Choosing the Right Materials
Adhesive
Wall-tile adhesive comes ready-mixed in a tub. Use an epoxy-based waterproof adhesive for bathrooms and kitchens. For floor tiles, choose a dry powder mix - a stronger adhesive that is mixed with water and spread with a trowel. Your tile supplier should be able to recommend the best brand of adhesive for your tiles.
Tiles
Working in either metric or imperial throughout, measure the height and width of the area to be tiled and multiply these figures together. Divide the result by the area of a single tile to give the number of tiles you need (add 10% for cutting and wastage).
For example, working in metric, an area of 3 m by 3 m is 9 sq m, which equals 90,000 sq cm. If your tiles are 10 x 10 cm, they are each 100 sq cm. Dividing 90,000 by 100 gives you 900, which is the number of tiles required before adding the extra 10%, which means that a total of 990 tiles should be bought.
Buy all the tiles at the same time to avoid any differences between batches, plus a few extra so you can keep spares for replacing broken or damaged tiles in the future. It's almost impossible to match the colour exactly if you buy from a different batch. Shuffle packs of natural or handmade tiles to ensure any colour or pattern differences are spread evenly over the walls or floor.
A useful reference is that you need 100 tiles measuring 10x10 cm (4x4 in) each to cover 1 sq m (10 sq ft). The bigger the tile, the fewer you will need.
Grout
This is the fine filler that is forced between fixed tiles to form a smooth surface. Check the packaging to make sure you use epoxy-based, waterproof grouting in areas likely to get wet. You can also buy coloured grouting, either to contrast with or match the tile colour.
Sealant
Sealant should be used to form a flexible joint around the edges of a bath or lavatory, for example. Choose a silicone-based clear or white sealant with a fungicide additive to discourage mould.
Most are sold in a cartridge but you can also buy rubberised strip that is fixed with a silicone adhesive/ sealant. The rubberised strip is neater but only works well for narrow gaps of a uniform thickness. Sealant in a cartridge is better for uneven walls or awkward areas.
