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Bathroom tiling in Oakleigh, set out before the first tile is laid

Tiles are the finish you see every day, but the quality of a tiled bathroom is decided underneath and in between: the substrate, the falls to the waste, where the cuts land and how the grout lines meet the fixtures. We tile bathroom walls and floors across Oakleigh and nearby suburbs from a drawn set-out, so every edge has a reason to be where it is.

Plate 06 — large-format floor tile, levelling clips

Schedule 06 — tile material

Porcelain, ceramic or natural stone

The material sets how a tile behaves in water, how it wears underfoot and how it needs to be cut and maintained. Each has a sensible place in a bathroom.

A — Floors & showers

Porcelain

Dense and low in water absorption, porcelain suits shower floors and whole-room floors. It comes in large formats and convincing stone and concrete looks, and it is harder to cut, so set-out planning matters more.

B — Walls

Ceramic

Lighter and easier to shape, glazed ceramic is a natural wall tile. Gloss finishes, handmade-look subway tiles and coloured glazes live here. Most ceramic wall tiles are not intended for wet floors.

C — Feature surfaces

Natural stone

Marble, travertine and limestone bring variation no print can copy, but they are porous and need sealing and gentler cleaning. Stone often works best on a feature wall or vanity splashback, as in our luxury bathrooms.

Plate 06b — white ceramic, contrast grout

Size, set-out, falls and the finishing edge

Large-format or mosaic

Large-format tiles mean fewer grout lines and a calmer wall, but they need a flat substrate and careful levelling. Mosaics follow slopes and curves easily, which makes them useful on shower floors and inside niches.

Set-out and falls to the waste

We plan where full tiles start, so thin slivers don’t end up at doorways or beside the vanity. Floors are graded so water runs to the waste instead of pooling, and that grading is built on top of the waterproofing beneath.

Slip resistance, grout and trims

Wet floors call for a tile with an appropriate slip rating, which we check before a selection is confirmed. Grout colour changes how a tile reads: matching grout softens the pattern, contrast grout draws it. External corners get a mitred edge or a metal trim chosen to suit the tapware finish.

How a tiling job runs

Tiling is one stage of our wider renovation process, and it only starts once the room beneath is ready.

01Selection. Material, format, finish, slip rating and grout colour recorded in the schedule of finishes.

02Set-out. Starting lines, niche positions and cut locations planned against the fixtures.

03Substrate. Screed and falls checked and the waterproof membrane in place before any adhesive goes down.

04Laying. Floors and walls tiled, with levelling systems used on large formats.

05Grout and seal. Grout, flexible sealant at changes of plane, trims and a final clean before fit-off.

Bathroom tiling projects

When a bathroom tiling project is published, its case study will record the suburb, the brief, before and after photographs, the materials used and the final result. See how case studies are set out on Projects.

Tiling questions

More answers are collected on the bathroom renovation FAQ.

Can new tiles go over the old ones?

In wet areas we generally don’t recommend it. Tiling over hides the condition of the waterproofing, raises floor heights at doorways and wastes, and leaves any existing leak in place.

Which grout colour is easiest to live with?

Mid-tone greys and warm stone shades hide everyday marks better than bright white. On floors especially, a grout slightly darker than the tile tends to stay looking clean longer.

Is tiling only offered as part of a full renovation?

Tiling often forms part of a complete renovation or a shower renovation. If you have a smaller tiling scope in mind, describe it through the contact form and we’ll talk it through.