Somerset · BA11
Tilers in Rode
Tiling in Rode’s stone houses is decided by what the wall behind can tolerate, so the preparation and the setting out come before the tiles.
Rated Excellent on Rated PeopleTiling in Rode
A tiler in Rode spends more time looking at the wall than at the tiles. Solid stone lets moisture move through it, and the plaster on top can be lime, patched cement or something in between. Before choosing an adhesive we tap the surface, look for hollow patches and white salts, and ask what is happening on the other side of the wall, because a tile that traps moisture eventually pushes itself off.
Setting out comes next. In cottage rooms with low window sills and leaning walls, we mark a centre line, work out where the cuts fall and keep thin slivers away from doorways and corners that people see. Bathroom floors need a waterproof layer, a flat base and movement joints where the floor meets the wall. Splashbacks, hearths and alcoves get the same attention to their starting points.
Grout and sealant are the last steps and the ones people notice most. If you have tiles in mind, send us a photo or the size, plus pictures of the walls, and we will give you a free, no-obligation quote.
Watch
How we approach tiling
A 31-second look at the way we work, from our base in Frome to homes in Rode and the villages around it.
In this video
- Walls and floors
- Preparation first
- Level, waterproof, set out
- Metro, porcelain, mosaics
Homes in Rode
Tiling in Rode: what we look out for
- Stone cottages & farmhouses
- Stone walls in a Rode cottage are rarely flat, so large tiles show every hollow and look wrong under a low window. Smaller formats, careful levelling or a skim of suitable plaster usually give a better result. Floors on flags or a solid base can hold moisture, and a tile with no way to dry out can trap it, so we test before laying and say when the base is not ready.
- Victorian & Edwardian terraces
- Kitchens and bathrooms in Rode’s terraced rows often have hollow old plaster, damp patches near the back wall and timber floors that flex. A rigid tiled floor on flexible boards cracks, so the floor is overboarded or fitted with a decoupling layer first. If a tiled hall, hearth or fireplace surround is original, send us a photo before it is touched, because repair can beat ripping it out.
- Modern & new-build homes
- Newer Rode homes have plasterboard walls that suit tiling well once primed, and boarded behind showers and baths. Chipboard floors flex enough to crack tiles and grout unless they are stiffened or covered with a suitable board. Walls look flatter than they are, so we run a straight edge across before ordering large-format tiles, since a lip at the edge shows straight away.
Planning in Rode
What to plan for with tiling in Rode
Test the wall with a knuckle
Tap the old plaster and any existing tiles, and mark areas that sound hollow or feel damp or powdery. Those marks tell us whether to strip back, board over or deal with the cause first. In a stone building, a tile stuck to a wet wall rarely lasts, and it is better to find out now than after grouting.
Choose tile size to suit the room
Rooms with thick walls and low ceilings often look better with a mix of tile sizes than one big format. Think about window reveals, the depth of any sill and where the tiles stop at the ceiling. Bring us your sample or its dimensions, and we can lay out the wall on paper and show where the cuts fall.
Waterproofing behind showers and baths
A shower needs a waterproof layer, not just waterproof tiles, because water gets through grout. We cover the floor and splash zones with a tanking system, tape the corners and leave it to cure. Allow time between waterproofing and tiling, and keep the shower out of use until grout and sealant have fully set.
What customers say
Real reviews from real homeowners
“Pleasant polite tidy, carried out work quickly and efficiently”
“I would highly recommend Krzysztof he was professional, good time keeper and took pride in his work very pleased with the finished Bathroom makeover”
Written reviews are copied word for word from our public Rated People profile. The Google rating comes from our public Google Business Profile.
Getting started
Getting a tiling quote in Rode
- 1Message us on WhatsApp with photos, rough measurements and what you would like done.
- 2We ask anything else we need and give you a free, no-obligation quote. Larger jobs usually need a visit first.
- 3You agree the plan and we book you in. One person, one point of contact, start to finish.
- Our base in Frome
- Main areas
- Local villages
- Also covering
- Areas we cover →
- Frome
- Beckington
- Rode
- Westbury
- Warminster
- Radstock
- Trowbridge
- Bradford on Avon
- Great Elm
- Berkley
- Lullington
- Buckland Dinham
- Whatley
- Nunney
- Chapmanslade
- Mells
- Trudoxhill
- Corsley
- Cloford
- Dilton Marsh
- Witham Friary
- Norton St Philip
- Wanstrow
- Southwick
- North Bradley
- Freshford
- Bratton
- Hilperton
- Midsomer Norton
- Shepton Mallet
- Bath
- Melksham
- Wells
- Keynsham
- Corsham
- Devizes
- Chippenham
- Bristol
Questions
Tiling in Rode: FAQs
Can you tile straight onto the stone walls in my Rode cottage?
Not usually. Raw stone is uneven and holds moisture, so we normally fix a backer board or apply a suitable base coat first. The right route depends on whether the wall is dry, how flat it is and whether the building is listed. We look at the wall before saying, and photos help.
Will tiles crack on the old boards in my terraced house?
They can if the floor flexes, so the boards are checked, screwed down and overboarded or covered with a decoupling layer before tiling. Flexible adhesive helps but cannot make up for a bouncy floor. A hairline crack along a joist line is the usual warning sign that the base was never right.
Can I tile over the existing tiles in my Rode bathroom?
Sometimes, if the old tiles are firmly stuck and the wall is dry, but it adds thickness around window reveals, door frames and fittings. If any tile sounds hollow or there is staining behind it, strip it first. We tap a few tiles and look at the grout lines before we recommend either option.
More in Rode
Other services in Rode
Bathroom Fitter in Rode
Rode bathrooms are often small rooms added at the back of an old house, so the fitting starts with the door swing, the floor and the waste.
See details
Kitchen Fitter in Rode
Kitchens in Rode’s stone cottages, terraced rows and newer homes each start from a different wall, floor and doorway, and the fitting is planned around that.
See details
Shower & Wet Room Installer in Rode
A walk-in shower in a Rode cottage or terrace depends on the floor underneath and where the waste can fall, so we start there.
See details
Tilers nearby
Villages near Rode
Tilers in other areas
Free, no-obligation
Get your free quote
The quickest route to an accurate price is a WhatsApp message with photos. The more you can tell us, the more precise we can be.
- A few photosThe room as it is now, from the corners, plus anything awkward like pipes, windows or radiators.
- Rough measurementsWall lengths are plenty to start with. We will confirm exact sizes before ordering anything.
- What you wantWhat stays, what goes, any products you have already chosen, and when you would like it done.