It sounds simple, but tiling a backyard with obstacles like a septic tank, plus trying to incorporate a store room and an L-shaped table top, is trickier than it looks.
🔧 Step-by-Step Breakdown of Your Backyard Tiling Plan
📏 1. Backyard Dimensions
- Total area:
22 ft x 20 ft = 440 square feet
🧱 2. Tile Calculations (400mm x 400mm)
- Tile size: 400mm = 1.312 feet
- Area per tile:
1.312 x 1.312 = 1.72 sq ft - Tiles needed (before wastage):
440 / 1.72 ≈ 256 tiles - Add 10% for cuts, mistakes, and spares:
→256 x 1.10 ≈ 282 tiles total
💩 3. Dealing with Septic Tank Cover
- This is the pain point. You can’t tile over it blindly. Options:
- Tile on a removable steel tray or cement slab with tile finish
- Mark it subtly but make sure it’s accessible for maintenance
- Waterproof seal around edges to prevent seepage
🏠 4. Store Room Design (Optional Size Suggestion)
Say you build a small store room at the corner:
- Size: 5 ft x 6 ft = 30 sq ft (for laundry related & items)
- You’ll need to:
- Subtract this from tiled area if you raise the store room floor
- Consider waterproofing and elevation to avoid flooding
- Provide a sliding door or foldable shutter to maximize space
🍽️ 5. L-Shaped Table Top
Great for utility—can double as a washing area or outdoor kitchen.
- Length suggestion: 8 ft on one side, 6 ft on the other
- Depth: 2 ft standard
- Built with:
- Brick base or hollow blocks
- Cement rendering, tile or quartz top
- Optional: install water pipe/tap + drainage
🧠 Challenges to Watch For
| Issue | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Drainage slope | Ensure floor slopes slightly away from the house or to a drain point. |
| Septic tank access | Plan a removable tile-covered hatch—no cementing this shut! |
| Material transport | Backyards of terrace houses can be tight; expect higher labor effort. |
| L-shape corners | Measure thrice before cutting tiles—awkward cuts in corners can waste tiles. |
🧾 Quick Cost Estimation (Ballpark)
| Item | Est. Cost |
|---|---|
| 282 tiles (avg RM5/piece) | ~RM1,410 |
| Cement, sand, glue, grout | RM600–RM800 |
| Labor (tile laying) | RM4.50–RM6.00 per sq ft → ~RM2,000 |
| L-shape table (brick + top) | RM2,000–RM2,800 (excluding sink, as client sometimes complaints that the sink supplied by contractor don’t meet their eyes) |
| Store room (basic brick) | RM4000–RM6,000 (plus light penetrated window) |
| Total rough estimate | ~RM10,010 – RM13,010 Lower cost with simpler job range from ~RM7,500–RM10,000 |
