18 threads · 17 questions · 1 discussion
Tiling issues look cosmetic until water gets involved. The community covers replacing a single cracked tile without redoing the floor, regrouting, hollow-sounding tiles, and bathroom waterproofing done properly the first time. Matching old tiles and getting a level, lasting finish are the recurring themes.
I've had very different tiling quotes for the same room and I want to understand what actually drives tiling cost so I can compare fairly. - Beyond the tile itself, what makes a t…
I keep seeing terrazzo and microcement (micro-topping) as seamless, no-grout-line floor finishes instead of tiles. - What actually are they? - How do they compare to tiles — look,…
I'm having tiling done and the quotes mention different adhesives — standard cement, "flexible", and epoxy. - Does the tile adhesive actually matter, and which for what — large-fo…
Our bathroom grout keeps going black and mouldy, and the silicone too. - Before I regrout the whole thing, is grout sealing actually worth doing? - What's the routine to keep grou…
Redoing a floor and I'm told I could tile straight over the existing tiles to save the mess and cost of ripping them up. - Is tiling over old tiles actually OK? - When does it wor…
We have marble and travertine floors and they're starting to look dull and marked in places. - Do natural stone floors actually need sealing (and how often)? - Why do they stain/e…
Tiling a fair bit of the apartment and everyone throws around "porcelain vs ceramic," but I don't really understand the difference or which suits a Dubai home. - What actually sep…
Redoing our pool surround and terrace and I'm worried about slippery tiles when wet — someone's already skidded. - What makes a tile genuinely slip-resistant outdoors? - How do th…
We want large-format tiles (and slabs) in our renovation for the seamless look, but our tiler said they need a flatter substrate and a special adhesive/technique, and are more pro…
My bathroom grout is cracked, stained and mouldy in places. I can't tell whether I need re-grouting or a full re-tile, and I keep hearing "epoxy grout" is better. - How do I know…
Having just dealt with a roof damp patch, it's got me thinking about the bigger picture. The vulnerable waterproofing in my villa — the roof, the bathrooms/wet areas, and the exte…
My villa's top-floor ceilings have started showing brown damp patches after the heavier Dubai rains — and annoyingly, they turn up in different spots each time, not the same one.…
Whenever we get a proper downpour, my balcony turns into a shallow pond. The water sits there for a long time instead of draining away, and if it rains hard enough, some of it cre…
I've had a knock from the neighbour below — there's a damp patch spreading on their ceiling, and it's directly under my guest bathroom, which lines up with the shower. I got a plu…
A couple of the bathroom floor tiles have started to lift at the edges and one actually cracked and popped up. It is a rented apartment, so I want to understand what is happening…
Some of my floor tiles sound hollow when I walk on them, others sound solid. They're not cracked. Is a hollow-sounding tile a problem I need to fix, or is it normal?
My bathroom grout is cracking in places and going black/mouldy no matter how much I scrub. Is it enough to regrout, or do I need the whole bathroom re-tiled?
One floor tile in the hallway has cracked (dropped something heavy on it). A contractor is telling me the whole floor needs redoing to match. That can't be right for one tile… can…
Yes — a single tile can be raked out and replaced while keeping the rest of the floor. The main challenge is matching the tile, so keep spares from any tiling job. Don't let anyone talk you into re-tiling a whole room for one crack.
A hollow sound means the tile has debonded from the adhesive bed underneath, from poor bonding or movement. It may stay fine for years or eventually crack and lift — monitor it, and re-bed any tile that's cracking, lifting, or in a high-traffic path.
Rake out the loose grout, clean the joints, and re-grout with a matching colour; in wet areas use the right grout and reseal. Recurring cracks along one line can indicate movement that needs a flexible joint rather than more grout.
Persistent damp usually points to failed waterproofing behind the tiles or a sealing/ventilation issue, not just surface mould. Re-grouting and resealing help, but chronic damp needs the waterproofing checked.
Take a sample to tile suppliers for the closest match. If it's discontinued, use a near-match in a low-visibility spot, or lift a tile from under an appliance or inside a cupboard to patch a visible area. Always keep leftover tiles as spares.
If the tiles are sound and only the grout looks bad, regrouting and resealing is far cheaper and refreshes the look. Re-tile when tiles are cracked, debonded, or the waterproofing has failed.