pros advice please

[connors12345]

alright folks . quick question. when you start tiling a bathroom, if using batons, where do you start. i have done a few full bathrooms and the customers have been made up with the work so far. but they have taken forever. this is due to the fact that i have started tiling a tile or there abouts above the bath. then once thats all complete i have had a nightmare time tiling down to the floor, with them slipping slightly etc. should i start a tile up from the floor and leave the bath wall til last and then put a baton on that wall. thus leaving a row of tiles along the bath and floor. help much appreciated ian
p.s 20 square meter bathroom, with pitched roof and sloping window, crap walls patched with rapid set, 5 and a half days is this really slow and how long would it have taken any fairly newbies and pros alike. i know time doesnt matter at the mo am just being nosey

[brian c]

usually start from the bottom from where you have done your marking out,use a baton here and fix it to the wall.

As you have already started,you could pin the tiles on the way down to the floor using nails,hope this helps.

[Oli]

You need to work out where to start by working out where your cuts will fall around different obstacles, the easiest way is IMO is to use a gauging stick and a datum line around the room. check where the cuts will fall and if there no good, try moving the cut up or down until you find a good point. Same for the horizontal start point as well. Remeber to take into account adjustments for any border you may include.

Oh yeah and start from the bottom of your first full tile, supported by a baton.

Beat me to it Brian. lol

[connors12345]

cheers lads. i understand the setting out etc. the bit i am stuck on is the supportindg baton. above the bath or near the floor. if you understand what i mean.... as i am tiling 3 or 4 courses of tiles down fom above the bath to the floor. cheers again

[brian c]

if you understand the marking out then ,fix first baton at the bottom and then use a staff with tile and spacers marked on it until you get to where you want to put the baton at the bath area and fix the baton here...ok bud

[Oli]

I start from the first full tile, so for example, if my first full tile is 15cm from the floor, then i would put the baton 15cm from the floor and start tiling from there, I would already know before I put any tiles on where the first full tile above the bath is going to fall, so would put a baton on above the bath where the bottom of the first full tile above the bath is going to be. I would then tile from the baton near the floor, then when i got the the row of tiles level with the baton above the bath i would continue across the baton if you see what I mean. When the tiles above the baton on the bath had set enough to support their own weight i would then remove the baton and cut in the tiles above the bath, likewise for the floor.

If i understand you right, you've started level with the bath, so mark up a guaging stick and use it to work out where the bottom of the last full tile will fall near the floor, then put the baton their.

[wayne]

put the batten on the first full tile from the floor then when you get above bath run a level line round bath and put cuts in first. you can then finish full wall leaving only cuts around bottom. you could do it the other way as suggested but i find it easier my way as you dont have loads of battens

[MICK the Tiler]

What is the confusion about using battens? Is this how you guys are taught over there? I don't use them personally, just work out your guage height and flick a line around the room the first tile high and cut the first course to this and up you go using the bottom tile as support for the next course and so on, No battens required. Work with gravity, don't try and work against it. Starting 1 tile up and leaving the bottom tile til later does not make the job quicker, you still have to cut it in eventually, so why wait. A bricklayer doesn't start his bricks one brick up and supports the rest on battens does he? See how silly it sounds when you put it into this context.

As far as time in a bathroom goes I spent 6 weeks in a bathroom once. Is this TOO SLOW!!? What are your thoughts on this guys? The only reason YOU think it's too slow is because you charged TOO little for the job and are now wondering how do pro's make money out of this lark. Am I close to what you are thinking? I reckon so.

[Highlander]

I am with Mick on this one dont use battons I try and have full tile round bath where possible subject to no slithers at ceiling or in stupid places. Then work out what cutting at floor level from that again bigger cutting the better and then start from bottom. Saves so much time and if your using heavy tiles you can go up higher as no weight on battons.

Highlander

[brian c]

some different views there guys,only ever started with a full tile from the bath once but was a big tile so could get away with it regarding cuts.Some top of the range tile adhesives allow you time to cut in the first tile from the floor if you have started from one tile up due to the grip it has.I think the original problem with this thread was that the guy had started at the bath and was struggling to work down to floor level from the bath.

[andy-p]

Originally Posted by Highlander

I am with Mick on this one dont use battons I try and have full tile round bath where possible subject to no slithers at ceiling or in stupid places. Then work out what cutting at floor level from that again bigger cutting the better and then start from bottom. Saves so much time and if your using heavy tiles you can go up higher as no weight on battons.

Highlander

but what if you want to tuck the floor tile under or do you tile the floor first?? i fit mostly large format these days and i always use battens, but i have it down to a fine art and it doesnt take me any longer than without using em...

[Highlander]

Originally Posted by andy-p

but what if you want to tuck the floor tile under or do you tile the floor first?? i fit mostly large format these days and i always use battens, but i have it down to a fine art and it doesnt take me any longer than without using em...

True if you want to tuck the tile under. Last job 16 bathrooms/en-suites the floors had all been tiled before I started on job so decision was made for me. And to tell you the truth six and two threes if I do walls first or floorI always finish with silicon bead round wall to floor join anyway. Each job is different.