Tiling walls and floors in Portugal also has a number of features. Let's start from afar. So, most repairs in Portugal and especially in Porto are not made in new houses, as, for example, in the countries of the former post-Soviet space, where a lot of new housing is built, but in the secondary housing stock. In addition, this is often an investment renovation. That is, a very popular direction is the purchase of old dilapidated housing ("ruins") for repair with subsequent resale.

In addition, it is common to buy old apartments in the historical center for subsequent daily rent (AL). In addition, the renovation of small multi-apartment buildings ("quinta") with subsequent long-term rent is popular.

All this determines the optimization of repair costs, since the main focus is on profit, and not on the durability and quality of the repair. Therefore, in Portugal you can often find a situation where after redevelopment the old tiles remain in place, and the new ones are laid on top of the old. So sometimes in apartments you can see 2-3 layers of tiles on one wall.

There is nothing terrible in this if there are not many layers, and each layer holds well, but of course this has nothing in common with truly high-quality repairs.

The most important rules when laying tiles:

• the surface must be dry and primed.
• the surface must be smooth,
• the adhesive must be applied to the tile and to the surface. It must be applied evenly, no voids are allowed.
• the applied adhesive must not have time to dry before the tile is laid.
• it is important to hide the places where the tile is cut, if possible. In places where this is not possible, the unevenness must be sanded so that the cut is not noticeable after jointing.

As a rule, architects create spaces that do not create difficulties for laying tiles in Porto, Portugal. Bathrooms usually have a rectangular geometry without unnecessary protrusions and niches that complicate the tiling process. But real craftsmen are simply obliged to lay tiles with high-quality tile cutting at 45 degrees.

During our comprehensive repairs in Porto, Portugal, we always try to make a niche for shampoos inside the shower cabin. This always looks much more aesthetically pleasing and practical than some plastic or metal shelf. But it is also important not to forget to carry out waterproofing before laying tiles. Moreover, inside bathtubs and shower cabins, we recommend doing it up to the ceiling. Often, walls with poorly executed waterproofing absorb moisture and it comes out on the back side of the wall, where the paint swells and peels off.