An example project
Bathroom floor retile
This is everything a DreamDIY project gives you, on a real bathroom job — the materials with prices, the phased plan, the pro tips and the making-good list. Nothing here is behind a sign-up.
A worked example, not a customer's project. Your plan is generated from your own photo and the design you choose.
“Rip out the tired vinyl and lay grey hexagon porcelain tiles with white grout, then re-seal around the bath.”
- Cost
- £168-£286
- Time
- 2-3 days
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Steps
- 10 across 3 phases
What you'd buy
| Item | Quantity | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Grey hex porcelain floor tiles | 7 m² (plus 10% wastage) | £45-£120 |
| Flexible tile adhesive | 2 × 20 kg bags | £16-£24 |
| White floor grout | 1 × 5 kg bag | £8-£14 |
| Cement backer board | 3 sheets | £24-£36 |
| Tile spacers (3 mm) | 1 pack of 250 | £3-£4 |
| PVA primer | 1 litre | £5-£8 |
| Silicone sealant (white) | 2 tubes | £5-£9 |
| Tiling tool kit (notched trowel, float, sponge) | 1 kit | £18-£30 |
| Materials total, cheapest option | £124-£245 | |
Estimate — add 10% wastage and check before you buy. In the app these become measured quantities and real pack counts once you tell us the room size.
The plan, step by step
Prep the floorDay 1
Clear the room and lift the old floor covering
Scrape back any old adhesive so you're working on a sound, flat surface.
Check the floor is level
Anything deeper than 3 mm wants self-levelling compound before you tile.
Lay a spirit level across the floor in both directions and mark the dips in pencil - it's much easier than finding them with a trowel full of adhesive.
Lay cement backer board over the floorboards
Screw every 20 cm and stagger the joints so nothing flexes underfoot.
Prime the boards with PVA and let them dry
Lay the tilesDays 1-2
Dry-lay from the centre of the room
Plan your cuts so you don't end up with slivers at the doorway.
Buy 10-15% more tiles than the measured area. Cuts and breakages are normal, and tiles from a later batch can be a visibly different shade.
Spread adhesive one square metre at a time
Hold the notched trowel at a consistent 45°.
Lay outward with spacers, checking level as you go
Hire a decent tile cutter for the day (about £20) instead of buying a cheap one - hex tiles punish a bad cut.
Leave it 24 hours to cure
No foot traffic at all. Plan for the other bathroom, or an early night.
Grout and finishDays 2-3
Grout the joints
Press in firmly at 45°, then wipe the excess with a damp sponge before it sets.
Seal the perimeter with silicone
A neat bead where the tiles meet the wall and the bath.
Run masking tape either side of the gap, lay the bead, smooth it with a wet finger, then pull the tape before it skins. It's the difference between a DIY finish and a professional one.
Making good
Caulk the join between the skirting and the new floor, touch in the paint where the old covering came away, and run a bead of silicone around the bath foot. Making good is what separates a finished room from a finished job.
Now do it for your room
Upload a photo, describe the change, and see it before you build it. Your first project is free to dream up — you only pay when you want the plan.
Start your project