Christchurch Tiling FAQs

We work throughout the Canterbury region. We are installing tiles in Christchurch, Selwyn, and Rangiora but can travel further if necessary.

Absolutely! At Laserline Tiling, we aim to make the process of receiving an estimate or quote as quick and easy as possible.

You can click on "Request a Quote" link where you will answer a few questions and upload some photos. We can then schedule a call to discuss your project details further.

Christchurch has many tile stores around the city, but we find the best selections are at Tile Max, Naturally Tiles, Tile Warehouse, Reptiles, and Dakota Tiles.

There is a number of factors to consider when hiring a Tiler to work on your project.

1. Experience: It's crucial to be hiring a tiler who has the experience and expertise to produce the job you want to the standards you require.
2. Qualified and Insured: Hiring a qualified tiler is important so that you know your job will be installed to NZ standards. You must check they are fully insured with public liability in case anything goes wrong during the job.
3. Reviews: You should only choose a tiling company where you have read a number of good quality reviews or you've been referred to them by a trusted friend.

The professional way to approach this job is to first protect your kitchen counters with dust sheets. Secondly, use an oscillating multitool with a grout removal blade and carefully work the blade into the joint till all grout is removed. Thirdly, wipe down the tiles and leave them to dry before finally applying your new grout.

In our professional opinion, the best grout to use would be epoxy grout. It is impervious and incredibly hard to stain, which is why it is used in public swimming pools. Epoxy grout is quite difficult to use if you’re not experienced with it. So, it is worth contacting a professional. Cement grouts with anti-bacterial additives are very good, although they do tend to stain over the years, especially in splashback areas and showers. A good tip is to avoid white grout in wet areas and on your kitchen splashback, as it collects stains faster than coloured grouts like light grey, mid-grey, or anthracite.

TANZ. The Tile Association New Zealand helps tilers who are passionate about their work and are committed to maintaining high quality standards within the industry. They represent tilers across New Zealand and advocate for tilers to deliver a premium service with excellent workmanship.

An average 25 to 30 m2 bathroom with all tiles removed and the substrate ready to tile should take around 45 to 60 hours hours to complete to a high standard, depending on the job design and tiles used. Starting with the screed, waterproofing, floor tiling, wall tiling, grouting, and silicone.

This again depends on many factors, as design and specifications can vary significantly. But an average-sized bathroom using 600x600 tiles with tiled shower walls/floor, bathroom floor with epoxy grout would start at around $4000+, including materials (not tiles). An average fully tiled bathroom of similar size would start around $6500+

The price to tile a kitchen splashback varies depending on the design, size, and amount of time it takes to complete. A straight-lay metro tile splashback will be much cheaper than an intricate penny mosaic splashback with difficult access. Splashbacks range from $650 up to $2000+ in some cases, depending on the scope of the job.

We can absolutely offer guidance when you’re looking to buy your tiles. We can help you with the latest trends in wall tiles and what floor tiles are to be avoided in certain areas. For example, you shouldn’t use ceramic floor tiles on your tiled shower floor or on your exterior areas as they will absorb water over time and eventually pop up off the shower base, which creates a major problem.

Large tiles are the best option to make a small bathroom feel more spacious, as they give the illusion that the room is bigger. So, if you have a small bathroom that you’d like to make feel as big as possible, then go for the large tiles. You can also use the old trick of installing a mirror, which helps the room feel much larger. Checkout this blog for some tips.

This is an important question, as you don’t want to feel like you are being taken advantage of. We believe you get what you pay for when it comes to high quality workmanship. We know tilers who will charge by the hour and are happy to charge $55 an hour as a self-employed tradesman, and others who frequently charge $85 per hour and are booked up for months. Many tilers will also charge by the m2, which all depends on the tile size and design layout of your project.

There are apps you can now use to measure your tiled areas using your phone. Googles, AR Measure app is one of them. Or you can work it out easily by measuring the height, width or length of the area you want tiled and multiply it by its height, width or length to get the total area. You should allow for 20% wastage when buying tiles.

We aim to keep the disruption to your family life at a minimum but nevertheless if we are working in your home then temporary arrangements would be necessary for cooking and showers.

In short, no. If we have access to water, power, a toilet, and somewhere safe to cut tiles and mix glue, we’ll be fine. We’re happy to provide police checks for any employees that enter your home at your request.

Using a professional tiler is important if you want your tiles to be installed correctly and to save time. It’s also vital that you use an approved waterproofing installer to waterproof the areas around your shower and bath, as not doing so could prove disastrous further down the line. It would be wise to make sure they are a member of the Tile Association New Zealand.

Before agreeing to any work commencing on your property, we will have agreed on what work is to be done and for what price the work will be carried out within the quote. This will be a flat rate price that includes materials and labour. Any changes to this scope will be signed on a change order before commencing the extra work.

You will be invoiced at pre-discussed progress points on larger projects.  Firstly, we’ll take a deposit to put you on the schedule. Secondly, there will be a predetermined halfway point of the job, and finally, at the end of the job, once you’re happy with the final job.

• Valid on complete installations only
• We will fix any defect that is a result of our work
• We will cover the cost of the work to be fixed

A neutral pH cleaning product for the daily cleaning of your tiles will be sufficient for most tile installations. Follow this with a wipe-over with some clean hot water to pick up any remaining dirt and grease, as it’s this grease and dirt that gets trapped in the face of the tile and grout.