What has been the biggest challenge for the tiling industry in 2025?
The tiling industry continues to change as it adapts to cost pressures and demand. Traditional supply channels have continued to become more consolidated in retail and distribution, as the sluggish economic growth and ongoing cost-of-living crisis have constrained demand for new and refurbishment projects.
This flat demand coupled with increased cost pressures is passed throughout the supply chain from homeowners or clients to installers, retailers, manufacturers and raw material suppliers – who in turn have their own increasing cost pressures in material prices and operational costs.
With a much-cited skilled labour shortage owing to an aging workforce of installers and less people entering vocational training, this can also drive-up labour costs and provide project delays.
What have been the most significant developments in the industry in 2025?
The sustainable remedy for these pressures can often be provided with increased value and innovation. This has been shown throughout 2025.
Focus for BAL in 2025 has been to help installers to provide value. Our ‘your installing value’ campaign is both a reminder, and a development of all the added-value service and support BAL can provide to reduce project costs. This is through product performance to ensure a streamlining of the number of products needed for an installation, making installation easier for all skill sets, and allowing installations to be finished faster – as well as the vast free service and support offerings including project recommendations, troubleshooting and substrate testing services, as well as training on-site or at our facilities. This is further enhanced with our direct ‘cash-back’ offer to installers though our GivBax Rewards programme.
Likewise, tile and ancillary ranges as well as branch service and support tools have been developed by a range of leading retailers and distributors across the UK to ensure installers can utilise these stockists to support their business and provide the best value offer to their clients.
What have been the biggest product trends of the year?
Innovative problem solvers are key to provide value, and this is a product trend we want to continue to lead for UK tiling.
At BAL we’ve launched two innovative problem solvers in 2025. Our first launch was BAL Level Plus; a levelling compound that can be used as a simple one-part leveller (mixed with water) as a cost-effective leveller for most domestic projects. Uniquely though it can also then be mixed with BAL Level Plus Liquid instead of water to provide a solution for direct use on the most difficult substrates including flooring grade bitumen and residues.
Our second innovation is BAL AF Max. This is an ‘adhesive and anti-fracture system’ all-in-one. This bagged product mixed with water provides the same performance as a traditional adhesive and uncoupling or decoupling mat system. Such technology provides significant value for installers with a 40% lower cost in materials, 70% time saving and 70% less material weight to transport and store.
Both ensure higher value and easier installations with less chance of any project issues for installers and clients ongoing.
Are there any projects that you’ve been happy to have been a part of in 2025?
At ARDEX Group we have the leading ARDEX and BAL brands for project installations, supported by our specification, technical support manager and in-house technical teams – as well as the wider ARDEX Group teams. As such we’re trusted for a broad range of commercial projects.
In 2025, we’ve been able to be part of some unique projects as well as large commercial projects. As one highlight, the restoration of the Grade II listed Salford Cathedral was a fantastic project for ARDEX.
ARDEX products were specified for the installation of the JUPITER Screed Replacement Tile (SRT) system – a dry, load-bearing solution that replaces traditional screeds entirely.
In heritage buildings like this, where weight and moisture are critical concerns. The SRT system offers a dry construction method with no curing time (for a faster installation), with a lightweight, high-strength floor finish for use with underfloor heating systems.
JUPITER’s SRT system not only protects the building’s fabric but also delivers long-term thermal performance, making it ideal for listed environments where structural sensitivity meets modern comfort requirements.
ARDEX levellers, tile adhesives and grout solutions have been comprehensively tested in conjunction with JUPITER’s system and we’re delighted to see our product on site for this prestigious renovation.
As another more unusual project we also helped to deliver the ‘Roman Mosaic c2025’ mosaic installed in Scarborough at a sea viewing platform – designed by Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller and Sculptor Coralie Turpin. Here the ARDEX team were crucial to support with multiple site visits technical advice and a system recommendation to ensure art remains stunning for years to come.
Other memorable projects also included Pentre Awel Leisure Centre, part of Wales’ pioneering life science and wellbeing village in Llanelli. Working alongside BOUYGUES UK and Buckingham Pools, ARDEX supplied a full waterproofing and tiling system for the centre’s aquatic facilities – including a stunning 25m competition pool and a learner pool, both finished to elite standards.
For ARDEX large-scale leisure projects have been a continued sector of expertise.
What plans do you have for 2026?
As always for a market-leader, the plans for BAL & ARDEX in 2026 will focus on new product innovation for increased performance and value as well as a focus on added-value for installers through our support campaigns and tools.
We have an extremely strong new product development programme that will bring some exciting launches to the UK throughout the year – supported by our research process with installers to guide this development.
There are some very exciting installer initiatives that will launch as soon as 1 January that will provide added value and even further reward benefits for our GivBax Reward members.
We will also continue our strong focus on sustainability in terms of our operations and market offer and are extremely proud to have won this month the ‘Best Sustainability Initiative’ at the BASA Showcase 2025, organised by the British Adhesives & Sealants Association to recognise the very best in the industry.
We’re also excited to open our newly refurbished Northern Training Centre, based in our Building Adhesives Ltd, Stoke-on-Trent facility. The newly refurbished centre will open in early 2026 with a range of training areas to provide best-in-class training for tilers (as well as floorlayers and general trades), available to installers of all skill and experience levels for all elements of installation, including masterclasses and partnered courses to upskill.
Alex Underwood, UK head of marketing – tiling, ARDEX Group UK
