles made on completely different production runs together.

As with all batching, when purchasing your tiles it is important to buy enough in the same batch or production run to complete your room and allow for spares. This will help to minimise the chance of shade or size variances due to fluctuations in the manufacturing process.

Be mindful of batches when purchasing tiles, you can always ask for help if you are not sure and remember even when buying tiles of the same batch most manufacturers ask that all tiles are checked thoroughly prior to fixing so for the best result take heed of the disclaimer on the product for further details.

A little preparation and extra checking prior to fixing to can help to ensure a smooth project and the best possible end result.

TileClick have branched out!

As a popular online tile retailer we have vast experience in supplying tiles and tiling products to both retail and trade consumers. At the end of 2011 we decided to put this knowledge and experience into “bricks and mortar”, we were delighted to acquire our first four tile stores, now known as TileClick Express!

We have a TileClick Express in Cardiff, Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon, they have been proving to be very popular and it has been great fun for us watching them grow. The stores feature a good selection of stock at competitive prices, they offer customers the opportunity to call in where they can see and feel the tiles, they also have friendly and knowledgable staff on hand to offer assistance and advice. We believe in going the extra mile for our customers! We sell products from British Ceramic Tile, Waxman’s, Villeroy & Boch, Varme, and more.

As well as catering for retail and DIY customers our stores also represent a great opportunity for trade customers as we offer some excellent trade discounts, a trade reward scheme and a well stocked showroom.

If you live in or around any of our stores why not pop in and see for yourself what we can offer you?

The addresses for our TileClick Express stores can be found in the following link:

www.tileclick.co.uk/customer-support/stores/stores.html

Improving your home.
The influx of home improvement TV shows on main stream evening television appears to have slowed down a bit which is, in some respects a bit of a relief, but for others it makes finding inspiration for improving your home harder to find.

Planning the project is where things need to start, a quick project opportunity analysis to decide on what you want to do is a good start. Firstly, look at what you need, then what you would like and finally, what you would like if time and money wasnt a problem!

Refurbishing your kitchens and bathrooms are the favourites, kitchen units, worktops, lights, tiles, handles, already there are at least 5 decisions to make for your kitchen – then the bathroom, bath, shower, taps, bathroom tiles, what to do with the floor, shower screen, toilet lid – more decisions to make!!

And so the task begins to get these decisions made and products ordered! To manage your project effectively, we would recommend making a list, it may sound like a given, but when its written down and visual, its always easier to see and more rewarding when you can see all these tasks being ticked off as you go.

When you are making your list, always consider labour to do the work and lead in times for ordering the goods. It is most likely the kitchen units and worktops will take the longest to get in, so start with them, then check your bathroom furniture and tiles, these may take a couple of weeks, to get in.

These points are there to try and help get your project off the ground, we will pick up from here on stage 2 of your Home Improvement Project soon.

TileClick are introducing a new sample ordering service in the next few weeks.

We have received quite a bit of feedback in a recent survey that has made it ckear that whilst people like the full tiles we send on some products, that they tend not to ever use them so end up throwing them out, or they get broken, but that in a sample, most of the time they were just expecting a cut piece so they could feel the tile, see the colour better and judge the surface.

For these reasons, we will be able to send out 3 sample swatches, which for main tiles will be a minimum of 100x100mm, and send them via the post. As this will be a less expensive way for us to send the sample out, we are passing that saving onto our customers.

We haven’t as yet finalised what the cost will be, if any at all to cover the tiles, wrapping and packaging and and the necessary postage cost, but it won’t be much and will only be a contribution toward the cost.

We will still be able to send out the sample’s in full sizes if needed but just at a price to cover the costs.

When choosing bathroom tiles it is important to make sure you consider the appearance of the tiles.

All ceramic tiles will be glazed, this is a technical part of the tile that protects the biscuit (ceramic) part of the tile from water. Once the tile is printed it is then put through the glazing process.

Gloss and Satin are the most common types of glaze used. Gloss is a more traditional finish, providing a shiny, reflective and fresh look to the tiles, with many white tiles, tiles that are glazed with a gloss finish are whiter than than a satin verison of the same tile.

Satin is used on more natural looking tiles, such a a stone effect ceramic tile. This helps to replicate the thenatural stone look that is then sealed with a suitable sealer, Cornwall and Coniston are two popular stone effect satin glazed ranges that we sell.

However! Many people like the polished stone look and this is where a gloss glaze works very well on a stone effect ceramic tile. Marmaros has been a great selling tile for some while providing that clean and fresh polished stone look.

As far as ongoing maintenance goes, there isnt really much difference as they are both glazed, so the tile is protected but some satin glazed tiles can be a little harder to get them back to a good as new look.

It really is  a personal choice as to what you prefer and it is often the case that certain tile designs suit one or other finish as the designers have a finish in mind when designing the tile.

We have had 8 new ceramic floor tiles delivered to our stores today, increasing the selection in store and they started selling straight away.

Introducing dark and light grey, beige and brown in a rustic satin finish and also in a flat polished / gloss finish. These tiles will give great complementing colour schemes to go with many of our wall tiles including the Laura Ashley ranges that have had the floor tiles discontinued by the manufacturer.

We soon hope to have the images ready for the website and will publish as soon as we can.

For the last seven years, TileClick have always provided our customers with good quality products at the best prices we can on our tiles and accessories.
We appreciate the current economic climate, but unfortunately all of our suppliers are implementing forced increases in January. The increasing cost of oil, gas, petrol etc are all the reasons that manufacturers and hauliers are being forced to cover their costs and unfortunately our keen pricing policy means we have to increase our costs proportionately.
At this moment in time we are not fully aware of the increases, but we will aim to keep them to a minimum.
Increased emission zone areas around London will also mean that certain London and surrounding areas may need to pay a surcharge as we are unable to absorb these increases.
These increases will only take effect from January 1st 2012 so please order as soon as possible to avoid these increases as we will not be able to honour 2011 prices once the increases have been implemented.

Using ceramic wall tiles in your bathroom is not only one of the most practical, but can be one of the most cost effective ways to finish your bathroom or kitchen.

Ceramic tiles provide not only a durable and stylish finish but an easy to clean an hygienic one.
All ceramic tiles are glazed with either a matt, satin or gloss finish glaze. This glaze is applied to a printed pattern that gives the look of tile and this is printed onto the body or ‘biscuit’ of the tile – this is the ceramic part!

The glaze is needed to make the tile waterproof as the ceramic body of the tile will absorb water, so the glaze should be on the surface and side edges so that when the tiles are grouted all the unglazed areas are covered and waterproof.

If a tile is cut and not sealed correctly with a grout or silicone, water will penetrate into the body and if the tile has a pale or translucent print, it can appear to darken.

TileClick include ceramic tiles by manufacturer British Ceramic Tile, Studio Conran and Laura Ashley, as well as Villeroy and Boch.