Tiling and zellige in Marrakech

Tiling is one of the most durable finishes in a house, and one of the hardest to put right. Badly laid, it cracks, sounds hollow or lets water through. Properly laid, it lasts for decades. We work for owners carrying out a full renovation, buyers who want to replace tired floors and second-home owners preparing their house for the season.

• Interior floors: living room, kitchen, bedrooms and stairs, with skirtings and thresholds.
• Wall tiling: bathrooms, kitchen splashbacks and decorative walls.
• Large-format tiles: big slabs for a continuous look, on floors or walls.
• Zellige, cement tiles and mosaic for a Moroccan or contemporary identity.
• Terraces, pool surrounds and outdoor areas.
• Removal of the old covering, screed, levelling and waterproofing under tiles.

Tiling often forms part of a villa renovation in Marrakech or the restoration of a riad, with the same team and the same site manager.

Zellige is a glazed clay tile, shaped and cut by hand, whose irregularities in size and shade are exactly what give it charm. It is laid with fine or wider joints depending on the effect wanted, and needs an experienced tiler. Its surface changes with the light; it should be chosen by looking at several tiles together, not a single sample.

To understand how these finishes differ from tadelakt and staff, our guide to tadelakt, zellige and staff (in French) gives concrete pointers. For a continuous, water-resistant finish, tadelakt is a frequent alternative or complement.

Layout, samples and quantities: choosing well before you order

A tile layout plan, known in French as the calepinage, shows how the tiles are distributed across a surface: it decides the starting point, the orientation, the cuts and the look of the joints. A good layout avoids awkward slivers of tile against a wall or a threshold, and shows off the pattern of the covering.

1. Look at several tiles together, in the light of the room, and not at an isolated sample.
2. Ask for a trial laying on a small area to approve shades, joints and the overall look before the whole job begins.
3. Allow a margin for breakages and cuts, and keep a few spare tiles from the same batch in case of repairs.
4. Check thresholds and transitions with other floors: a difference in thickness is corrected before laying, not after.
5. Choose the grout (colour, width, material) with as much care as the tile: it changes the overall look.

We guide you through these choices during the visit and on site, and we approve the layout plan with you in writing before laying begins.

Outdoor tiling in Marrakech endures sun, temperature swings between day and night, splashing and sometimes salt or chlorine. Choices of material and of laying method are therefore specific.

• Heat: light shades generally stay more comfortable underfoot than dark ones, which store heat.
• Slip resistance: a surface suited to wet areas (texture, anti-slip rating) is essential around a pool.
• Expansion: movement and expansion joints are needed to absorb the tiling’s movement.
• Drainage: falls towards the drains, never towards the façade or the house.
• Adhesive and grout: products suited to exterior use, resistant to heat cycles and water.

Phenix works on terraces and outdoor areas, and coordinates pool specialists when a pool is involved: we do not promise to build or renovate a pool, but we make sure its surround, its coping stones and the rest of the tiling fit together properly.

• Laying on a base that is uneven, damp or crumbling.
• Forgetting expansion joints, especially outdoors or over large areas.
• Choosing tiles that are too slippery for a shower or a pool surround.
• Ordering without a margin for breakages and cuts, then being unable to find the same batch.
• Laying zellige while expecting the regularity of an industrial tile.
• Neglecting waterproofing under tiles in a shower, on a balcony or on a terrace.

To place tiling in the overall envelope of a project, consult the budget for renovating a riad in Marrakech (in French) or request a quote. No variation is committed without your written agreement.