Help!: A little advice for newbie tiler please!!

[Bonny Tiler]

Hi All,

Having just finished part of my tiling training at builders centre I have decided to tile my kitchen floor for practice!!

I learnt how to do diamond pattern on a wall and am hoping it's similar for on the floor?!?!

My kitchen is a strange shape and NOT square..
I'm going to start from centre line of door, would you agree?? Any tips/advice??

Thanks

marie :O)

[jay]

hi cant really advice where to start any chance of a drawing or pics of tiles just sitting on floor might help needs to be balanced with no small pieces

[Bonny Tiler]

How do i upload photos??

[jay]

pics didnt work you need to up load them and i dont think doorway holds priority over kitchen

[Bonny Tiler]

here we go

[jay]

ta try to centre kitchen area first use chalk line and mark centre width and length ways then lay out tiles (no glue) see how it works it will take some time but its best to know what size cuts you end up with and were

[Bonny Tiler]

Just tried to centre room but wasn't square, which line do i alter??

[doug boardley]

if you have a long wall with worktops and base units, I tend to run my tiles parallel with these. Hope this helps.

[Bonny Tiler]

Well units along both walls (see photos), i guess I'll try to make vertical line parallel with them and then square centre line to that??

[jay]

remember you want tiles square at doorway so that wall might be the one to use

[Bonny Tiler]

That's why i was thinking of starting at doorway, because room is so wonky, i'm not sure i can centre it. Now I'm not sure what to do!!

[jay]

the wall in line with doorway is the wall to work from its hard to guide you with the pics posted does the room get wider at door end or other

[diamondtiling]

Is that a timber floor? It looks like it is and will need to be prepped before fixing any tiles.

[Bonny Tiler]

It's ply, BAL says it doesn't need fixing..?

[Bonny Tiler]

trying to upload a plan, taking ages!!!!!

[diamondtiling]

It's ply, BAL says it doesn't need fixing..?

Bal said that? Well they are wrong to advise you that a ply floor needs no preparation. Is there any deflection in it? How thick is it?
Most floors like yours need to be strengthened before fixing tiles and have something like 'no more ply' laid over the top which is glued and screwed.
Your tiles may lift in a matter of weeks if the correct prep is not carried out now.

What adhesive and grout are you using?

[jay]

you may need to reduce the size of it and as diamond says the floor will need more prep work prior to tiling

[Bonny Tiler]

Bal recommends on marine ply using single part flexible adhesive and superflex grout

[diamondtiling]

Bal recommends on marine ply using single part flexible adhesive and superflex grout

Thats not marine ply, they might recommend that adhesive and grout but you still have to check the floor yourself and make sure its fit to accept tiles.

[Bonny Tiler]

thanks guys, will investigate further :O)

[Dave]

trying to upload a plan, taking ages!!!!!

Pics need to be no bigger than 2400x1200...