\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpdated:<\/p>
9.7.2021<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share on:<\/h4><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>W<\/span>hen Daniel and his partner bought their 1970\u2019s doer-upper seven years ago, they planned to renovate, sell up and buy somewhere else – the flipping dream. And being in their early 20\u2019s, it was a stepping stone of sorts..<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>After moving in, they realised time wasn\u2019t so much of the essence. It was about enjoying the experience, and they\u2019ve been chipping away at their renos for the past four years.<\/p>\n
Enter the most recent job: a sleek white tile splashback.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Kitchen-3-Before.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>The renovated kitchen was missing one thing: a splashback<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>Starting the Finishing Touches<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>With 12 jobs done and dusted on Builderscrack, Daniel was confident he could find a professional to help him finish off the kitchen and laundry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did the kitchen a couple of years ago, and the plan was always to put a splashback in there,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was more of a finishing touch than a necessity at that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when we renovated the laundry at the start of this year, we thought now\u2019s the time to do them both.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>The Vision<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>As with most renos, the paradox of choice can make it hard to decide on the perfect finish.<\/p>\n<\/div>
\u201cOriginally we were looking at normal subway tiles, but when we posted the job on Builderscrack we had three people come back to us with different options,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n<\/div>
\u201cSo we went to a few tile places and actually took some free samples home to see what they\u2019d look like.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy partner was unsure about tile choice after that,\u201d Daniel laughs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Tiles-11.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mark Gibson of Gibson Tiling recommends ordering 15% more tiles as they can sometimes come out of the box damaged<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>Choosing a Tradie<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>\u201cWe weren\u2019t deciding just on price; we were looking at previous jobs – similar ones to ours,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were also looking at recent reviews, but everyone I dealt with was good.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, out of eight tradies chasing their job, they liked the approach shown by Mark Gibson of Gibson Tiling.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Getting Straight To It<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>After catching up with Mark to get the lowdown on the job, he said it was pretty straightforward – except for the laundry wall, quite literally.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of older houses have walls that aren\u2019t plumb, and in this case, there was no way I could straighten it,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used a level to show them so they were aware, but you know, you do your best to make the tiles as straight as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Laundry-Splashback-2-Before.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mark says a lot of older houses have walls that aren\u2019t plumb.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>The Job Summary<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>The job entailed tiling a splashback for the kitchen (approx 4m) and laundry (approx 1.8m) up to the height of the overhead cabinets.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Materials:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- 75 x 300mm Touch Bianco Tiles (White)<\/li>\n
- Mapei Grout (White)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>Specifics:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Job cost: Approx $590 (exl. tiles)<\/li>\n
- BC trade: Floor and Wall Tiling<\/li>\n
- Time to complete: 2 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Kitchen-5-During.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Kitchen-Laundry-Splashback-26-During.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Laundry-Splashback-10-During.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mark also says the last thing you want are tiles going halfway up a power plug. So for aesthetics, either choose a finish line above or below your plugs. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>The Result<\/strong><\/p><\/h3><\/div>\n\u201cThe kitchen feels a lot more complete – we had been staring at it for so long like a half-finished project,\u201d Daniel says.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cIt kind of reminds me of one of those home improvement shows, when they have their final reveal,\u201d Daniel laughs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy advice for other homeowners doing renos is to chip away at it, do little things, and you\u2019ll learn things along the way for next time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Kitchen-Laundry-Splashback-23.jpeg\" "\\"Daniel")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Kitchen-21-After.jpeg\")
<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Daniel-487227-Laundry-Splashback-16-After.jpeg\")
<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Thoughts on The Tradie<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>\u201cI think he did a really good job; he communicated really well with us,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kind of changed our mind at the 11th hour with the tile choice, and he was really patient.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Thoughts on Builderscrack<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>\u201cI find it really easy, if you\u2019ve got a job, put it out there, and people will get back to you,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to hunt around; if you put up pictures and a good description, tradies are usually able to see the scope and show their interest towards your job.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Tradie Advice for Your Next Tiling Project<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Power plugs:<\/strong>\u00a0Mark says the last thing you want are tiles going halfway up a power plug. So for aesthetics, either choose a finish line above or below your plugs. Try looking for tiles that go to the decided height when stacked, while keeping in mind the measurements will approximately be: 1mm off the bench top + 1 \u00bd mm grout lines.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Order 15% more tiles:<\/strong>\u00a0Tiles can sometimes come out of the box damaged (which can stall works if there isn\u2019t enough to complete the job); and also in case of breakage when being cut to size.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Window sills<\/strong>: If your window sills are out by a couple millimetres (1 to 5mm), don\u2019t stress too much as you can fill that with silicon.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Walls:<\/strong>\u00a0On the other hand, your walls might be worth straightening if they\u2019re out by a considerable amount as that can affect the finished look of the tiles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Type of finish:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you want a matte, shiny, chrome, aluminium or brush finish?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
W<\/span>hen Daniel and his partner bought their 1970\u2019s doer-upper seven years ago, they planned to renovate, sell up and buy somewhere else – the flipping dream. And being in their early 20\u2019s, it was a stepping stone of sorts..<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> After moving in, they realised time wasn\u2019t so much of the essence. It was about enjoying the experience, and they\u2019ve been chipping away at their renos for the past four years.<\/p>\n Enter the most recent job: a sleek white tile splashback.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> The renovated kitchen was missing one thing: a splashback<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> With 12 jobs done and dusted on Builderscrack, Daniel was confident he could find a professional to help him finish off the kitchen and laundry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did the kitchen a couple of years ago, and the plan was always to put a splashback in there,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was more of a finishing touch than a necessity at that time.<\/p>\n \u201cBut when we renovated the laundry at the start of this year, we thought now\u2019s the time to do them both.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> As with most renos, the paradox of choice can make it hard to decide on the perfect finish.<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cOriginally we were looking at normal subway tiles, but when we posted the job on Builderscrack we had three people come back to us with different options,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cSo we went to a few tile places and actually took some free samples home to see what they\u2019d look like.<\/p>\n \u201cMy partner was unsure about tile choice after that,\u201d Daniel laughs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Mark Gibson of Gibson Tiling recommends ordering 15% more tiles as they can sometimes come out of the box damaged<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cWe weren\u2019t deciding just on price; we were looking at previous jobs – similar ones to ours,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were also looking at recent reviews, but everyone I dealt with was good.\u201d<\/p>\n In the end, out of eight tradies chasing their job, they liked the approach shown by Mark Gibson of Gibson Tiling.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> After catching up with Mark to get the lowdown on the job, he said it was pretty straightforward – except for the laundry wall, quite literally.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of older houses have walls that aren\u2019t plumb, and in this case, there was no way I could straighten it,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n \u201cI used a level to show them so they were aware, but you know, you do your best to make the tiles as straight as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Mark says a lot of older houses have walls that aren\u2019t plumb.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> The job entailed tiling a splashback for the kitchen (approx 4m) and laundry (approx 1.8m) up to the height of the overhead cabinets.<\/p>\n<\/div> Materials:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Specifics:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mark also says the last thing you want are tiles going halfway up a power plug. So for aesthetics, either choose a finish line above or below your plugs. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cThe kitchen feels a lot more complete – we had been staring at it for so long like a half-finished project,\u201d Daniel says. \u201cIt kind of reminds me of one of those home improvement shows, when they have their final reveal,\u201d Daniel laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cMy advice for other homeowners doing renos is to chip away at it, do little things, and you\u2019ll learn things along the way for next time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cI think he did a really good job; he communicated really well with us,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe kind of changed our mind at the 11th hour with the tile choice, and he was really patient.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cI find it really easy, if you\u2019ve got a job, put it out there, and people will get back to you,\u201d Daniel says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to hunt around; if you put up pictures and a good description, tradies are usually able to see the scope and show their interest towards your job.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Power plugs:<\/strong>\u00a0Mark says the last thing you want are tiles going halfway up a power plug. So for aesthetics, either choose a finish line above or below your plugs. Try looking for tiles that go to the decided height when stacked, while keeping in mind the measurements will approximately be: 1mm off the bench top + 1 \u00bd mm grout lines.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Order 15% more tiles:<\/strong>\u00a0Tiles can sometimes come out of the box damaged (which can stall works if there isn\u2019t enough to complete the job); and also in case of breakage when being cut to size.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Window sills<\/strong>: If your window sills are out by a couple millimetres (1 to 5mm), don\u2019t stress too much as you can fill that with silicon.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Walls:<\/strong>\u00a0On the other hand, your walls might be worth straightening if they\u2019re out by a considerable amount as that can affect the finished look of the tiles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Type of finish:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you want a matte, shiny, chrome, aluminium or brush finish?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Starting the Finishing Touches<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
The Vision<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Choosing a Tradie<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Getting Straight To It<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>The Job Summary<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
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\n
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>The Result<\/strong><\/p><\/h3><\/div>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Thoughts on The Tradie<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Thoughts on Builderscrack<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Tradie Advice for Your Next Tiling Project<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>