Tiling questions, answered honestly.

We service the Brisbane metropolitan area — including Brisbane CBD, Holland Park, Slacks Creek, Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs. We have dedicated suburb pages for our most-requested zones, but we'll usually cover most of metro Brisbane. If you're outside our usual radius, give us a call and we'll let you know.

Yes. Gilad Bahat holds a Certificate III in Floor and Wall Tiling and a QBCC licence — the Queensland Building and Construction Commission's contractor licence. We carry the standard public liability cover Brisbane homeowners would expect from a licensed tiling contractor. Documentation is available on request when you book a job.

We're on the tools Monday to Friday, generally 7:00am to 5:00pm. Quotes can be booked outside these hours by appointment — including evenings and weekends — because most homeowners can only meet us after work. The phone gets answered most of the day even when we're on a job.

We provide an itemised written quote up-front. Most jobs are billed as a deposit on commencement and the balance on completion. Bank transfer (EFT) is the most common payment method; cash and cheque are also fine. We don't take card payments for the trade work itself. Larger jobs may have a progress-payment schedule, which we'll outline in the quote.

Three ways: ring 0404 540 986, fill in the contact form on this site, or send through the details of your job. For most projects we'll book an on-site visit so we can see the substrate, take measurements, and talk you through options. There's no charge for the quote and no obligation.

Yes. Our trade work carries a workmanship warranty for the period set by the QBCC's standard residential contract terms — that means defects caused by our installation are remediated at our cost within the warranty period. The tiles and grout themselves carry their manufacturers' warranties; we'll pass on any documentation we receive at supply.

We treat waterproofing as a separate trade step before any tile goes on. The substrate is cleaned and primed, a flexible waterproof membrane is rolled or trowelled into wet areas (shower base, lower walls and floor), and we let it cure properly before tiling. Showers get extra layers in the corners and around drains. The waterproofing is what protects your home from leaks years down the track, so it isn't somewhere we cut time.

It helps but it isn't required. We're happy to come and look at the bathroom first, talk through what's possible — wall heights, niches, shower screens, edge profiles — and quote a labour-only figure. From there you can pick tiles to a budget you've already seen. We can also point you at suppliers we work with regularly if you'd rather go shopping after the visit.

Yes. Demolition and rubbish removal are part of the bathroom tiling scope when we quote. We strip back to a clean substrate, address any underlying issues we find (rotted timber, cracked screed, failed waterproofing) and discuss them with you before tiling starts. The old tiles and any debris go to a transfer station — that cost is included in the itemised quote.

A typical full bathroom retile takes one to two weeks of trade time on site, depending on size and complexity. Day one is strip-out. We then waterproof and let it cure. Walls go on first, then floor, then grout and silicone. The bathroom is usually unusable for the full window — we'll plan a sequence with you in advance if it's the only bathroom in the home.

Yes — niches, feature walls, mosaic strips and edge profiles are common requests. A niche needs to be planned in before the wall is built or after careful measurement of the existing studwork; we mark it up at the start. Feature walls work well behind a vanity or in the shower. We're happy to talk through layout options when we're on site for the quote.

All three are part of the finish. We discuss grout colour during the quote — light versus dark changes the look of the room significantly. Edge trims (Schluter or similar) versus mitred edges are a budget and aesthetic call. Silicone is colour-matched to the grout where possible. None of these are afterthoughts — they're what you see every day.

Some tiles can — most can't. For an indoor/outdoor flow (where the same tile carries from the living room through to the alfresco) we use a porcelain rated for both, with a slip-resistance grade suitable for outdoors. The look is consistent but the trade decision matters: an internal-only ceramic outdoors will lift, crack or get slippery in the wet. We'll show you specific options at the quote.

For an outdoor entertaining area we typically suggest a P3 or P4-rated porcelain — that's slip-resistant enough for the wet but not so textured it's hard to clean. Pool surrounds and shower floors usually want P4 or P5. We'll talk through ratings during the quote and show you actual sample tiles so you can feel the texture.

Outdoor substrates need to drain and they need to move. Concrete slabs need to be ground if there's a sealer or paint, primed with the right outdoor primer, and tiled with a flexible adhesive rated for movement. Timber decks aren't suitable for direct tiling — they need a tile underlayment system. We'll assess the substrate at the quote stage; if there's prep work, it's listed separately.

Sometimes. Existing pavers can host new tile if they're solid, level, well-drained and bonded to the slab — but more often we find drainage falls aren't right or the paver is delaminating. The honest answer is we'd need to see it. If overlaying isn't viable we can discuss a strip-out, or laying new tiles on a fresh screed at the right falls.

Outdoor porcelain is low-maintenance: a hose-off and a soft-bristle broom for the most part. Stone (travertine, bluestone) needs sealing every couple of years to keep it looking fresh and to resist staining. We talk through maintenance at the quote — if you're after zero-effort, porcelain is the call; if you want the natural-stone aesthetic, a sealing routine is part of the package.

Yes — steps, level transitions (e.g. living room to alfresco), pool coping and feature edges are all part of indoor/outdoor work. Mitre joints look the cleanest but cost more in labour; edge trims (Schluter aluminium, etc.) are a tidy alternative. We'll detail the edges in the quote so there's no surprise.

Pool surrounds need a slip-resistant porcelain (P4 or P5) or a sealed natural stone like travertine. The tile has to handle pool chemicals (chlorine, salt) without etching, hold up under direct sun, and stay grippable when wet — including barefoot. We bring sample tiles to the quote so you can test the texture in person.

Yes. Coping (the bullnose edge that caps the pool wall) is part of most pool jobs we do. Options include drop-edge porcelain, mitred bullnose, or solid stone capping. The coping has to sit a few millimetres above the surround for drainage. We'll spec the coping separately on the quote so you can see what it adds.

Critically important. The shellbeam or paver bed has to be level, well-drained and crack-free. Pool surrounds get drenched daily — any movement in the substrate transfers to the tile and you'll see cracked grout within a season. We always check the slab thoroughly during the quote; if remediation is needed, we'll list it as a separate line.

Travertine is a popular pick for pool surrounds — it stays cool underfoot, has natural slip-resistance, and looks great with most pool finishes. It does need sealing (typically every 1–3 years) to resist chlorine and staining, and the colour can shift slightly over time. We use a French-pattern or Roman-set layout for the most authentic look.

Not on its own — but the pool builder may have specific requirements about the surround levels, drainage and waterproof membranes. Bring us in early and we'll work to whatever specifications the pool builder requires, including documenting our finishes if your warranty needs evidence of a compliant install.

Pool surrounds typically take 4–8 days of trade time depending on size and complexity. The pool itself is usable for swimming during most of the work, though we'll cover it during the dustier stages. We coordinate around any other landscape or pool-builder trades on site so everyone's not in each other's way.

Travertine, marble, granite, limestone, bluestone — we've worked with all of them. Each behaves differently underfoot and asks different things at the install: marble shows its veining under directional lighting, granite is bombproof, travertine has natural fills that need the right preparation. We talk through trade-offs at the quote and bring sample pieces so you can see them under actual room light.

Yes, almost always. We seal natural stone after laying — the sealer penetrates the surface and slows water and stain absorption. Re-sealing every 1–3 years (depending on traffic and exposure) keeps it looking right. We'll tell you exactly what product was used so you can re-apply yourself, or we can come back when it's due.

Some types yes, some no. Granite and most marbles are fine in wet areas with the right sealer. Limestone is more porous and needs careful product selection. Travertine works well outdoors and on shower floors but needs sealing. We can recommend specific stones for specific rooms — wet areas, high-traffic floors, feature walls each have different shortlists.

Natural stone tiles vary significantly between pieces — that's the point. Before laying, we dry-lay the whole job so we can mix tiles from different boxes, balance dark and light pieces, and put the strongest-veined pieces where you'll see them. The dry-lay is a slower way to start but it's why a good stone job looks intentional, not random.

Most stone is supplied gauged (cut to consistent thickness and dimensions) — but split-face, tumbled and antiqued finishes can vary by 1–3 mm. We work with the variation rather than against it: tighter joints for gauged tiles, slightly looser joints for tumbled finishes. The look is set by the stone, the feel is set by the install.

Generally yes. Stone is heavier, more brittle in cuts, and less forgiving on substrate flatness. The substrate has to be flatter, the adhesive has to be the right type, and cuts (especially around drains and corners) need a wet saw and patience. Stone work usually costs more in labour than ceramic for the same area — and the difference is what you pay for.

French pattern is a four-tile set with specific size ratios — typically a small square, a medium square, a tall rectangle and a wide rectangle — that repeats to fill an area without an obvious grid. It's classic for travertine on pool surrounds, alfrescos and entry foyers. The result is a relaxed, organic finish that doesn't lock you into straight lines or square corners.

Yes. Most French-pattern installs use travertine because the look is iconic, but we've laid French pattern in porcelain, limestone and bluestone. Porcelain French-pattern sets are widely available now and they handle pool chemicals better than stone. The pattern is the same; only the material changes.

It depends on the material and finish. Travertine has natural slip-resistance and is fine wet. Honed marble or polished porcelain shouldn't go around pools. We'll match the slip-resistance rating to the location — French pattern tiles in P4 or P5 porcelain are widely available for pool decks.

Slightly more than a square format, mainly because the layout planning takes longer and the cuts at edges are more involved. The tile material itself is similar pricing per square metre. We typically allow a small extra for waste — French-pattern jobs need a bit more material headroom because the pattern locks in tile orientation.

Yes — but the scale of the pattern matters. A standard French-pattern set looks great in 15+ square metres; in a 4-square-metre courtyard the pattern barely repeats and can look fragmented. For small areas we'll usually suggest a scaled-down French set or a different layout that suits the space.

Allow about 15–25% more time on the install. The dry-lay is critical (we balance the pattern across the whole area before any adhesive goes down), cuts at the perimeter need more attention, and the grouting goes slower because the joints aren't all parallel. The pay-off is a finish you can't get with square tiles.

Crazy paving is a tile or stone laid in irregular shapes — no square cuts, no straight grout lines. Each piece is hand-fitted to its neighbours so the joints flow organically. It's a strong look for paths, patios, feature walls and pool surrounds. The trade-off: it's labour-intensive and skill-dependent, which is why not many tilers offer it.

Natural stone is most common — bluestone, granite, sandstone, travertine — because the irregular shapes come from how the stone is split. Porcelain crazy-pavers are now widely available too; they look like stone but handle pool chemicals and stains better. We can show you both at the quote.

We dry-lay every piece before any adhesive goes down. The joint width is balanced across the whole area — typically 8–15 mm depending on the stone — and we mix big pieces with small to avoid clusters of either. The grout colour is usually a darker tone that contrasts with the stone, so the joints read as part of the design rather than a flaw.

If the slab is sound, level, and bonded — yes. If the slab is cracking, has poor drainage, or has surface contamination, it'll need prep before crazy paving goes on top. We always assess the slab during the quote and list any prep as a separate line so you know what's included.

Most natural-stone crazy paving is naturally slip-resistant when dry, and the irregular surface texture helps in the wet. Around pools or wet areas we still want a P4 or P5 rating, which most stone meets. Polished porcelain crazy-pavers should not go around pools — the polish removes the slip-resistance.

Stone crazy paving needs sealing every 1–3 years to resist staining and weathering. Porcelain is essentially zero-maintenance — a hose-off and a broom. The grout joints are low-maintenance for both: dark grout colours hide marks well, and the wider joints in crazy paving don't trap as much grime as narrow grout lines do.