"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance when I was ordering the tiles & associated products from your company. My boyfriend has finished both projects for me and the tiles look absolutely wonderful. We found the product easy to use and the end result amazing. I will not hesitate to recommend these for anyone else in the same position as my self where ceramic tiles are not satisfactory."
Great Yarmouth
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Easy Tile Panels near heat?
"I've purchased some Easy Tile Panels and I am wondering, can i put them in the Kitchen? What about around the cooker?"
The Easy Tile Range is ideal for Kitchens. The insulating panels are ideal for walls and do not suffer the same problems of condensation associated with other wall coverings. Areas around sinks should be grouted to provide a totally waterproof surface and all joints between work surfaces and tiles should be sealed. Remember to only use Easy Tile Grout and Bath Sealant.
For new kitchens heavyweight objects such as wall cupboards are best fixed to the wall and not over the tiles to provide proper support.
When working around the cooker you should consider the type of cooker and hob being used. The temperature required to ignite the tiles is over 300 degrees Celsius, and most things in the kitchen will ignite at this temperature. However high temperatures can cause the tiles to deform.
Conventional cookers with an upstand and oven vent near the hob surface will pose no problems. Allowing a nominal spacing of 50-75mm (2" - 3") behind the cooker will be sufficient protection for the tiles. The same applies to those cookers with lift up lids where the lid reflects the heat away from the wall. Where a cooker has a rear oven vent at low level then we do not recommend tiling immediately behind the cooker oven area.
Built in Hob-oven units and freestanding units that do not have the upstand fall into two categories:
- Electric and the newer ceramic type cookers keep the heat very localised to the element and providing the element is 100 - 125mm (4" - 5") away from the tiles there isn't a problem.
- For Gas Cookers where a naked flame is used then we recommend a minimum distance of 150mm (6") from the flame to the tiled surface.
If you cannot achieve this then why not create a splash back effect with a ceramic tile for one course immediately behind the hob.
Do I need to grout Easy Tile?
Whilst it is not necessary to grout the complete panel we do recommend that the joints between tiles be grouted to make the tiled surface waterproof.
Grouting of the moulded lines is a matter of taste; if you wish the tiled surface to look like conventional tiling then these areas should be grouted.
How long will my tiles last?
If you follow the guidelines and instructions, then Easy Tiles will last for many years, some customers have had Easy Tiles in place for 40 years. Maintenance is best achieved with a wipe over of dilute bleach solution. This will help to maintain the surface finish, we strongly advise that you don’t clean with a scouring type cleaner or harsh chemicals instead use ordinary household detergents.
Do they damage easily and can I fix things to them?
Easy Tile despite being manufactured from synthetic materials are extremely durable, they are able to put up with knocks and general wear and tear in normal use. Scuffs can be polished out with metal polish. If damaged the squares can be easily cut out and replaced.
There is no reason why you cannot fix to your tiles surface, large items such as cupboards or mirrors that screw directly to the wall can be fixed in the normal way. However where a cupboard has a separate plate that is fixed first and then the cupboard is hung from this (kitchen cabinetry for example), then we advise that there should not be tiles where the cupboard will hang, so that this fixing plate can be firmly attached to the wall. Tiling can then be brought up around the cupboard once in place.
When attaching items to them try to attach near the grout lines rather than in the centre of the tiles, here the moulded rib acts to reinforce the fixing and prevent the tile collapsing.
Are they waterproof?
Perhaps more so than conventional tiling. The panel are moulded in one piece with no holes and the waterproof adhesive is a premium tiling adhesive, manufactured to BS 5980 grade AA class 2. The joints if grouted with Easy Tile Grout remain watertight but still allow the tiles to be flexible. This can be a major advantage in areas such as boats and caravans which by the nature of their construction are designed to flex a bit, causing conventional tiling to come away.
Can I tile over existing tiles and painted surfaces?
Provided the tiling is firmly attached to the wall, and you rough up the surface with a coarse grade wet and dry emery paper or similar aluminium oxide paper to provide a key. Then the tiles can be applied over the surface using our tile adhesive. We would advise allowing slightly longer for the adhesive to cure in wet areas such as showers before use. The same rules apply to painted surfaces. Key the surface as above and remove all loose paint before applying the surfaces.
I have used waterslide transfers but I now want to change them for a new look how do I get the old one off?
Waterslide transfers are designed to be hardwearing and long lasting, they will not come off with most household chemicals. However, they are designed to come away effortlessly when lightly rubbed with a cloth dipped in Methylated Spirit which is readily available at most good hardware outlets. Just dip the cloth in the liquid and rub gently in a circular motion, after a short time the transfer starts to break up and come away cleanly from the surface. Methylated Spirit has a strong odour and we recommend opening a window and replacing the cap when using this product. Please read and observe all warnings on the label.