A tiled floor is hard-wearing, easy to keep clean and ideal over underfloor heating, and more and more often it runs in a single format from the hallway through the living room into the kitchen. But a tiled floor is also unforgiving: it is hard and rigid, and every flaw in the subfloor sooner or later comes back as a broken tile, a hollow spot or a crack in the grout. This article is about tiles in living areas, kitchens and hallways. It explains which types of tile there are, why large formats demand more of the subfloor, what is needed on an anhydrite screed, with underfloor heating or on a wooden floor, and what the tiler does. If you are still torn between tiles and another floor, first read Choosing a new floor: PVC, laminate, parquet or poured floor. If it concerns the bathroom, with waterproofing and falls, you will find that in Renovating a bathroom: step-by-step plan.
Ceramic, porcelain or natural stone
- Ceramic tiles are fired clay, usually with a glaze that determines colour and pattern. They come in many price ranges and finishes. For floors with heavy foot traffic, the wear resistance of the glaze matters; manufacturers state a wear class for this.
- Porcelain or gres (porcellanato) is fired at high temperature into a very dense, hard tile that absorbs virtually no water. That generally makes it frost-resistant and not very prone to staining, and often suitable for indoors and outdoors; polished porcelain can, however, be more prone to staining, and whether a tile is frost-resistant is stated in the manufacturer's specifications. Virtually all large formats are porcelain. With full-body tiles the colour runs through the whole tile, so damage is less noticeable.
- Natural stone, such as bluestone, marble, travertine, limestone and slate, is a natural product: every tile is different, and the properties vary greatly by type of stone. Many types are porous and absorb stains, and calcareous stones such as marble and limestone are sensitive to acids. Natural stone therefore requires more knowledge from the tiler and more maintenance from you.
With ceramic and porcelain, also check whether the tile is rectified: after firing, the edges are then ground square and to size, which allows a narrower joint. A narrow joint looks sleek, but also leaves less room to absorb small differences in size and unevenness.
Large formats: higher demands on flatness
Tiles of 60 by 60 or 120 by 60 centimetres and even larger are popular because they give few joints and make a room look calm. But the bigger the tile, the more critical the subfloor. A small tile follows a slight undulation in the floor; a large, rigid tile cannot. On an uneven subfloor, hollow spots then form under the tile, which can break under load, as well as height differences between adjacent tiles, known as lippage.
The tiler therefore checks the flatness with a long straightedge and, if necessary, has the floor levelled first. Large tiles are usually laid in a full adhesive bed, with adhesive applied both to the floor and to the back of the tile, so that no voids remain. In addition, many tilers use a levelling system: clips and wedges or twist caps that pull adjacent tiles to the same height while the adhesive cures. Such a system helps against lippage, but does not make up for a poor subfloor.
Large, long tiles are rarely completely flat; they have a small, permitted curvature. With a half-bond pattern, in which each row is offset by half a tile, the highest point of one tile ends up next to the lowest point of the next, and that produces visible lippage. For long tiles, manufacturers and tilers therefore often advise a smaller offset, for example a third of the tile length. Ask the tiler which laying pattern suits your tile before you order.
The subfloor: sand-cement or anhydrite
Most residential floors have a screed: a sand-cement screed or an anhydrite screed (a poured screed based on calcium sulphate). Both are perfectly good subfloors for tiles, provided they are dry enough and properly prepared. How residual moisture is measured and which values generally apply is explained in the article on choosing a new floor; for tiles it comes down to the following.
- Measuring residual moisture. A new screed needs time to dry. The tiler preferably measures residual moisture with the CM method (calcium carbide method) and only lays tiles when the value is below the adhesive manufacturer's limit. For anhydrite that limit is much lower than for sand-cement, and for anhydrite with underfloor heating it is lower still. Ask for the measured value on paper.
- Preparing anhydrite. An anhydrite floor has a surface layer that must be sanded off and made dust-free. After that, as a rule, a primer that matches the adhesive is needed; some adhesive systems work without a primer, but only if the manufacturer specifies this. Cement-based tile adhesive and calcium sulphate can react harmfully with each other in the presence of moisture, causing loss of adhesion; the primer prevents that contact. Follow the adhesive manufacturer's system advice: primer and adhesive belong together.
- Sand-cement. A sand-cement floor must be firm and must not dust or have soft spots. Loose parts are removed and repaired, cracks are assessed and sealed where necessary.
Uncoupling membrane, movement joints and grout
An uncoupling membrane is a thin plastic mat that is bonded between the subfloor and the tiles. It absorbs stresses between a subfloor that moves and a tiled floor that is rigid, so that small movements or hairline cracks in the screed do not transfer to the tiles. Tilers use such a mat on wooden subfloors, on subfloors with shrinkage cracks and sometimes on young screeds, among other places, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. An uncoupling membrane is not a solution for a structural problem and does not replace movement joints.
Movement joints (expansion joints) allow for movement. Along all walls, columns and fixed elements there should be a perimeter joint, so that the tiled floor can expand without lifting; it is covered by the skirting board or sealed with sealant. If the screed itself has movement joints, for example between rooms or between heating zones, they must come back in the same place in the tiled floor. Large surfaces and floors that run continuously through several rooms need a well-thought-out joint plan; have the tiler discuss this with you in advance, because a movement joint in the middle of the living room is easier to plan than to hide. A place where such a joint often goes is the doorway, especially if the screed has a joint there or if each room has its own heating zone.
The ordinary joints between the tiles are filled with cement-based grout or, where stains and moisture play a role, with epoxy grout. A coloured grout that resembles the tile makes the whole look calmer. Connections to walls, kitchen units and thresholds are sealed with sealant, not grouted.
Underfloor heating: commission first, then tile
Tiles and underfloor heating go well together, because tiles hardly hold back the heat. However, for a new screed with underfloor heating, a heating-up protocol must be completed before tiling: the heating is turned up step by step, kept at temperature for some time and then turned down again step by step. That drives moisture out of the screed and lets it absorb the stresses that would otherwise build up under the tiles. When this can start and in which steps is set out in the screed supplier's protocol and depends on the type of screed.
During tiling the underfloor heating is set low or switched off, and after laying it is only gradually turned up again after the time specified by the adhesive manufacturer. Ask for a completed and signed protocol; tilers and adhesive manufacturers often make their guarantee dependent on it. You can read more about choosing underfloor heating itself in Underfloor heating or radiators.
Anti-slip: what the R classes mean
With tiles you often see a rating from R9 to R13. These classes come from a German standard, DIN 51130, and indicate how slip-resistant a tile is for someone wearing shoes, measured on an inclined surface coated with oil. R9 is the lowest class and R13 the highest. In a living room or hallway a low class is usually sufficient; in a hallway where wet shoes come in or in a kitchen, a slightly higher class can be pleasant. For bare feet, such as in a bathroom or by a swimming pool, there is a separate classification into classes A, B and C according to DIN 51097.
Bear in mind that a more slip-resistant tile is also somewhat harder to keep clean, and that the class is a laboratory value: in practice it also depends on dirt, water and footwear. For homes, the law does not prescribe an R class; it is a choice you make with the tiler or supplier.
Sealing and maintaining natural stone
After laying and cleaning, porous natural stone is usually impregnated: a product penetrates the stone and makes it water- and dirt-repellent, without leaving a layer on the stone. Impregnation does not completely prevent stains, but gives you time to soak up spilled liquids. It has to be repeated over time, depending on the stone and the use. With calcareous stone it does not protect against attack by acids.
For natural stone, use a pH-neutral cleaning product that is suitable for the type of stone, and no vinegar or aggressive descalers. At handover, ask the tiler for written maintenance advice for your stone.
Tiles on a wooden floor?
On the ground floor of older homes and on upper floors there is often a timber joist floor with boards or sheet material. Tiles are not ruled out there from the start, but it requires preparation. A wooden floor flexes and deflects under load, whereas tiles and grout cannot tolerate bending; too much deflection causes cracks in grout and tiles. The floor therefore needs to be stiff enough. Often extra boards are screwed and glued onto the existing floor, sometimes joists are reinforced or additional joists are added, and an uncoupling membrane goes on top.
Then there is the weight. Tiles, adhesive, extra boards and possibly a screed together weigh considerably more than a wooden floor with laminate. If in doubt, have a structural engineer calculate whether the joists can bear it, especially with large or heavy natural stone tiles or if a new screed has to go on timber. A wooden ground floor above a damp crawl space also needs attention to ventilation and wood rot before tiling.
Flats: impact sound and the VvE
A tiled floor is hard, and without measures the downstairs neighbour hears every step. For existing homes, the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl, the Dutch Building Decree) sets no requirement for the impact sound insulation of your floor. During a renovation, the quality of the part you renew or alter must not fall below the rechtens verkregen niveau (legally acquired level): the level that lawfully existed just before the renovation (Articles 5.4 and 5.5 Bbl). In practice the rules of the VvE (owners' association) are decisive. Many deeds of division and house rules only allow hard floors if the floor achieves a certain improvement in sound insulation, and for tiles that usually means a special sound-reducing underlay beneath the tiles, with a test report for the combination. Which value is common and how to ask for permission is explained in Renovating a flat with a VvE and in the article on choosing a new floor. Submit the chosen build-up to the board before ordering. Also pay attention to edge insulation: a tile that touches the wall will still transmit sound.
Old floors, asbestos and dust
If the tiles are going where an old floor is, that floor has to come out first. In homes built before 1994, asbestos may be present in old vinyl tiles and in sheet flooring with a backing of asbestos paper. According to Milieu Centraal (the Dutch environmental information centre), vinyl tiles containing asbestos were on sale until around 1985, and sheet flooring or vinyl from after 1985 contains no asbestos. Under certain conditions, private individuals may themselves remove non-glued asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring that come away in one piece, after notifying the municipality; glued floor coverings and sheet flooring with an asbestos-containing backing are a job for a certified company. If in doubt, do not pull at the flooring and first have it tested to find out what it is. Read more in Recognising asbestos when renovating.
The work itself also releases dust. Sawing and grinding tiles, natural stone and screeds produces quartz dust (respirable crystalline silica), which is harmful if you breathe it in. A tiler therefore preferably works with a wet saw or with extraction, and cuts outdoors where possible. Seal the room off from the rest of the house.
DIY or a tiler, the quote and aftercare
A handy DIYer can lay a small floor with manageable tiles on a good subfloor themselves. With large formats, an anhydrite floor, underfloor heating, a wooden subfloor, natural stone or a flat with acoustic requirements, it is work for a tiler: mistakes are expensive, because you cannot remove a tiled floor without damage. You will find more considerations in What you can do yourself during a renovation. If a new screed is needed first or the floor needs levelling, a floor layer or screed company can prepare that.
A good quote states:
- The number of square metres, the rooms, the tile with its format and type, and the laying pattern and offset.
- Who supplies the tiles and how much cutting waste and how many spare tiles have been allowed for.
- The preparation: removing the old floor, measuring residual moisture, sanding and priming, levelling.
- Uncoupling membrane or sound-reducing underlay, the adhesive system and the levelling system.
- The joint plan, the grout colour and the grout, and the sealant joints.
- Skirting boards, thresholds, transitions and shortening doors.
- With underfloor heating: the heating-up protocol before laying and heating up after laying.
- The schedule, when the floor can be walked on, and the guarantee.
The standard VAT rate applies to laying tiles, even in an older home. Compare quotes side by side using Comparing quotes. Ask whether the tiler is a member of BOVATIN, the Bond van Aannemers van Tegelwerken in Nederland (Dutch association of tiling contractors), or of the finishing trades association NOA. Members work with consumer terms and conditions, and you can submit a dispute to the Geschillencommissie Afbouw (Finishing Trades Disputes Committee). For natural stone, NOA offers the NOA-Natuursteengarantie (NOA natural stone guarantee) through affiliated natural stone companies.
Aftercare. After grouting, a thin cement haze often remains on the tiles, which is removed with a suitable product; do this according to the tiler's advice, especially with natural stone. Only put the floor under full load once the adhesive and grout have cured. Keep a few spare tiles from the same batch for later repairs. On VerbouwPro you post your tiling job free of charge and tilers from your region respond.