What the base should be like before you start tiling<\/h2>\n
Ceramic tiles are a rigid finish and do not tolerate flexing. Laid on an uneven, soft or cracked base, either the tiles or the grout joints will crack sooner or later. Check the base with a long straightedge or spirit level, fill larger hollows with levelling compound, vacuum away the dust and apply the primer specified by the adhesive manufacturer.<\/p>\n
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- Cement screed<\/strong> should be at least a month old, as adhesive data sheets require.<\/li>\n
- Old tiles<\/strong> can stay if they are firmly bonded and undamaged; apply a bonding primer for smooth surfaces.<\/li>\n
- Timber floors<\/strong> need stiffening with screwed-down boards; the Slovenian DIY retailer Merkur mentions plywood at least 1 cm thick.<\/li>\n
- Bathrooms and showers:<\/strong> apply waterproofing with sealing tape in the corners and around the drain before tiling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Work when the air and the base are between +5 and +35 \u00b0C. In colder conditions cement adhesive does not cure properly, and in heat it loses its open time too quickly.<\/p>\n
Tools, adhesive and how much material you need<\/h2>\n
For an average bathroom or hallway you will need a notched trowel, a rubber mallet, a mixing paddle for your drill, buckets, a spirit level, a square, a chalk line, a tile cutter or an angle grinder with a diamond blade, tile spacers or a levelling system, a rubber grout float and a sponge.<\/p>\n
Indoors, the most sensible choice is a flexible cement-based adhesive of class C2<\/strong> under the EN 12004 standard. An extra F means fast-setting, T means reduced slip on walls and E means extended open time. Choose the trowel notch by tile size: 4\u20136 mm notches are enough for tiles with 10\u201320 cm sides, larger formats need a coarser notch and mosaics a finer one. Data sheets give consumption of about 2\u20133 kg\/m\u00b2 for flexible adhesive, more for large tiles, because adhesive also goes on the back of the tile.<\/p>\n
How to lay tiles step by step<\/h2>\n
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- Dry-lay.<\/strong> Use a square and chalk line to mark a line at right angles to the door, then lay the tiles out without adhesive. Start at the door so that full tiles sit at the entrance and cut tiles end up along the walls.<\/li>\n
- Balance the edge cuts.<\/strong> Shift the rows so the cut pieces along opposite walls are the same width. A thin sliver along one wall looks like a mistake.<\/li>\n
- Fix a guide batten.<\/strong> A straight timber or aluminium batten screwed along the starting line stops the rows from drifting.<\/li>\n
- Spread the adhesive.<\/strong> Comb it out with the notched trowel over about 0.5 m\u00b2, so you can set the tiles before a skin forms on the surface.<\/li>\n
- Set and tap.<\/strong> Press each tile into the adhesive, tap it lightly with the rubber mallet and insert spacers. Keep checking the level as you go.<\/li>\n
- Cut the edge pieces.<\/strong> Mark the size with a tile laid over the last full tile, allowing for the joint. Make straight cuts with the cutter, and cut-outs for pipes with nippers or a grinder.<\/li>\n
- Let it rest.<\/strong> Leave the tiled area overnight, then walk on it carefully and finish the edges.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
For tiles larger than about 60 cm, a levelling system with clips and wedges pays off, as it evens out the height of adjoining edges; spread adhesive on both the base and the back of the tile.<\/p>\n
Tile laying patterns and material usage<\/h2>\n
The pattern affects how the room looks, how much is wasted in cuts and how long the job takes. According to the Slovenian portal Omisli.si, diagonal laying costs 15\u201325% more than a straight layout and needs 15\u201320% spare tiles instead of the usual 10%.<\/p>\n
![\"Cutting](\"https:\/\/temha.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/polaganje-keramike-2900442-1024x685.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n
\n \nPattern<\/th>\n Works well for<\/th>\n Spare tiles<\/th>\n Difficulty<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Straight (grid)<\/td>\n square tiles, smaller rooms<\/td>\n about 10%<\/td>\n low<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Half offset<\/td>\n shorter rectangular tiles, metro wall tiles<\/td>\n slightly more than straight<\/td>\n medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Third offset<\/td>\n long wood-look tiles<\/td>\n 10\u201320%<\/td>\n medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Diagonal<\/td>\n narrow hallways, making a room look wider<\/td>\n 15\u201320%<\/td>\n high<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Herringbone<\/td>\n living areas, narrow plank tiles<\/td>\n most waste<\/td>\n very high<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Long tiles can be slightly bowed in the middle, so a half offset is risky with them: a raised edge on the neighbouring tile is more noticeable. Read the instructions on the box, where manufacturers often state the maximum recommended offset. For a first DIY project, choose a straight layout or a simple offset with medium-format tiles.<\/p>\n
Grouting and silicone<\/h2>\n
Only grout once the adhesive has set. With fast-setting adhesives the data sheet allows this after a few hours (about 4 hours on floors); with standard adhesives it is usually the next day. Remove the spacers first and scrape any squeezed-out adhesive from the joints.<\/p>\n
![\"Floor](\"https:\/\/temha.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/polaganje-keramike-3097484-1024x512.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n- \n
- Mix the grout as instructed and press it diagonally across the joints with a rubber float held at about 45\u00b0.<\/li>\n
- Once the grout firms up, wipe the surface with a slightly damp sponge without washing it out of the joints.<\/li>\n
- For the first three days, lightly dampen the surface so the adhesive and grout cure evenly and do not crack.<\/li>\n
- Seal floor-to-wall joints and the edges around the bath and shower with sanitary silicone, not grout, because these joints move.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What tiling costs in Slovenia<\/h2>\n
Tilers usually charge labour per square metre and materials separately. The figures below are typical ranges from published Slovenian price lists on Mojmojster.net and Omisli.si; prices elsewhere will differ, and the final price depends on the state of the base, the tile format and the number of cut-outs.<\/p>\n
- Balance the edge cuts.<\/strong> Shift the rows so the cut pieces along opposite walls are the same width. A thin sliver along one wall looks like a mistake.<\/li>\n
- Old tiles<\/strong> can stay if they are firmly bonded and undamaged; apply a bonding primer for smooth surfaces.<\/li>\n