Most homeowners want one straightforward answer before booking work: how many days will the room be out of action? The honest reply is that a typical bathroom takes a few days to tile, but the exact timeline depends on size, layout and a handful of things that happen before any adhesive goes on the wall.
For a standard family bathroom in a Wallington home, tiling the walls and floor usually takes two to four working days for the tiling itself. A small cloakroom or en-suite might be done in a single day, while a larger room with full-height walls and a feature area can stretch to five.
That figure covers the tiling only. It does not include grouting and sealing, which need their own time, or any prep work and drying that has to happen first.
The tiling rarely sits in isolation. If old tiles are coming off, that adds time and mess, and walls often need re-skimming or boarding once the old surface is removed. Surfaces must be flat, sound and primed before a single tile is set, and rushing this stage is the most common cause of problems later.
Tile choice matters more than people expect. Large-format porcelain and natural stone are slower to handle and need careful levelling, while small mosaics and herringbone or brick-bond patterns mean far more cuts around taps, the shower valve and the toilet. Intricate layouts can easily add a day on their own.
Adhesive and grout need time to cure, and this is where many jobs feel slower than the tiling suggests. Tile adhesive is usually left overnight before grouting, often around 24 hours, though fast-set products can shorten this. Grout then needs time before the room is used and before silicone sealant goes around the bath, shower tray and basin.
On a wet area such as a walk-in shower, tanking (waterproofing) is applied before tiling and must dry fully first. Skipping or rushing that step is a false economy, so we build it into the schedule rather than working around it.
If you are stripping out an old suite and starting fresh, the tiling is only one part of a wider job. A complete bathroom refit in a typical South London property usually runs to one to two weeks once you factor in removal, plumbing, plastering, tiling and fitting.
Older terraced and Victorian homes around Wallington, Carshalton and Sutton often hide uneven walls, lath and plaster, or awkward pipe runs. We allow for that when quoting so the timescale we give you is realistic rather than optimistic.
Only a small space such as a cloakroom or a single splashback area is realistic in a day. A full bathroom needs longer, mainly because adhesive must set before grouting can begin.
Allow at least 24 hours after grouting and sealing before using a shower, and ideally a little longer for the silicone to cure fully. We will give you a specific time based on the products used on your job.
Yes. Stripping old tiles and making the walls good again can add a day or more, especially if the plaster underneath is damaged and needs re-skimming before new tiles go on.