Help With Laying Out Brick Style Tiles

[Colour Republic]

Advice would be very welcome,

I'm just about to tile a kitchen that I’ve just installed, I'm going to use either white or black brick style tiles, you know the ones with the chamfered edge.

Now when it comes to the corners i'm very tempted to carry this effect on so the grout alternates up the corner (does that make sense?) of course I have to centre the tiles to the extractor fan to start with and if a chamfer lands bang into the corner then it will look awful but have any of you done this before? Will it look as good as it does in my head?

[Dave]

Follow the tile pattern as best as you can.......

here's a couple i did...

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[brian c]

did you use spacers between the tiles Dave?nice work btw.

[Colour Republic]

Thanks Dave, but I can't see the corners in that photo (nice job btw), do you have a grout line on just one wall in the corner? or does it alternate with each tile as it goes up?

I've tiled these before, tile one wall then start on the next but i'd like to try and lock the tiles together in the corner.

[Dave]

On the bevel tiles..yes you scribe the returning tile...thus giving a neater joint...and follow the bricj pattern..


and bri...no spacers....are you mad..FFS..

[doug boardley]

I've done a kitchen with these as well (used 2mm spacers Bri) I had a white silicone line right up the corner,and it looked ok, if I've got it right what you're asking!

[brian c]

SORRY...I DID MEAN TO ASK ,WHAT SIZE OF SPACERS DID YOU USE?

The rubi ONES LIKE TWO BACK TO BACK L would be good for these tiles in brick bond.

[Dave]

2mm pegs.....face pegged and removed for grouting...

[Colour Republic]

On the bevel tiles..yes you scribe the returning tile...thus giving a neater joint...and follow the bricj pattern..


and bri...no spacers....are you mad..FFS..

Sorry Dave, I'm not sure i'm saying it right it's not the tiles themselves i'm talking about but the grout, normally when tiling you'd end up with the grout line in the corner going down one (lets say the right hand) what i'm thinking of doing, because these are brick style, is alternating, say the bottom tile the grout is on the RH the next tile up it would be on the LH, next tile RH and so on. Just like the pug would be on a brick wall in the corner.

Or are you saying scribe the tile and butt join it without grout in the corner?

[brian c]

2mm pegs is what i use on these tiles,what about those rubi ones anyone use them?

[doug boardley]

do a lot of tilers use spacer thingy's then Dave?

[brian c]

do you mean you want to butt them up against each other.corner tiles?

[Dave]

Why alternate grout joints in the corner.......makes no difference imo...i silicone internal corners anyway..

[Dave]

do a lot of tilers use spacer thingy's then Dave?

Explain thingy's.?????????

[brian c]

these are what im talking about Doug.

[Colour Republic]

Why alternate grout joints in the corner.......makes no difference imo...i silicone internal corners anyway..

It's not for strength more the look, but if you always silicone internal corners it wouldn't make any difference as it would be hiden, it was just a way that I thought would carry on the brick bond look.

So you think it's a daft idea!

[doug boardley]

Explain thingy's.?????????

was taking the pee!!

[Dave]

No not really......just personal choice...but corner joints tend to crack , thats why i silicone...overkill maybe..but deffo worth it..

[brian c]

It's not for strength more the look, but if you always silicone internal corners it wouldn't make any difference as it would be hiden, it was just a way that I thought would carry on the brick bond look.

So you think it's a daft idea!

i think so,more like impossible

[Dave]

i think so,more like impossible

why's that bri........it's easy...

[Colour Republic]

i think so,more like impossible

That sounds like a challenge Brian! I shall post pictures on here when it all goes terribly wrong

Thanks guys

[brian c]

never done it,staggered joints in the corner and i do the same as you and silicone the corners anyway..never been asked to do this.So it is possible,i stand corrected.

[Edohanion]

Couple of questions 1 - Is a 'face pegged spacer' one of the T shaped ones in the pick above? I can see how you would need these for brick bond. 2 - Do you grout internal corners as normal, then silicone over top or use a silicone joint only? Thanks Ed

[Dave]

It's difficult for some to explain bri.....say you tiled a wall.......all the tiles on the right hand side upto the ceiling.....then you tiled the wall to the left of this......the CUT tiles would all be on the left wall...YES!!...what CR is suggesting is to alternate the cuts from right wall to left wall..one row at a time....

Not hard to do, but deffo not neccessary..imo..

[Dave]

Couple of questions 1 - Is a 'face pegged spacer' one of the T shaped ones in the pick above? I can see how you would need these for brick bond. 2 - Do you grout internal corners as normal, then silicone over top or use a silicone joint only? Thanks Ed

Just a normal cross spacer push into the face joint rather than the corner joint...

[brian c]

Couple of questions 1 - Is a 'face pegged spacer' one of the T shaped ones in the pick above? I can see how you would need these for brick bond. 2 - Do you grout internal corners as normal, then silicone over top or use a silicone joint only? Thanks Ed

i normally silicone internal corners..no grout.

[Colour Republic]

I'm going to convert you all! I shall show you after it's done and then shower myself in glory

Disclaimer: If looks awful then I reserve the right to edit this post claiming to agree with you all.

I agree that to silicone up internal corners would be better to hide any cracks or shrinkage, but as you say it's down to personal choice, I prefer to see a possible hair line crack than introduce another white, the tiles can be one shade the grout another then the silicone can be a brighter white.

Do you always silicone your corners or just on white or black tiles? or would you silicone say a terracotta tile with clean silicone as well?

[Dave]

You take each tiling situation at face value........no i don't silicone all tiles( mainly wall tiling)....just ones that are prone to expand and crack at the corner joint....i use a silicone to match the grout........so if you have bright white grout..how does white silicone stand out...?

[Colour Republic]

You take each tiling situation at face value........no i don't silicone all tiles( mainly wall tiling)....just ones that are prone to expand and crack at the corner joint....i use a silicone to match the grout........so if you have bright white grout..how does white silicone stand out...?

If I walk into a bathroom and an internal corner is siliconed it just jumps out at me (shower excluded), especially if the tiles are matt not gloss. I don't know maybe i'm being over the top, but my eye is always drawn to it. I'm not saying it looks awful and I know many people do it, I'm just not a fan.

[Dave]

Not all silicone's dry shiny......try mapei acetate free ones....