Bathroom tiling in Riga

Why tiles in a bathroom are not just a finish

In a bathroom, a shower and other wet rooms, waterproofing goes under the tiles. For example, Ceresit CL 51 is intended specifically for waterproofing walls and floors before tiling, including on underfloor heating. The manufacturer recommends at least two coats, so that the dry layer is 0.5 mm.

The connections need special attention. The manufacturer recommends fitting waterproofing tape in the wall and floor joints, pressing it into the first coat and covering it with the second, using collars or membranes at pipes and floor drains, and corner pieces in the corners. Before the waterproofing itself, the base must be dry and stable.

Shower tiling

In a shower without a tray, the floor must slope towards the drain, and this slope has to be formed before the tiles. Installing the drain and forming the slope is a separate job, described in more detail on the shower with a floor drain page. For the tiling that follows, it is important that the tile rows and joints line up with the position of the drain.

If the shower area will be permanently under water, for example in a swimming pool, the manufacturer of Ceresit CL 51 recommends two-component waterproofing. For an ordinary apartment shower, check whether this is needed against the data sheet of the chosen material.

The work in its usual order

1. Base Old tiles and loose plaster are removed, the surfaces are levelled and crumbling surfaces are primed.
2. Waterproofing The first coat, tapes in the joints, collars at pipes and the floor drain. The manufacturer allows the second coat after about 1 hour.
3. Tiling The manufacturer of Ceresit CL 51 states that tiling can start about 2 hours after the second coat.
4. Grouting According to Ceresit CM 17 data, walls are grouted after at least 12 hours and the floor after at least 24 hours.
5. Silicone and plumbing Joints by the bath, the shower tray and in the corners are filled with silicone. For Ceresit CE 40 grout, water load is permitted after 24 hours.

What to check and decide in your bathroom

• Whether the bath stays or there will be a shower with a floor drain.
• Where the sink, toilet and washing machine will be: the pipes must be routed before the tiles.
• Whether you will tile the walls up to the ceiling or only part of the way.
• The position of the riser: the riser is common property of the apartment owners, and the building manager's specialists must be allowed access to it, so an access hatch is usually left at the riser.
• Whether you will choose the materials yourself.

In the request write the address, the bathroom dimensions or the wall and floor area in m², and the building series or year. If the bathroom is combined with the toilet, write that as well.

How much bathroom tiling costs

Tiling: from €24/m². Waterproofing in a bathroom: from €6/m². Demolition of old tiles: from €9/m². Floor drain installation: from €100 per drain. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: tiling 18 m² × €24 = from €432, waterproofing 5 m² × €6 = from €30, floor drain installation from €100. Total from €562 for these three jobs only. A full bathroom renovation with demolition and plumbing installation costs from €3,000, see bathroom renovation.

The price changes with the bathroom area, the condition of the walls and floor, whether the pipes and the riser are replaced, and the tile size and pattern.

What is included and what is not

For removal of construction waste after demolishing old tiles, see buvgruzuizvesanariga.lv.