Tiling downstairs toilet

Barney224

hi, looking for a bit of advice. I have experience tiling, but mostly walls and hallways. I've never tiled a bathroom so not sure what to do with the toilet. Do I remove it completely and lay the tiles, or can I jack it up a bit and replace with new tiles?

As you can see by the photo, I've decided to remove the old tiles, but left them under the toilet. The screws are completely rusted and can't be removed, so I might have to saw them out.

Should I remove the toilet completely? I've no idea how to turn the water off, so wondering should I get a plumber in.....before I make a big mess!

listermint

Barney224 wrote: »

hi, looking for a bit of advice. I have experience tiling, but mostly walls and hallways. I've never tiled a bathroom so not sure what to do with the toilet. Do I remove it completely and lay the tiles, or can I jack it up a bit and replace with new tiles?

As you can see by the photo, I've decided to remove the old tiles, but left them under the toilet. The screws are completely rusted and can't be removed, so I might have to saw them out.

Should I remove the toilet completely? I've no idea how to turn the water off, so wondering should I get a plumber in.....before I make a big mess!

Take the toilet out. Only way to get a seemless finish anything else looks amateur hour

doctorchopper

You'll have to remove the toilet. probably have to drill out the screw heads. May be worth changing the toilet pan, you'd be surprised how little they cost.

Barney224

doctorchopper wrote: »

You'll have to remove the toilet. probably have to drill out the screw heads. May be worth changing the toilet pan, you'd be surprised how little they cost.

Actually that's a great idea! Cheers. Yeah, a nice new toilet would be perfect. I'll definitely get the plumber in to do that.

whizbang

Looks very like you have a close coupled system; theres plenty of wiggle room on the waste connection, just be aware there may be a lot of difference in the supply connection.

Just get the plumber to fit an flexi tail with isolating valve to the cistern, do the rest yourself.

Barney224

One other question. Should I remove the skirting before tiling or leave it there? Originally the skirting went down first and the tiles laid. I've seen many arguments for and against. My only concern is if the tiles aren't 100% level, the skirting might look crooked or have gaps if I place over the new tiles.

Citroen2cv

Take up the skirting before tiling the floor. You could even use tiles as skirting.

emeldc

Barney224 wrote: »

One other question. Should I remove the skirting before tiling or leave it there? Originally the skirting went down first and the tiles laid. I've seen many arguments for and against. My only concern is if the tiles aren't 100% level, the skirting might look crooked or have gaps if I place over the new tiles.

That's true, but you'll have the same problem if you don't cut the tiles to fit exactly flush with the skirting board which would be even more noticeable. I did the same job a few years ago. I removed everything, it's much easier in the long run. Also, chisel off as much of the old cement as you can, it will be easier to keep the tiles level. Use less cement on the high spots and pack out the low spots.

awec

Are you tiling the walls as well as the floor? Or just the floor?

Barney224

Just the floor.

sligojoek

I'd have the toilet taken out first as well. For all of the above and also. if you ever need to replace the pan the chances of getting one with the same "footprint" would be fairly slim.

It looks much better too.

dodzy

All top advice above. Just in addition, you have a close coupled cistern as suggested above; take off cistern lid, drain system and shut off water to cistern filling valve, remove the 2 screws holding the cistern to the wall and that whole unit will lift out. Only 2 well rusted screws holding pan in place. One tug left to right will sheer them so no drilling out needed. Also as has been said, the pans are cheap as chips. I did one last week and the soft close seat was same price as the toilet:rolleyes:

Rows Grower

As suggested above take the skirting boards off and replace them with tiles cut to the same height or maybe a smidgen higher to hide any marks on the wall. This will make it a lot easier and more hygienic when cleaning the floor.

Match up the grout lines with the floor tiles and finish the top of the skirting tile with a flat chrome trim to match the handle on the cistern, taps and any other accessories and it'll look the bomb.

A good tip is when you have the floor done mark out your skirting tile height all around, then to find where you should cut the tile place it back to front flat against the wall and mark each edge of the tile, carefully transfer the mark to the face of the tile and cut point to point.

Barney224

Rows Grower wrote: »

As suggested above take the skirting boards off and replace them with tiles cut to the same height or maybe a smidgen higher to hide any marks on the wall. This will make it a lot easier and more hygienic when cleaning the floor.

Match up the grout lines with the floor tiles and finish the top of the skirting tile with a flat chrome trim to match the handle on the cistern, taps and any other accessories and it'll look the bomb.

A good tip is when you have the floor done mark out your skirting tile height all around, then to find where you should cut the tile place it back to front flat against the wall and mark each edge of the tile, carefully transfer the mark to the face of the tile and cut point to point.

Great idea. Cheers. It would look much better than boring skirting.

Why do you need to place the tile back to front against the wall to mark it?

Rows Grower

Barney224 wrote: »

Great idea. Cheers. It would look much better than boring skirting.

Why do you need to place the tile back to front against the wall to mark it?

It's a very fast and accurate job, you turn the cut upside down and it'll fit perfect.

Barney224

Rows Grower wrote: »

It's a very fast and accurate job, you turn the cut upside down and it'll fit perfect.

Gotcha! It's been a while since i tiled. Thanks for the tip

Barney224

Quick update. I've had a plumber in to remove sink and toilet. I've also removed the old skirting board. I noticed there's a gap under where the plasterboard (see attachment).

Could I just put down the new skirting (using tiles) first, and then lay the floor tiles? My concern is that if I lay the floor tiles first, I won't be able to make sure they're straight aligned with the wall and so if the skirting tiles were down first, they'll give me a guidline.

Sharp MZ700

I'd put the skirting tiles on last, cut side down. Don't have to be as precise cutting the floor tiles once they run in under the skirting tile

listermint

Floor should always go under the skirting never butt up to it

Rows Grower

Barney224 wrote: »

Quick update. I've had a plumber in to remove sink and toilet. I've also removed the old skirting board. I noticed there's a gap under where the plasterboard (see attachment).

Could I just put down the new skirting (using tiles) first, and then lay the floor tiles? My concern is that if I lay the floor tiles first, I won't be able to make sure they're straight aligned with the wall and so if the skirting tiles were down first, they'll give me a guidline.

Mark out the floor the same as you would as if it was a big floor, ie. find the center of it. Then start tiling from the center point.

The very first tile you lay is always the most important one as that determines where every other tile will be placed and also how high they will be.

You should have four tiles either side of the center point of the floor or if it's going to work out easier have the center of the first tile in the dead center.

The main thing to avoid is having very thin cuts at any wall. When doing the cuts by the wall do the same knack for marking as you would for the skirting tile.

Tiling can be easy, it's the planning of the job beforehand to make it look symmetrical is the part that catches most people.

Take your time, you'll be looking at it for a long time afterwards.

sligojoek

Top advice there.

One thing. Lay a row of tiles dry from centre point to the wall. If you have a skinny cut, find the center point of the tile and Mark it. Put that mark over centre point of the floor and your wall cut will be the skinny cut plus half a tile.

Barney224

Cheers for the advice guys. As I mentioned, I have tiled before, but mostly walls. I've done a small hallway many years ago with basic tiles.

The area I'm talking about is only 2.4 x 1 metre, so hopefully can't make too much of a mess of it. My OH now wants patterned tiles (see attachment), so I suppose getting a nice centre line and uniformed edging is very important.

One other question on the patterned tiles (in the attachement), would you bother putting spacers in between the tiles, or just bunch them up against eaach other so the pattern works?

listermint

Barney224 wrote: »

Cheers for the advice guys. As I mentioned, I have tiled before, but mostly walls. I've done a small hallway many years ago with basic tiles.

The area I'm talking about is only 2.4 x 1 metre, so hopefully can't make too much of a mess of it. My OH now wants patterned tiles (see attachment), so I suppose getting a nice centre line and uniformed edging is very important.

One other question on the patterned tiles (in the attachement), would you bother putting spacers in between the tiles, or just bunch them up against eaach other so the pattern works?

They have to be spaced for grout !!

The pattern will work fine

Rows Grower

Barney224 wrote: »

Cheers for the advice guys. As I mentioned, I have tiled before, but mostly walls. I've done a small hallway many years ago with basic tiles.

The area I'm talking about is only 2.4 x 1 metre, so hopefully can't make too much of a mess of it. My OH now wants patterned tiles (see attachment), so I suppose getting a nice centre line and uniformed edging is very important.

One other question on the patterned tiles (in the attachement), would you bother putting spacers in between the tiles, or just bunch them up against eaach other so the pattern works?

You have to leave a gap between the tiles to fill with grout, otherwise water will find it's way in between them and cause all sorts of problems over time.

All patterns are designed to work with a grout gap.

Barney224

hi guys, Ready to lay the tiles this weekend. Quick question (as I'm very rusty with tiling) on the trowel size to use? I have a trowel with 9mm (for Floor). My tiles are pre-cut and 45 x 45 cm. Is 9mm gap OK or should I go smaller?

listermint

Should be fine. Remember to butter each time before laying too.

Barney224

listermint wrote: »

Should be fine. Remember to butter each time before laying too.

OK thanks.

dodzy

Barney224 wrote: »

hi guys, Ready to lay the tiles this weekend. Quick question (as I'm very rusty with tiling) on the trowel size to use? I have a trowel with 9mm (for Floor). My tiles are pre-cut and 45 x 45 cm. Is 9mm gap OK or should I go smaller?

9mm ? Not a chance. 3mm max.


Whoops! just re-read post. Trowel is fine