walls-to-ceiling...help please..

[Jv40]

Hi guys

I'm tiling all walls-to-ceiling of a bathroom, & floors of a bathroom & loo next week. I had automatically assumed I would start with the floor. Upon reading the differing advice in this thread I am now a bit uncertain what is the best, and easiest, approach for me to take as there seems to be equal merit both ways.

Is this one of those times where it's purely down to personal preference? The bathroom floor has a bath & toilet to consider and the walls will have just the bath and toilet again.
Thanks
Julia

[LM Ceramics]

personally i would tile the floor first if your matching wall and floor. are you a tiler julia

[Jv40]

No I won't call myself a tiler. I'm a decorator who now does tiling work for a builder I work for, I did two courses last year, followed by 3 jobs but I haven't tiled for over a year now and I haven't tiled a floor outside of my course.

I'm not matching wall & floor as tiles for floor are different in colour and size to wall tiles. I also have moscaic border to be lined up to bottom of windows. Would you still suggest doing the floor first?

[spanky]

I am not a tiler, however having spent much time reading various posts after the last few weeks I would say this, purely from common sense, however I have seen people recoommend either way.

I would start by tiling the walls first, for several simple common sense reasons.

1. Any mess you make won't end up those nice new floor tiles you've just laid, or have to worry so much about sheets on the floor.
2. You won't have to wait for the wall tiles to go off before you can walk on them, so you can have a more productive time and get the job done quicker without cutting corners.

My response would be different if you were having to match the wall and floor tiles, setting out is more of a problem then, there are plenty of tips about that in the "New Tiler" area.

I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I guess it is somewhat down to what you find easier.

[Oli]

Walls first if your not following the lines through the floor, leaving the bottom row of tiles out, then do the floor, then put the bottom row of wall tiles in,

Keeps the floor tiles nice and clean and in one piece if anythings droped.

Would only do the floor first if the grout lines are to follow on up the walls.

Although it is personal preference, some will happily do the floor first, and vica versa.

[Dave]

WHEY HEY!!! Spanky the tiler............get your self on a nice course and tile the bathroom your self mate........lol lol.................

Walls first for me julia but it is down to personal preference and ease.....

[robbo]

Gotta be walls first basically just as spanky described..leave the last row of wall tiles off at the bottom before you tile the floor though, then tile the floor, after you tiled the floor you can fit the bottom row of tiles nicely to meet the floor..

[spanky]

It has crossed my mind.

[grumpygrouter]

Julia, I normally do walls first and the floors after unless the grouting is to be in line. Ther reason I do walls first is because of all the mess that gets on it while tiling the walls. Doing the floor second means you don't have to worry about tripping over dust sheets and stuff, or worse, dropping something on your nice newly tiled floor and damaging it, wall tile, trowel, hammer etc.

[Dave]

DO IT DO IT!!!!!! then you have pease of mind and save some pennies as well........

[Jv40]

Thanks everyone, that's very useful.

Julia