Tilers laying a large-format porcelain floor tile

Services

Tiling

We specialise in professional tiling solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial spaces.

At Shaw Contractors, we specialize in professional tiling solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. Whether you're looking for stylish floor tiles, elegant wall finishes, or intricate mosaics, our expert team ensures flawless installation with attention to detail and durability.

Precision, Quality & Aesthetic Excellence

We provide a wide range of tiling services, ensuring that every project meets the highest standards of excellence. Our residential tiling solutions cover kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, and outdoor spaces, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal. For commercial and industrial projects, we deliver durable and stylish tiling suitable for high-traffic areas such as offices, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores.

Additionally, we specialize in decorative and feature tiling, helping clients create unique focal points with intricate patterns, mosaics, and statement walls. If you're looking for outdoor and pool tiling, we offer weather-resistant solutions perfect for patios, balconies, and swimming pools. Our expertise also extends to heat- and moisture-resistant tiling, ideal for fireplaces, saunas, and high-humidity environments.

A good tiled finish starts underneath

Tiles are only as good as the surface they sit on and the way they are set out. A flat, properly cured base, the correct adhesive for the tile and the substrate, and waterproofing in wet or exposed areas all matter as much as the tile itself. In Malta, where terraces and roofs take strong sun and sudden heavy rain, and where indoor humidity is high, these details make the difference between a floor that lasts and one that cracks or debonds.

Where we use it

Apartments and maisonettes: floors throughout, kitchens, bathrooms and balconies.
Villas and penthouses: large-format floors, feature walls, terraces and pool surrounds.
Offices: reception areas, washrooms and kitchenettes.
Retail and hospitality: shop floors, restaurants, bars and hotel bathrooms built for daily heavy use.

Choosing tiles for each area

The right tile depends on where it is going. Bathroom and shower floors need adequate slip resistance when wet. Kitchen floors should resist staining and stand up to frequent cleaning. Terraces and balconies call for outdoor-rated tiles with a textured surface, while pools need tiles, adhesives and grouts suited to permanent immersion. Large-format tiles look striking but need a very flat base and careful handling. If you are still choosing, we are happy to advise on whether a tile suits the space before you order.

Our process

Consultation and survey: we review the tiles you have chosen, the areas involved and the condition of the base.
Preparation: floors and walls are checked for level and, where necessary, corrected; wet areas are waterproofed.
Setting out: the layout is planned to balance cuts, align joints and position features correctly.
Installation: tiles are fixed with adhesives suited to the tile type and location.
Grouting and finishing: joints are grouted, movement joints and silicone are completed, and the area is cleaned for handover.

Why choose Shaw Contractors

Because we also lay concrete screed and apply liquid membrane and insulation, we can control the whole build-up beneath your tiles rather than relying on another contractor's work. That is especially useful on terraces, bathrooms and floors with underfloor heating.

We take on residential and commercial projects across Malta, from shell to furnished. Our clients value our attention to detail, our reliability with deadlines and the fact that we leave worksites clean and tidy.

Planning a tiling project? Contact us to talk it through.

Why tiling works

Precise setting out
Layouts are planned before the first tile is laid, so cuts are balanced, joints line up and features sit where they should.
Right tile, right place
From bathrooms and kitchens to terraces and pools, we match adhesives, grouts and installation methods to the conditions each area faces.
Durable in heavy use
Commercial floors in offices, restaurants, hotels and shops are installed to cope with high foot traffic and regular cleaning.
Feature work
Mosaics, patterned layouts and statement walls are set out with the care they need to become a focal point.

Tiling: frequently asked questions

Which tiles are best for terraces and balconies in Malta?

Outdoor areas in Malta face strong sun, heat, heavy rain and, near the coast, salty air. Low-absorption porcelain with a textured, slip-resistant surface is usually the most practical choice. Just as important is what goes underneath: the base must fall towards drains and be waterproofed before tiling, otherwise water can find its way into the structure below.

Can large-format tiles be laid on any floor?

Large-format tiles need a very flat base. Any unevenness in the floor shows up as lippage, where neighbouring tile edges sit at different heights, or as hollow areas beneath the tiles. We check the substrate first and, where needed, correct it with screed or self-levelling before tiling.

Do bathroom tiles need waterproofing underneath?

Yes. Grout and tiles are not fully waterproof on their own. In showers, wet rooms and around baths, a waterproof membrane applied beneath the tiles protects the walls, floor and any rooms below from leaks. This is particularly important in Maltese apartment blocks, where a leak can affect a neighbour's ceiling.

Can you tile over existing tiles?

Sometimes. If the existing tiles are firmly bonded and level, overlaying with a suitable primer and adhesive can save the time and mess of removal. However, it raises the floor level, which can affect doors, thresholds and kitchen units. If tiles are loose, cracked or hollow, they should come up first. We assess this on site.