13 Must-Have Tools That'll Make Your Tile Installation Easier

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If you're planning to install your own tiles to save on the cost of a contractor, then firstly, we don't blame you. The tiles themselves are rarely cheap, and if you're updating them as part of a wider renovation or home improvement campaign, then your budget is probably already stretched quite thin. However, unlike with a contractor, with whom you can simply pick the right-sized tiles for your space and then leave them to it, DIY tile installation requires careful thought and preparation.

Fortunately, anybody with even the smallest amount of practical experience can turn their hand to tiling. There are countless guides on the web that detail how to work with specific materials, and plenty of video guides on YouTube for those who prefer to watch and learn. But to actually do it yourself, it's important to have the right kit.

For this very reason, we've compiled a list of 13 tools that are essential for kickstarting your DIY project. Some will ensure you work safely, even when tiling the highest reaches of your walls. Others will allow you to tackle awkward corners and handle delicate cuts with professional-grade precision. By arming yourself with tools specifically designed for tiling, not only is it possible to achieve a professional finish at a fraction of the cost of hiring a contractor, but it can also be surprisingly easy.

Unless, by some miracle, you don't need to make a single cut to your chosen tiles, a wet tile saw is likely to be one of your most trusted tiling allies. These power tools feature a high-speed, diamond-edged blade that is capable of cutting through tough tile materials such as porcelain and stone. They also incorporate a reservoir, pump, and sprayer system, which helps prevent the blade from overheating when in use while preventing tile dust from forming a stubborn cloud.

As you might expect, a decent wet tile saw is unlikely to come cheap. But you don't have to buy one outright. In fact, this expensive tool can easily be rented to help with your tiling project. The important thing is that you have one on hand. It'll make light work of cutting through dense materials like natural stone and porcelain without cracking the tile, and thanks to that water-cooled, diamond-edged blade, it'll ensure your cuts are as free of chips and imperfections as possible.

It's unlikely that you won't have use for a tile cutter, and while an electric wet tile saw is the best option for making lots of straight cuts on larger tiles, manual score-and-snap cutters nevertheless deserve a place in the arsenals of most DIY tilers. These rail-based tools use a small, sharp scoring wheel to etch precise, straight lines across the glaze of a tile. Once scored, you can then "snap" the tile cleanly into two pieces.

Since this tool requires no electricity or water supply, it's much easier to use for smaller projects where you only need to make a handful of straight cuts. It's also much more suited to indoor use than a wet tile saw, making it a useful ally for tiling projects during the winter. It's much faster to set up, and decidedly more portable. Oh, and if you're the sort who prefers to buy your own tools rather than hire them, you'll find they're significantly cheaper than an electric power saw.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when tiling your wall is assuming that you'll only need to make straight cuts. But you need only look at the fixtures, pipes, and outlets around the floors and walls of most homes to realize that there are various awkward items that need to be taken into account. This is where tile nippers come in handy. 

These specialized hand tools feature heavy-duty, offset jaws, specifically designed to bite into tile materials such as ceramic and porcelain. They help you apply concentrated pressure to a very small area of the tile, which in turn allows you to snap away tiny fragments. They're typically used by marking a line on the tile with a pencil (more on this one later!), which you then "cut out" in small increments.

As for why it's a must-have tool, it's because it's ideal for creating tight, circular, or U-shaped cuts — the sort you'll need to fit your tile snugly around any pipes and other fixtures. They can also be used to trim away any imperfections and minor factory defects. And unlike larger tile cutters, they can be looped onto your belt so that they're handy whenever you need them.

Comprising a comfortable handle and a flat metal blade with square or U-shaped teeth (much like the crenellations of a castle), a notched trowel is used to spread the adhesive for your tiles. The blade as a whole spreads it like a knife spreads butter, while the notches create consistent ridges and channels in the substrate. These are key to a flush finish. When you eventually lay the tiles on the adhesive and press them into place, the ridges "spread" and the channels "collapse," helping the adhesive to spread evenly over the backs of the tiles.

Using a notched trowel makes it easy to achieve a flat base for laying tile at home by removing the guesswork from the process. The notches help to guarantee a uniform depth of mortar across the entire floor or wall. When you eventually press the tiles down, the "squashing" of the ridges creates a vacuum-like bonding effect that prevents the tiles from shifting or, worse, falling off.

Suggesting that you buy yourself a secondary trowel may sound like we're complicating matters somewhat, but bear with us. These small, rectangular tools feature a slim blade (often around 2 inches wide) and a slender neck. They're designed for precision work and smaller-scale adhesive applications, and while you'll find that a regular notched trowel handles the bulk of the "buttering," you're unlikely to regret adding a secondary margin trowel to your tiling toolkit.

Why? It ultimately comes down to precision. These tools allow you to apply adhesive in tight, awkward corners and behind pipes — spots in which a standard, bulky trowel would struggle to fit. You can also use it for mixing up small amounts of mortar or grout by hand (ideal if you under-egged it to begin with), and if you're working around features that you'd prefer not to risk soiling with adhesive, you can use a margin trowel to "butter" the back of individual tiles.

If you've ever tried to whisk a batch of pancakes by hand, you'll know how frustrating it is chasing stubborn lumps of flour around the bottom of the bowl. The task is infinitely easier with an electric whisk, and the resulting batter is almost always superior.

It's often the same with tile grout, and while the tools and attachments are somewhat beefier than those you'd use for weekend baking, the concept is almost identical. All you need is a decent power drill and a paddle attachment, like this Power Drill Mixer Attachment from ABN.

It might seem unnecessary, especially if you're working on a budget and need to save as many pennies as possible. But, if you've gone to the trouble of choosing the right tile grout and you're using it to tile a large area, then you'll want to ensure you do the job justice by mixing it properly. More than that, doing it by hand can quickly sap your strength — strength you'll need to do the actual tiling! Whisking it mechanically also helps to remove dry spots from the mixture, ensuring that it packs properly between the tiles and that you don't end up with issues later down the line.

Tile spacers are small, uniform plastic pegs — often shaped like "T"s or crosses — with various widths. As per the name, they're designed to ensure even spacing between your tiles, and like other tools and accessories in this guide, they're crucial to minimizing the amount of human error in your tiling project. Instead of eyeballing the space between your tiles, simply place a spacer between the edges and let the plastic do the work for you.

As well as ensuring even spacing, tile spacers can also help support tiles while the adhesive behind them is wet, lending them a secondary layer of defence against slippage. To get the most out of this tool, it's best to ensure that every single channel between your tiles — horizontal and vertical — is fitted with a tile spacer. Don't be tempted to use spacers on some tiles and to judge the rest by eye, as even a millimeter of misalignment can have disastrous consequences across a larger wall. Instead, work out how many tile spacers you need for your project by multiplying the total number of tiles by four.

A spirit or laser level is one of those tools that every DIYer should have in their toolkit. It's an invaluable piece of equipment for myriad tasks, from hanging shelves and mounting art on the wall to erecting fences and, you guessed it, installing tiles.

Standard spirit levels feature a liquid-filled vial with an air bubble, which indicates whether a surface is truly vertical or horizontal. A laser level performs the same task, and while it's not strictly necessary on smaller surfaces where a single spirit level can do the job, it's typically more precise when working on a larger wall.

Either way, a level is critical for ensuring your tiles are straight and properly aligned. Unfortunately, even in modern homes, walls and floors are rarely perfectly straight. Using a level helps remove the guesswork and eliminate the risk of drift, whereby a tiny tilt in the first row of tiles leads to a glaring slant in your tiles by the time they reach the ceiling. If used frequently between rows, a level will help you to identify and address any accidental veering before the adhesive starts to dry.

Used for various DIY tasks that require a firm but delicate touch — such as paving and brickwork, assembling furniture, and flooring installations — rubber mallets are essential when it comes to tiling evenly. If you're unfamiliar with them, they are essentially hammers with large, soft heads, often made from rubber. They deliver broader, dampened impacts than steel hammers, helping tamp tiles into the bed of adhesive beneath them. Crucially, they do so without denting or otherwise damaging the delicate glaze.

They're a must-have for DIY tilers. They require very little effort to use, yet they allow you to firmly bed your tiles into the mortar, which is crucial for a long-lasting finish. They're especially useful for keeping your tiles flush and preventing tile lippage, whereby the edge of one tile sits slightly higher than those around it.

If you've ever tiled a floor or wall before, you'll know just how messy it can be. Cutting tiles inevitably sends tiny particles flying every which way, and just opening a bag of grout mixture is enough to unleash clouds of dust into the air. While many of us are familiar with the phrase "tidy desk, tidy mind," it's a much easier thing to say than it is to achieve, especially when every stage of your project is seemingly conspiring against the idea of a tidy workstation. But it's not impossible.

By arming yourself with a dust sheet, a bucket, and a sponge, you'll find it much easier to keep things clean. The dust sheet will protect your floors and furnishings, so you won't have to worry about getting dust on them (thus "tidying" your mind). The bucket and sponge, meanwhile, will help prevent the build-up of grout haze — a stubborn film that can easily dull the sheen of your new tiles if not immediately addressed.

Using a grout float is undeniably important if you want to properly grout your own tiles. A rectangular tool with a thick and flexible rubber pad and rigid handle, it's used to spread (or float) grout diagonally across the surface of your tiles. The rubber flexes, which helps to pack the joints tightly with grout. And since it's made from rubber, it allows you to exert pressure without scratching the faces of your tiles.

It's much easier to apply grout with a grout float than it is with another tool, like a trowel. Not only does its flexible design help push grout into the cracks, but it also works kind of like a squeegee, removing the majority of the excess from the tile faces once the gaps between them are full. Provided that you use a sponge as we suggested earlier to prevent the buildup of grout haze, you'll be left with a professional finish that'll last for years.

If we asked you to cite the tools that every homeowner should have, you would probably reel off a list containing items such as a screwdriver, a drill, a tape measure, a spirit level, a wrench set, and probably a bucket-load of screws and nails. And you'd be right. But what about a humble pencil?

As with many DIY projects, a pencil is a surprisingly useful ally when tiling a floor or wall. You can use it to make measurement marks on your tiles before cutting, or to mark starting points on your work surface. If you keep it stashed with a pocket pad, you can also use it to make notes — handy if your hands are grubby and you'd prefer not to contaminate your smartphone. Don't forget a sharpener, either.

Step ladders provide a sturdy means of reaching the uppermost reaches of your home. They allow you to work at eye level rather than stretching, which can lead to all kinds of errors, inaccuracies, and imperfections. Many also feature a tray at the top, which can be useful for holding equipment like spacers and trowels (as well as your trusty pencil and pad), instead of climbing up and down every time you need to switch tools.

Of course, regardless of the specific equipment you're using, working from a ladder is inherently more dangerous than working at ground level. But if you follow basic ladder safety measures – such as ensuring all its feet are in contact with the ground and that your ladder is tall enough to prevent overreaching — then it needn't be especially risky. You should also ensure your ladder is tall enough so you don't have to stand and work on any of the top few steps. If you stand on these, the ladder can easily tip and bring you crashing down with it.