Bathroom Tile Preparations | Planning Tile Layout

You can create amazing “artwork” with tile. Just check out this NYC Subway Tile job. Even simple jobs, done well, can enhance the look and feel of a room. For every tile job, it’s important to plan out the location of your tiles well before you begin laying. This preparation will let you know how many tiles the job requires and prevent some common pitfalls.

Avoids Problems

You want your tile-work to be aesthetically pleasing. Clean, straight lines and equal proportions will help ensure a beautiful job. I like to have a full, centered tile at the doorway however many professionals will center the layout based on the room. Unplanned tile can look very haphazard.

By planning your layout, you can pre-cut everything resulting in a much faster work-flow. This will enable you to finish the job quicker and you won’t waste any thinset that dried while you were cutting tiles.

A good layout will avoid small (or thin) pieces of tile along walls and under vanities. Shift your layout so that all the cut tiles are of a decent size. They’ll be safer to cut and easier to lay.

Creating a Tile Layout

Creating an accurate tile layout can be a little time-consuming. It’s very important that your measurements are accurate otherwise the tile won’t follow your pattern. Grab a chalk line, tape measure, square and pencil for this project.

• Is the Room Square?
  Lots of areas and not completely square. Here’s how to find out. Measure the center of your doorway and mark it with your pencil. Snap a chalk line from your mark to the opposite wall. Use a square to ensure the line is perpendicular with the entrance. Choose a spot along your chalk line and snap another line, perpendicular to the first. If your walls are completely square, they will be parallel to these chalk lines.
• Dry-Fit Tiles
  Use the guidelines to start dry-fitting tiles. Take measurements (off your guidelines) to ensure they are all straight. I like to start with a tile centered on my door frame and work from their. Place an appropriate spacer between each tile as you work.
• Un-Tiled Space
  Eventually you’ll run out of space and won’t be able to fit a whole tile. You can shift your layout so that opposite sides will have an equal sized gap but I usually don’t bother. I only shift my layout if the gap on either side results in a very small (or thin) piece of tile. Take note of water supplies and drains. Shifting your layout may make it easier to tile around these obstacles.

What do you think? Do you have any layout tips to add?

by: Ethan | February 24, 2010 | filed in: Projects
Related Tags: layout, plan, tile

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