The UK tiling trade gathered, celebrated and counted the cost this month. Here are the stories worth a few minutes between jobs, from the industry’s headline awards to a regulation deadline that lands at the end of June.
The Tile Association names its 2026 award winners
The Tile Association has published its 2026 award winners, with Charles Clapham MBE of Palace Chemicals taking the Lifetime Achievement Award and Craig Scott of W Rodgerson & Sons named Tile Fixer of the Year. EMC Tiles, the Verona Group and Harrison Contract Tiling also picked up product and contractor honours. For homeowners hiring a tiler, the winners list is a useful shortlist of trusted suppliers and proven fixers. Read the full list at the Tile Association.
ExpoTile 2026 brings the trade together in Birmingham
ExpoTile, the rebranded former Tiling Show, ran on 5 June at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, with free entry for installers, distributors and contractors. The show is where new tiles, adhesives and tools reach fitters first, and where apprentices meet the wider trade. If you missed it, it is worth pencilling in for next year so you can see materials in person before you spec them. More on the event from the Tile Association.
Merchant sales soften as prices keep climbing
Builders’ merchant figures for the first quarter of 2026 showed volume sales down 8.1% on the year while prices rose 5.4%, according to BMBI data reported by the Tile Association’s Tilezine. In plain terms, materials cost more while fewer people are buying, a sign that demand for renovation work is still cautious. For tilers quoting jobs, it is a reminder to price off current adhesive and tile costs rather than last year’s. See the merchant data on Tilezine.
A 30 June deadline for backflow valve test kit
Installers who test RPZ backflow prevention valves have until 30 June 2026 to replace test equipment that no longer meets the Water Regs UK approved method, as single-tube and U-tube manometers are phased out. It is a niche rule, but it matters for bathroom and wet-room fitters who handle water supply protection. Check your kit is compliant before the deadline. Read the RPZ valve guidance.
Related guides
- How to Tile a Bathroom Wall: A UK Step-by-Step Guide
- How Much Does Tiling Cost in the UK? A Realistic Price Guide
- How to Remove Old Wall Tiles Without Damaging the Wall
- Porcelain vs Ceramic Tiles: Which Is Right for Your Bathroom or Kitchen?
- How to Tank and Waterproof a Wet Room Before Tiling: A Bromley Homeowner’s Guide
- Do You Need to Seal Natural Stone Tiles Before Grouting? A Tiler Explains
- How to Tile a Bathroom Floor (Including Around the Toilet)
- How to Tile a Shower: Walls, Niche and Waterproofing
- Construction Trade News: June 2026
- Bathroom Tiling Guide: How to Plan, Prep and Finish a Lasting Job
- Tile Backer Board vs Plasterboard for Bathrooms
- Best Tiles for Small Bathrooms (and How to Make a Space Look Bigger)
- Wall and Floor Tiles for a Wet Room: What Actually Works
- Tiling vs Wall Panels for a Bathroom: Which Is Better?
- Do You Tile the Floor or Walls First in a Bathroom?
- Tiling and Bathroom Trade News: Mid-June 2026
- Kitchen Tiling: Splashbacks, Walls and Floors Explained
- How to Tile a Kitchen Splashback: Step-by-Step Bromley Guide
- How to Tile Around Kitchen Sockets, Switches and Worktops
- Kitchen Splashback Tile Ideas: 12 Looks That Work
- How to Lay Metro Tiles in a Herringbone Pattern