Tiling in Delémont: laying, renovating and waterproofing

Finding a tiler in Delémont is rarely just a question of tiles. In the capital of the Jura, with its old town, its castle and its buildings spread along the Birse and the Sorne, a floor or wall to be tiled often means dealing with an uneven base, the damp of a wet room or the frost on an outdoor area. Tiling in Delémont covers laying tiles and wall tiles on floors and walls, screed, waterproofing under tiles, mosaic and natural stone; this page shows what the location changes about this work and how to prepare a quote request.

The most common tiling jobs in Delémont

A capital town brings together very different homes: flats in rental blocks, houses on the outskirts, older homes in the centre. Requests reflect this variety.

• Bathroom and WC: replacing floors and wall tiles, creating a walk-in shower, reworking a bathtub.
• Kitchen: floor, splashback, sometimes a worktop in tiles or stone.
• Entrances, corridors and living areas: worn floors, cracked tiles, crumbling grout.
• Terraces, balconies, outdoor steps: repairs after harsh winters.
• Mosaic and natural stone: shower decoration, thresholds, fireplaces, old-style floors.

Tiling is often part of a larger project. If you are redoing the whole kitchen, the page on kitchen renovation in Delémont helps place the tiling within all the trades involved.

Bathroom and kitchen in Delémont: waterproofing before the tile

A tile is not watertight: water gets through the grout joints. In a shower, around a bathtub or behind a sink, it is the waterproofing layer laid under the tiles that protects the base. This is an item that a tiler with a CFC (Swiss federal vocational certificate) masters, and that the quote should name. An omission or a botched job often shows up months later, as stains on the ceiling of the floor below or swollen partitions.

In a rental block in Delémont, this risk also affects the neighbours below. It is therefore worth asking how the waterproofing is carried up the walls, how it deals with corners and pipe penetrations, and who coordinates with the plumber when taps or drainage change. For that part, the page on plumbers in Delémont covers the other half of the job.

Uneven floors in the old town’s older buildings

The old town and the older districts of Delémont have buildings whose floors have shifted over time: slight slopes, sagging boards, uneven original slabs. Laying a tile on such a base without correcting it invites hollow-sounding tiles, cracked grout or lines that do not run straight.

Before writing their offer, a serious tiler therefore examines the base: type of existing floor (timber, concrete, old tiling), flatness, damp, height available up to the doors. Depending on the case, they propose a levelling compound, a new screed or another preparation solution. Keep the finished floor height in mind: a screed plus a tile can make a door catch or create a step that you notice when walking.

In the old town, which is one of the three old towns named by the canton along with Porrentruy and Saint-Ursanne, some work may be subject to specific requirements, particularly where it affects the structure or façades. For a simple change of interior covering, the question is often simpler, but it should be asked before signing: check with the municipality or the competent cantonal department.

Underfloor heating and Jura winters: what tiling must withstand

The canton of Jura has cold, snowy winters, with the Franches-Montagnes at altitude; the Delémont valley and the Ajoie are milder, but the seasonal cold weighs on heating and on floor temperature. Well-laid tiling over a heated floor gives a pleasant floor in winter, as it spreads heat well.

For this to work, several points are settled before laying:

1. the screed must be compatible with the heating and have gone through the heat-up procedure set by the manufacturer;
2. the adhesive and grout must accept the movement caused by temperature changes;
3. movement joints must be planned in large areas;
4. the chosen tile must suit this type of floor.

If the underfloor heating is part of an energy renovation, the cantonal energy section runs a subsidy programme: contact it to find out whether your project meets the conditions, without assuming anything in advance. Work on the building envelope is covered separately on the page on thermal insulation in Delémont.

Terraces and entrances exposed to frost in the Delémont valley

A tiled terrace endures water, freeze and thaw, and the snow that gets cleared. Water that seeps under a badly laid tile freezes, expands and breaks grout and tiles over the seasons. For an outdoor area in Delémont, you therefore check:

• that the tile is frost-resistant and non-slip when wet;
• that the base slopes to drain water away, not to hold it;
• that the laying system (bonding, pedestals, waterproofing) suits the use;
• that the grout, edges and thresholds let water run off without damage.

Houses with terraces, entrance steps and apartment-block balconies are the most affected. If the outdoor area is to be renovated at the same time as the façade or the roof, say so: the order of the trades matters.

Permits, landlord and co-ownership for a tiling job in Delémont

In the canton of Jura, the building permit is issued by the municipality or by the canton depending on the size of the project. A simple replacement of tiling indoors rarely falls under this procedure, but a job that alters walls, a façade, a protected building or the use of a room may do so. Ask the municipality of Delémont or the competent cantonal department for confirmation before ordering the work.

The rest is settled between the people involved:

• Tenant: the landlord’s written consent is needed to change a lasting floor covering.
• Owner in co-ownership: check the building’s regulations, particularly regarding floor sound insulation, building-site noise and use of the lift or stairwell.
• Older building: mention it from the start of your request, so the firm allows time to survey the base.

Describing your project to compare tiling quotes in Delémont

Quotes can only be compared if the requests are identical. So that firms reply on the same basis, describe:

• the rooms concerned and their approximate surface area, with a few photos;
• the type of building, the floor, access (stairs, lift, parking);
• the condition of the current base and what you want done with it (remove the old tiling or lay over it if possible);
• the format and material you want (stoneware, wall tiles, mosaic, natural stone);
• whether there is underfloor heating, a walk-in shower or a wet room;
• your timing constraints and whether other trades will be involved.

A good quote itemises removal, preparation of the base, any screed or levelling compound, waterproofing, supply and laying, grout, finishing, removal of rubble and what remains your responsibility. The cost varies mainly with the surface area, tile format, condition of the base, cuts and access; it cannot be guessed from a distance. When you are ready, you can request a quote: your request is passed on to tradespeople and firms in the region, who will contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation offer.

Other useful pages on tiling in Delémont

• tiling: the trade in general, its stages and points to watch.
• work in Delémont: all the trades available in the municipality.
• canton of Jura: the cantonal context and the other municipalities.
• kitchen renovation in Delémont, thermal insulation in Delémont and plumbers in Delémont: jobs that are often combined with tiling.