Tessellated

Tessellated Tile Mistakes

Common mistakes to avoid when choosing and laying tessellated tiles.
Tessellated tile installation
Getting it right

Common Installation Mistakes

Tessellated tiling is unforgiving work — thousands of individual tiles set by hand, with no room to hide an error once the grout is down. Getting it right takes decades of practice, not months.

The examples and photos below are real life projects from customers who came to us after their project was completed.

Imbalanced pattern

A tessellated pattern should be symmetrical, balanced and repeat seamlessly across the whole floor. Get it wrong and the mismatch is permanent — the only fix is to pull up the floor and start again.

Right — Balanced, seamless pattern repeat across entire floor
Wrong — Imbalanced, pattern repeat not consistent

Poorly laid border

A well-set border wraps every corner cleanly. An inexperienced tiler will cut corners short rather than plan the layout properly — leaving a visible seam right at the entrance to your home.

Right —Seamless, corners meet cleanly
Wrong —Broken, corners mismatched or cut short

Inconsistent tile cutting

Every tile in the tessellated pattern should be cut neatly and consistently sized across the repeat. Rushed or unskilled cutting leaves ragged, uneven edges that draw the eye straight to the mistake.

Right —Consistent, every cut tile matches in size
Wrong —Inconsistent, cut tiles vary. Spacing out of tolerance
Know before you buy

Common Buying Mistakes

Subcontractor installers

Some companies hand you the tiles and leave you to find your own installer — then blame each other if something goes wrong. Our tilers are employed full time at a company that has been around for 45 years.

We don't sub contract out our tiling. We provide one quote for your entire project —tiles and installation together.

Low cost of tiles, high cost of install

Some retailers out there will quote a cheap tile price, so that they can then hide a much higher install cost — the "affordable" tile quietly becomes the most expensive line item.

We supply and install your tiles ourselves, start to finish.

Quotes from inexperienced installers (often with no license)

An inexperienced tiler, especially those without a license, can quote low, but lack of experience can mean redone work — at your cost, with no warranty to fall back on.

All of our head installers are licensed, and inspects and quote every job.

Rubbish clearance not included in the install quote

Some installers will rip up an existing floor and place the responsibility on you for disposal.

We remove all site rubbish for you — the job isn't done until it's clean.

Most installers don't manufacture their tiles

If you need more tiles once the job starts, most installers are stuck waiting on a supplier, delaying the job.

We manufacture the tiles we lay, so if you need more, we manufacture them straight away.
Why work with us?

Why choose us to install your heritage tiles?

Since 1982 we've restored countless heritage buildings across the country — knowledge we draw on to help you choose the right tiles for your project. We've worked with everyone from prestigious architects to your next door neighbour.

One team from start to finish

From the initial quote to pattern selection and final installation, Olde English Tiles sees each project through to successful completion. No subcontracting, no surprises.

Inspiration

Recent projects.

Last updated 2 months ago

Verified Google Reviews

What our clients say ★★★★★ 4.7 from 165+ Google reviews — Read them all ↝
★★★★★

“I am extremely happy with the tiles on my pathway and front porch — it has transformed my house front and given so much character to my home. The team were very friendly and professional, and their price was also more competitive than other quotes I received.”

Con Velissaris
★★★★★

“Steve and Tony were incredible from start to finish. Their knowledge of tessellated tiles, heritage homes and restoration is unmatched — the result is beyond anything we imagined. We love being able to say, 'Olde English Tiles did it!'”

Lucy Santucci
★★★★★

“A wonderful and professional experience from quote to installation, with great communication throughout. The final outcome is as good as we could ever have hoped for — especially given the uneven substrate of our 140-year-old timber house.”

Tony D.