Tiling for walls, floors, showers and outdoor spaces in Malta

In a shower area, grout and tiles are not waterproof on their own. Water gets through grout lines and needs a barrier behind them: a tanking membrane or liquid system on walls and floor, sealed at corners and around pipe penetrations. Plasterboard used in a shower area should be a moisture-resistant type or replaced with tile backer board. In a wet room, the whole floor is tanked and laid to a fall towards the drain.

Ask your tiler which waterproofing system they use and how the joint between the tray or wet room floor and the walls is sealed. That joint is where most leaks start. If the bathroom company handles plumbing and tiling separately, agree who is responsible for waterproofing so it does not fall between the two.

Kitchen splashbacks are usually quick jobs, but they sit behind hobs and sinks, so the tiler needs to know the final position of sockets, the hob and the extractor. Glass or metallic tiles behind a gas hob need to be suitable for the heat, and some worktop materials need the splashback cut in a particular order.

Floor tiling needs a rigid base. Timber floors flex, so they often need an overlay of plywood or backer board and a flexible adhesive. Large-format tiles look clean but need very flat floors and more preparation, and heavy natural stone may be too heavy for a suspended timber floor. On concrete, the tiler checks for moisture and cracks, and new screeds need time to dry before tiling. Underfloor heating affects the choice of adhesive and movement joints.

You do not need to read it, but it is fair to ask whether a tiler follows it.

Outdoor tiles must be frost resistant and slip resistant, and they need a base that drains. Porcelain paving is common on patios, laid on a mortar bed or pedestals with a fall so that water runs off. On a balcony or roof terrace above a room, the waterproofing layer is the critical part, and a tiler should not work on it without knowing how it is built. If you live in a flat, a balcony is often part of the building's structure, so check the lease before changing the surface.

Tired or mouldy grout can often be raked out and replaced without retiling. Loose or hollow-sounding tiles in a shower, on the other hand, can be a sign that water has reached the wall behind, and regrouting will not solve that. A tiler who taps the tiles and checks behind before quoting is doing the job properly. Keep a few spare tiles from any new job, since matching them later can be difficult.

• which room or area, and the approximate size of walls and floors
• the tiles, if chosen: size, material, and whether they are rectified
• the layout: straight, brick bond, herringbone, feature walls
• what is there now: old tiles, plasterboard, plaster, timber floor, concrete
• whether waterproofing, backer board or levelling is part of the job
• who is buying tiles, adhesive and grout, and who stores them
• any underfloor heating, and when the plumber and electrician are finishing

Whether the work needs a development permit from the Planning Authority depends on what is built and where; in apartment blocks, the rules of the condominium also apply. Ask before you commit, and let the business tell you which documents it needs from you.

Electrical installation work is carried out by licensed electricians; ask to see the licence and the certificate for the finished installation. Maltese businesses are registered with the Malta Business Registry, so ask for the company registration and VAT numbers, and check whether the quote includes VAT.

Source: mbr.mt

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