Tiling in Dunedin

Ask tilers in Dunedin for photos of finished wet rooms and floor-to-wall junctions — lippage (uneven tile edges), crooked grout lines and bad cuts around fittings are where cheap work shows. Good tilers also talk about substrate prep and waterproofing before they talk about tiles.

Almost always substrate or installation, not the tile: movement in the floor, missing expansion joints, adhesive coverage too thin (spot-dabbing), or tiling over a drummy layer. Cracked single tiles from impact are replaceable if you kept spares — always keep a box.

Tilers price labour per square metre (or square foot), with tiles, adhesive, grout and prep on top. Small-format ceramic on a flat floor is the base rate; large-format porcelain, natural stone, mosaics, herringbone patterns and wall work all cost more per unit because they are slower and less forgiving.

Sometimes — if the old tiles are solidly bonded and the extra height works at doors and fittings, tiling over is legitimate and avoids messy removal. It fails when old tiles are drummy (hollow-sounding) or the wall can't take the weight. A good tiler taps and checks before promising either way.

Either works, but you usually choose and buy tiles yourself and the tiler supplies adhesive, grout and trims. Order 10-15% extra for cuts and breakage (more for patterns and large formats) and keep leftovers for future repairs. Have tiles on site before the tiler starts.

A full bathroom (floor plus walls) typically takes 3-5 days: prep and waterproofing first, then setting, then grouting after the adhesive cures. Add days if old tiles must come off or the substrate needs levelling. Rushing cure times is the classic cause of cracked grout later.

Labour typically runs $50-90 per m² for standard formats, with full bathroom retiles including waterproofing commonly $4,000-8,000 before tiles. Auckland and Wellington sit at the top of the range.