Tiling With Style On A Budget

To save the expense of retiling a bathroom, there are a number of options which don’t compromise on style. One approach is to paint the old wall tiles for a new look. This is a quick and cheap way to change your bathroom colour scheme. You will need to clean the tiles and remove all traces of dust, then apply a tile primer, followed by tile paint. Alternatively, paint an all-in-one tile paint directly onto the cleaned tiles; this costs more per litre, however.

When purchasing fixtures and fittings for your bathroom, such as Mira Shower from Mira Showers, pop a tub of grout into your shopping basket. Re-grouting is another cheap way of giving tiles that have seen better days a fresh look. Scrape out as much of the old grout as possible (you can do this with a grout removal tool from the DIY shop or make your own out of an old hacksaw blade) to start with. Then re-grout, smoothing the grout between the tiles with an old lolly stick.

Another way to save money to buy Showers from Mira and other bathroom furniture, is to replace cracked tiles rather than re-tiling whole areas. You will need to wear safety glasses for this project. Drill a hole in the middle of the damaged tile and chisel it out, along with old grout, to give a flat surface, working from the centre outwards. Then replace and re-grout. If you can’t find matching tiles, replace with tiles in contrasting colours or patterns which pick out the colour of the other tiles.

If you do decide to retile your bathroom, look for cheap tiles in discount warehouses, factory shops and online. Factory outlets often have overstock in perfect condition, as well as seconds. Remember the ever so true mantra: “Cheap tiles; expensive taps.”