Floor tiling - coping with size variation

**Fred27** · 15-11-2009

I'm just about to lay some porcelain floor tiles. I think I've finally got the preparation right, so I've just started dry laying the tiles to check the cut tile sizes, etc.

It's only now I realise just how much tiles can vary in size! I've got a mix of 600x400, 400x400, 400x200 and 200x200 (mm) tiles but the variation of up to 3mm on some is throwing me out a bit.

Every tip and video I can find just shows nice neat tiles being laid with spacers and nobody seems to mention how to cope when it doesn't all work neatly! Any advice? Is it just an art to correct as you go and not find it getting steadily worse?

**Diamond Pool Finishers** · 15-11-2009

open & close gaps,dont use spacers on this, obviously keep it to acceptible relmes

to the forum m8

**Dave** · 15-11-2009

When you have sizey tiles like these, it is best to lay by eye..try to keep to a 5mm ish joint and alter the tile joint marginaly to suit the sizing..once grouted it will blend..

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Use a straight edge to keep lines parrallel..

Oh! and welcome to tilersforums...

**Fred27** · 15-11-2009

Thanks for the incredibly quick reply guys. I finish dry laying the bulk of the floor (it's a complicated one flowing through a few rooms) and that's helped.

**derekg** · 16-11-2009

Originally Posted by Fred27

Thanks for the incredibly quick reply guys. I finish dry laying the bulk of the floor (it's a complicated one flowing through a few rooms) and that's helped.

The trouble with dry laying when you have varying tiles is you must make sure when you lift them to stick you must get them back in the same place.

**Fred27** · 16-11-2009

I used the dry laying to get a feel for how to adjust as I go, rather than to check what spacing each tile needed. Proper laying of the tiles is going OK (so far).