Advice needed on laying tiles

cubix

I have a kitchen area(rectangular shape) to cover in tiles and was just wondering is it best to start in the middle of the floor so I get even size tiles on either side of the walls. IF so whats the best way to find dead center of a floor and when laying the tiles does anyone bother to put a spirt level on the first couple or is that over kill?

Cheers Cubix

ctrl-alt-delete

cubix wrote:

I have a kitchen area(rectangular shape) to cover in tiles and was just wondering is it best to start in the middle of the floor so I get even size tiles on either side of the walls. IF so whats the best way to find dead center of a floor and when laying the tiles does anyone bother to put a spirt level on the first couple or is that over kill?

Cheers Cubix

To be honest i wouldn't just start in the middle, although sometimes it may work out. It's best when beginning to take as much time as is needed to get the layout the best it can be, afterall you are going to be looking at them for a good few years.

The way i prefer to do it is:

Consider all the focal points, i.e. the main doorway which enters the room you are tiling, its visually nice to have a straight line of tiles in the dead centre, or a grout line in the dead centre, whichever you can accomadate.

I say whichever you can accomadate because you have to take into account where the ends of each of the four directions of tiles will end up, i.e. what size cuts will appear at the foor walls of your rectangular room.

what may help you first off is to find the centre of the room, i.e. have a chalk line going along the middle of the floor in the centre of both sets of facing walls. this will help you square up the tiles,

After this start dry laying the tiles in the doorway with whichever of the two options above i suggested, that looks better for you, (at this point il point out one of your best friends "the spacer" et tile spacers. 4mm or 5mm are suitable for floor tiles) Having the tiles set out in the doorway proceed to dry lay the tiles untill you have one line of tiles reaching each ending point ( i.e. wall or kicker boards). you do not have to fill the room with tiles for this - just at least one line of tiles, using the spacers to keep them square and in line for you. On completion of this you will see if you have a decent sized cut where your lines will end - there is nothing worse than a small cut against a wall, especially if it can be avoided. If everything looks ok to you, you're sorted proceed to dry lay and cut all the tiles, then when you have all the tiles cut and in position, you can start to apply them with adhesive wherever you want - much easier this way and there is no threat of adhesive going off while your off cutting tiles.

Anyways if you end up with a small cut, you may need to try starting in the doorway with a half tile, or moving the tiles left or right of your marked lines, just make sure everything looks ok to you and that you wuld be happy with it,

i hope this made sense to you and that it helps, any other questions just ask.

cubix

Cheers for that CAD, as mentioned in my first post when laying your first couple of tiles do you level them with a spirt level and then use them as a guide to make sure the rest of the tiles are level or is this just over kill?

Cubix

yop

Dry tile a line of tiles in each direction, this will give you a good idea of where you will end up with cuts. Don't start in the middle, no tiler does.

ctrl-alt-delete

cubix wrote:

Cheers for that CAD, as mentioned in my first post when laying your first couple of tiles do you level them with a spirt level and then use them as a guide to make sure the rest of the tiles are level or is this just over kill?

Cubix

Sorry i missed that the first time -

I have never used a spirit level, in my opinion its a waste of time.

I just run the palm of my hand across the tiles when i've just put them down and from that i can feel where they need to come up and down, as you get the hang of it it becomes easier.

Generally you will know by looking at a floor beforehand whether it will give you hassle or not. If its in a real bad state you are best to apply levelling compound to make it easier for you.

Medium quality surface floors just lead me to use a tiling trowel with deeper grooves - as this allows for some more leeway.

Hope that helps

cubix

Cheers;)