07885 871508neilmonk.nm@gmail.com 24/7 on the lineGas Safe Reg. 17648 HomeServices AboutReviewsOur WorkAreas Contact07885 871508Request a Fixed Price Quote Home/Services/Tiling # Wall and Floor Tiling in EppingFinished to the Same Standard as the PipeworkBathrooms, wet areas, kitchens and floors Tiling fails from the back, not the front. We prepare and waterproof the substrate properly, set out so the cuts land where they should, and price the whole job as one fixed sum before anyone picks up a trowel. Request a Fixed Price Quote07885 871508 37 years' experience · Fixed price quotes, no call-out fee · 4.89/5 from 255 reviews 37 years' experience Gas Safe Reg. 17648 4.89/5 from 255 reviews 10-year guarantee on labour & pipework £2m public liability insurance Overview ## What our tiling work covers Tiling is part of our own trade rather than something we subcontract, which is why bathrooms we install do not sit waiting for a tiler. We tile bathroom walls and floors, shower enclosures and wet areas, kitchen splashbacks and floors, and cloakrooms and utility rooms: in ceramic, porcelain and natural stone. Most of our tiling happens as part of a bathroom installation, where the plumbing, the waterproofing and the tiling all have to agree with each other. We also take on tiling as standalone work where the surfaces behind it are sound or can be made sound. The visible part of tiling is setting out and finish. The part that decides whether it lasts is what is behind it: board choice, tanking, adhesive selection and movement provision. We quote for all of it, rather than pricing the easy half and calling the rest an extra. ### Who it is for Homeowners in Epping, Harlow and the surrounding towns retiling a bathroom or kitchen, replacing failed tiling, or having tiling done as part of a full bathroom installation. ### When you need it Tiles sounding hollow or lifting, grout that discolours or cracks again as soon as it is renewed, silicone going black repeatedly, dated tiling, or any new bathroom or kitchen project. ### Why the preparation matters Tiling is only as good as what it is stuck to. A perfect finish on the wrong substrate still fails, and in a wet area it takes the wall behind it down with it. Left as it is ## What failed tiling actually costs Tiling problems are almost never cosmetic by the time they are visible. The finish is the last thing to give way. ### Water reaches the structure Once grout and seals let water past in a shower, it saturates the board behind and then the timber. Retiling a wall is cheap by comparison with rebuilding it. ### Debonding spreads Hollow tiles do not stay isolated. Movement and moisture travel along the failure, so one loose tile in a shower is the start of the wall, not the end of it. ### Recurring grout failure wastes money Regrouting a joint that is cracking because of movement or deflection buys a few months each time, and the cumulative cost passes the cost of doing it properly. ### A bad set-out cannot be fixed later Cuts landing in the wrong place, uneven tile lines and mismatched levels are locked in permanently the day the adhesive goes off. ### Common mistakes we are called out to - Tiling directly onto plasterboard inside a shower enclosure. - Using a standard adhesive and grout in a constantly wet area. - Grouting internal corners and tile-to-tray junctions instead of sealing them with silicone. - Tiling over an existing floor that flexes, and blaming the tiles when the grout cracks. - Setting out from a corner and finishing with a sliver cut on the most visible wall. ## Our process, from first call to guarantee 01 ### Step 1, Inspection of the surfaces We check what is behind the tiling: board type, flatness, moisture, floor deflection and the condition of any existing adhesive. 02 ### Step 2, Specification and fixed price quote Tile type, substrate work, waterproofing, adhesive and grout specification, all in one free fixed price quote with no call-out fee. 03 ### Step 3, Preparation and waterproofing Old tiling removed where needed, surfaces made flat and sound, wet areas tanked, and floors stiffened or uncoupled where the tile format requires it. 04 ### Step 4, Setting out and tiling Set out so cuts fall where they are least visible, tiles laid with the correct adhesive and levelling for the format, and movement joints placed where the building needs them. 05 ### Step 5, Grout, seal and hand over Grouted in the right product for the location, junctions siliconed, surfaces cleaned down and the room left usable. What you get ## The practical difference on your job ### No gap between plumber and tiler The people who fitted the pipework tile over it, so nothing waits and nobody blames the other trade. ### Waterproofing that actually protects Wet areas are tanked as standard rather than treated as an optional upgrade. ### Set out for the eye, not the corner Cut placement is planned around what you will actually look at every day. ### Grout that stays the colour you chose Product selection matched to the location, so shower grout does not discolour within a year. ### Fixed price, including preparation Substrate work is priced in the quote rather than appearing as an extra once the old tiles are off. ### Clean working Dust and mess are controlled and the area is cleaned down, something customers repeatedly comment on. Our work ## Tiling jobs we have completed See more completed work In detail ## Tiling in detail Materials, methods and the situations where the specification has to change. ### Substrates: what goes behind the tile Standard plasterboard is acceptable for a lightly used splashback but not for a shower enclosure. Wet areas need a suitable tile backer board or a properly applied tanking system, with joints, internal corners and pipe penetrations sealed with tape and compound. Existing plaster can be tiled if it is sound, dry and flat, but plaster has a weight limit and large-format porcelain often exceeds it. Where weight is a factor we say so before the tiles are ordered, because that decision cannot be reversed later. Floors are assessed for deflection. Timber floors generally need overboarding or an uncoupling membrane, particularly for porcelain and stone. Concrete floors need to be dry, level and primed appropriately. ### Tile types and how they behave Ceramic is lighter and easier to cut, which suits walls and smaller formats. Porcelain is denser, harder-wearing and the usual choice for floors and large formats, but it needs the right adhesive and better substrate flatness because it will not follow an uneven wall. Natural stone brings its own requirements: sealing before and after grouting, care with adhesive colour showing through lighter stone, and awareness that some stones are damaged by acidic cleaners. Mosaic and small-format tiles need particular attention to flatness because every deviation shows across the sheet. Large-format tiles need solid bed coverage and a levelling system to control lippage. Cutting them accurately, especially around waste outlets and brassware, is where experience shows. ### Adhesives, grouts and joints Adhesive is chosen for the tile, the substrate and the environment: flexible adhesives on timber floors and underfloor heating, rapid-set where a room has to come back into use, and the correct bed thickness for the format. The wrong adhesive with the right tile still fails. Grout choice follows the joint width and the exposure. Shower floors and heavily used areas benefit from grout designed to resist staining and water ingress. Junctions where two planes meet, wall to floor, wall to tray, around a bath, always move, so they are sealed with silicone rather than grouted. Movement joints are provided where a floor area is large, where the substrate changes, and at perimeters, so seasonal and thermal movement has somewhere to go instead of cracking the field of tiles. ### Tiling over underfloor heating Tile is the ideal surface over underfloor heating because it conducts heat well, but it must be laid in a system designed for the thermal movement involved: flexible adhesive, correct screed or board build-up, and perimeter expansion allowance. The heating must also be commissioned and brought up to temperature on the correct schedule after tiling, not switched straight on. Because we install underfloor heating ourselves, both halves of that are handled by the same team. ### Bathrooms, kitchens and domestic work Bathroom tiling is the most demanding domestic tiling there is: wet, small, full of cuts around brassware and fixings, and unforgiving of poor set-out. Kitchen tiling is less exposed to water but more exposed to scrutiny, since splashbacks sit at eye level on a level worktop line that shows every discrepancy. Our tiling work is domestic, houses and flats across Epping, Harlow, Bishops Stortford and the surrounding towns, usually as part of bathroom projects, and sometimes as work in its own right. FAQs ## Tiling: your questions answered If your question is not here, call 07885 871508. We are on the line 24/7 on the line. How much does tiling cost?Tiling is priced per job, taking in the area, the tile format, and the preparation the surfaces need. The quote is free, there is no call-out fee, and small jobs are usually priced much sooner than larger ones. How long does a bathroom retile take?It depends on the area, the tile format and whether the substrate needs replacing. The expected duration is set out with your fixed price quote. Can you tile over existing tiles?Sometimes, if the existing tiles are firmly bonded, flat and the wall can carry the extra weight. In a shower area we would usually recommend taking them off so the waterproofing can be done properly. Why does my grout keep cracking?Cracking grout normally means movement: a flexing floor, an unsupported substrate, or grout used where silicone should have been. Renewing the grout alone will not fix it, so we identify the cause before quoting. Do you supply the tiles?Most customers choose and supply their own tiles. Tell us the tile before we quote, because format and material affect the preparation and the adhesive specification. Can you tile over underfloor heating?Yes. Tile is the best floor finish for underfloor heating, laid with flexible adhesive and correct movement allowance. We install underfloor heating as well, so both parts can be done together. Do you do the plumbing at the same time?Yes. Plumbing, gas work and tiling are all done in-house, which is why bathroom projects do not stall waiting for another trade. Is tiling work guaranteed?The labour and pipework on our work is guaranteed against leaks and similar faults for 10 years. Tile and grout products carry their own manufacturers' specifications, and we will confirm exactly what is covered on your job with the quote. How much mess will there be?Removing old tiling is dusty, so the area is protected and cleaned down afterwards. Customers regularly comment on the area being left clean. Which areas do you tile in?Epping, Harlow, Chelmsford, Bishops Stortford, Braintree, Dunmow, Saffron Walden, Ware and Broxbourne. ## Related services - Bathroom Installations - Underfloor Heating - Plumbing & Drainage - See all services ## Where we work - Epping - Harlow - Chelmsford - Bishops Stortford - Braintree - Dunmow - Saffron Walden - Ware - Broxbourne Next step ## Get tiling that is still sound in ten years Free fixed price quote covering preparation, waterproofing and finish. No call-out fee, and no waiting on a second trade. Call 07885 871508 - Gas Safe registered 17648, £2m public liability insurance - 10-year guarantee on all labour and pipework - Rated 4.89/5 from 255 Trustatrader reviews ### Request your free fixed price quote Tell us about the job, or send photos, no call-out fee and no hourly rates. Prefer to talk it through? Call 07885 871508. ## Ready for a fixed price on your bathroom, boiler or heating work? 37 years' experience, Gas Safe registered, and a 10-year guarantee on labour and pipework. Call 07885 871508 A father-and-son Gas Safe registered plumbing and heating business with 37 years of experience across Epping, Harlow and the surrounding towns. Gas Safe Reg. 17648 ### Services - Plumbing & Drainage - Heating Engineer - Bathroom Installations - Tiling - Boiler Installation & Repairs - Gas Engineer - Radiator Installations & Repairs - Underfloor Heating - Hot Water Cylinders - All plumbing & heating services ### Service Areas - Epping - Harlow - Chelmsford - Bishops Stortford - Braintree - Dunmow - Saffron Walden - Ware - Broxbourne - All service areas ### Contact - 07885 871508 - neilmonk.nm@gmail.com - 81 Kings Wood Park, Epping, Essex CM16 6FA - 24/7 on the line - Follow us on Facebook © 2026 N Monk Plumbing & Heating. 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