Trade secrets, buying advice, and honest opinions from the tools down.
The cuts that scare beginners — pipes, sockets, and awkward corners — are mostly about the right method, not nerve. Here's the paper-template trick, the socket gap, and which tool to reach for each time.
Read more about How to Cut Tiles Around Pipes, Sockets & Corners (Without Cracking Them)Regrouting can take years off a tired bathroom for the price of a bag of grout — but only if the tiles and the wall behind them are sound. Here's how to do it properly, and the honest signs you're better off re-tiling.
Read more about How to Regrout a Bathroom (and When You Should Just Re-Tile)Natural stone — travertine, marble, slate — is porous, so it stains and soaks up grout if you don't seal it. The step most people miss is sealing BEFORE you grout. Here's the method, the water-drop test, and how often to reseal.
Read more about How to Seal Natural Stone Tiles (Before AND After Grouting)A splashback is the most forgiving first tiling job going — small, low-stakes, and at eye level. Here's how to tile one over a weekend, set out around the hob and sockets, and avoid the one mistake that ruins the finish.
Read more about How to Tile a Kitchen Splashback in a Weekend (Beginner-Friendly)The notch on your trowel sets how much adhesive goes under the tile — too small and it won't bond, too big and it oozes everywhere. Here's the trowel size to start with for each tile, and why coverage matters more than the number.
Read more about What Size Trowel for Wall & Floor Tiles? (UK Notched Trowel Guide)Work out how many tiles you need: measure the area in m², add 10% for wastage, divide by the size of one tile. Here's the method I use on every quote — plus a free calculator that does it for you.
Read more about How Many Tiles Do I Need? A Tiler's Method (+ Free Calculator)Material, size, finish, slip rating, and how many to buy — the five decisions that actually matter when you're choosing tiles, from a tiler who fits what people pick. Plus the showroom traps worth knowing before you spend.
Read more about How to Choose Bathroom & Kitchen Tiles: The UK Buyer's GuideThe full bathroom tiling job in the order a working tiler does it — plan, prep, tank, set out, tile, grout, seal. Each stage links to a step-by-step deep-dive so you can tile your own bathroom without the dear mistakes.
Read more about How to Tile a Bathroom Yourself: The Complete UK GuideThe shower is the one wall you cannot afford to get wrong. Here's how to waterproof (tank) it before you tile, where leaks actually start, and the full step-by-step — from a tiler who's ripped out plenty of jobs that skipped the tanking.
Read more about How to Tile a Shower Wall (and Tank It Properly): UK Step-by-StepPorcelain is harder, denser, and better for floors and wet areas — but it's also harder to cut, which is the bit that catches DIYers out. Here's where each one genuinely belongs, from a tiler who cuts both every week.
Read more about Porcelain vs Ceramic Tiles: Which to Actually Buy (UK Tiler's Verdict)Most DIY jobs need a manual cutter, not a wet saw — but pick the wrong one and you'll either crack expensive porcelain or buy a machine you didn't need. Here's the honest decision, by tile and by job, from a tiler who owns both.
Read more about Manual Tile Cutter vs Wet Saw: Which Do You Actually Need?The actual kit I carry, ranked by buy-now, buy-later, and never-bothered — so you spend on the tools that earn their keep and skip the gadgets that gather dust. A UK tiler's honest tool list with links to the picks.
Read more about The Complete UK Tiling Tool Kit: What You Need & What to SkipWhat it really costs to tile a bathroom in 2026 — labour, materials, and the add-ons people forget — from a UK tiler who quotes these jobs every week. Plus the difference between tiling and a full refit that trips everyone up.
Read more about How Much Does It Cost to Tile a Bathroom in the UK? (2026)Tools, prep, set-out, adhesive, cutting, grouting — everything you need to tile a kitchen or bathroom wall properly the first time, from a tiler who's done hundreds of them.
Read more about How to Tile a Wall: The Complete UK GuideAfter 15 years using both on UK jobs, here's the verdict — Sigma wins on porcelain and rigidity, RUBI wins on price. Full head-to-head with current prices.
Read more about Sigma vs RUBI Tile Cutters: Which to Buy in 2026 (Pro Verdict)A working tiler's complete guide to tiling a bathroom floor — from subfloor prep to grouting. No shortcuts, no fluff. Just the method that works every time.
Read more about How to Tile a Bathroom Floor Step by Step600×1200mm tiles look incredible — and they're unforgiving of every mistake. Here's how professionals handle large format installation without cracking tiles or cracking up.
Read more about Large Format Tiles: The Professional Installation GuideManual or electric? 60cm or 125cm? The right tile cutter saves hours on site. Here's how I decide which one to grab from the van.
Read more about How to Choose the Right Tile Cutter for Every JobA good laser level is not a luxury — it's the fastest way to avoid a wonky floor tile that haunts you for years. Here's what to look for.
Read more about Why Every Tiler Needs a 3×360° Laser LevelMore posts coming soon — subscribe to the newsletter to get them first.
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