Kitchen tiling in Melbourne: splashbacks and floors

Splashback, floor or both?

A splashback is wall tiling between the benchtop and the overhead cupboards or rangehood. The work is mostly cutting: around power points, window reveals, the rangehood and the end of the benchtop, with a finished edge where the tiles stop.

A kitchen floor is a bigger job. The tiler needs to know what the floor is now (a concrete slab, timber boards or sheet flooring), whether tiles go under the cabinets or stop at the kickboards, and how the new floor meets the next room. New tiles can raise the floor, so check that the dishwasher and fridge will still fit and that doors will still swing.

• Splashback: the length and height of each wall, and anything that interrupts it
• Floor: the area in square metres, and the floor it's going over
• Both: whether the kitchen stays in use while the work is done

Find out what's behind the old surface

Tiles can often go over painted plasterboard that's sound and flat. Over existing tiles is possible in some cases and not in others, so ask the tiler to look before you agree on a price. Loose, drummy or cracked tiles usually have to come off.

If the home was built or renovated before 1990, the splashback backing, wall sheeting or old vinyl floor tiles may contain asbestos. Don't cut, sand or lift them until you know. Have a sample tested, or treat the material as asbestos (see asbestos in older homes). The rules on who may remove it depend on how much there is, and larger amounts need a licensed removalist.

Power points, cooktops and taps are other trades

Moving or adding a power point is electrical work, and in Victoria that needs a licensed electrician, however small the change. Moving the sink or taps needs a registered or licensed plumber, and any change to a gas cooktop needs a licensed gasfitter. A tiler may work around these points but shouldn't move them.

Behind a cooktop, follow the appliance maker's instructions on what can sit close to it. If you're changing the cooktop or rangehood at the same time, settle that first: the tiles are cut around whatever is there.

Choosing tiles for a kitchen

Wall tiles aren't made for floors. For a kitchen floor, ask about the tile's slip rating as well as its look, since kitchen floors get wet. Large tiles and patterned layouts take more cutting and more spare tiles; ask the tiler how much extra to order for cuts and breakages, and keep a few spares for later repairs.

Grout colour and type matter more in a kitchen than most rooms. Ask what the tiler recommends behind the cooktop and along the benchtop, where grease and water collect, and whether natural stone tiles need sealing.

What a kitchen tiling quote should list

Ask for these as separate lines, so two quotes can be compared fairly. A low price that leaves out preparation or disposal often isn't the cheaper one.

• Removing and disposing of old tiles or splashback
• Preparing and levelling the wall or floor
• Who supplies the tiles, adhesive, grout and trims
• Cutting around power points, windows and the rangehood
• Silicone where the tiles meet the benchtop
• Protecting benchtops, cabinets and appliances
• Moving appliances out and back (and who disconnects them)
• Clean-up, and when the kitchen can be used again

How long before you can use the kitchen

Adhesive, grout and silicone each need time to set, and the right time depends on the products used. Ask the tiler when you can cook behind a new splashback, when the sink can be used, and when you can walk on a new floor and put the fridge back. Plan meals around it for a floor job.

Example briefs

“Kitchen splashback, about 3.2 m long and 60 cm high, over painted plasterboard. Two double power points and one window to tile around. I'll supply the tiles; please quote preparation, adhesive, grout, trims, silicone to the benchtop and clean-up. The house was built in the 2000s.”

“Kitchen floor tiling, about 14 square metres over a concrete slab, currently vinyl in a 1970s house. Please advise on asbestos testing first, then quote removal, levelling, tiling, transitions to the timber floor in the next room, and moving the fridge and dishwasher.”

Before booking a kitchen tiler

• What's under the old surface, and asbestos if the home is pre-1990
• Licensed electrician, plumber or gasfitter for anything that moves
• Slip rating for floor tiles; spare tiles kept
• Each cost listed separately: preparation, disposal, trims, silicone
• When the kitchen can be used again

Ready to describe your kitchen? Start a job request or browse tiling work. For bathrooms and other rooms, see the tiling guide. Availability depends on real postings, and registration must be enabled to submit.