Tile orientation - 600 x 400 - which way to lay them ? (kitchen and bathroom)

[edwardk]

Hi - I have a kitchen and a bathroom to tile.

I ended up with 600 x 400 tiles for the floors.

Is there a rule for orientation ?

In the kitchen I'll be coming in to it with units on the left hand side and a table/chairs on the right. There are french doors at the end but probably only open in summer.
tiling-orient-kitchen.jpg

Here is a rough plan of the bathroom. From the door, shower on the left, bath straight ahead.
tiling-orient-bathroom.jpg
Just trying to work out which orientation will look good.
From standing in the door do you run the length of the tile away from you or across you?

Thanks
Ed

[Dave]

HI Ed.. This is really personal preference IMO.. some will like it one way and other another.. which way do you prefer.?

[Phil Hobson]

As Dave for me Ed, I tend to give the customer the choice. Try dry -laying a couple of M2 each way to get a feel. Having said that, I prefare the long edge to follow the longest part of the room, if that makes sense

[edwardk]

I dunno... In the bathroom I like the look of the tile length running across you as you stand in the doorway.
Originally I wanted square ones for the bathroom ! Would have been easier... (but not in stock).

In the kitchen... hmmm, tricky. I use the side door on the left of the plan as the main exterior door into the house so was wondering if rectangular tiles look good running lengthwise from the doorway or across. That will probably dictate the kitchen orientation. (Unless I put a threshold in and have different orientations for the corridor and kitchen - hoping not to do that though as I think it will look weird).

I think in the corridor if they run length-ways from the door then it might make it feel narrower. But otherwise if they are across-ways then maybe I'll have some funny cuts (think it is about 1000mm wide - but tapers towards the stairs - old house and my poor blockwork )

So, after some opinions really. Hard for me to visualise and I've never done this before - am guessing that plenty of you have had to think about this on an occasion or to !

Thanks
Ed

[Sir Ramic]

kit1.jpgkit.jpg

[chrisprendy]

as phil said dry lay a M2 or so walk away come back a min or 2 later to get the impact

[Scott]

Depending on which way you lay them can make the room seem longer or wider than it is. Therefore it depends what effect you want t to have ont he room. The bathroom id lay the longer length left/right as you come in the room.

Neal you have tiled over his table and chairs!

[Sir Ramic]

Depending on which way you lay them can make the room seem longer or wider than it is. Therefore it depends what effect you want t to have ont he room. The bathroom id lay the longer length left/right as you come in the room.

Neal you have tiled over his table and chairs!

Nope , I threw them outside.

[edwardk]

Thanks for the ideas and thoughts - very useful and alot of thanks to Sir Rammic - nice plan - didn't think of that...
Been laying them out now - still can't decide what looks right.

Might have to add a threshold between the kitchen and the corridor as they do not square up (my building fault/old house + new extension constraints).

Will add some piccies in a mo...

[Sir Ramic]

kit4.jpgkit3.jpg

[edwardk]

Don't think I like the diagonal ones - isn't that more usual for square tiles ? Not that I know anything !

Here are some pics :
orient_EW_kit01.jpgorient_EW_kit02.jpgorient_EW_kit03.jpgorient_EW_kit04.jpg

And the other way:
orient_NS_kit04.jpgorient_NS_kit03.jpgorient_NS_kit02.jpgorient_NS_kit01.jpg

[Sir Ramic]

kit6.jpgHerringbone ?

[edwardk]

Nice ! THanks - will try herring bone - like the look of that but will see what it actually looks like - will it work in the corridor too ?

How do you work out where to start ?
So that you don't get funny slithers at the side / end?

What's the best way of working out a layout once you have the orientation/pattern?

Thanks
Ed

[Sir Ramic]

Well i am doing all this with some tile layout software I am trying. So its pretty easy. If I had exact dimensions then it would be easy to set out the whole area for you and probably give you the best set out.

[Sir Ramic]

Nice ! THanks - will try herring bone - like the look of that but will see what it actually looks like - will it work in the corridor too ?

How do you work out where to start ?
So that you don't get funny slithers at the side / end?

What's the best way of working out a layout once you have the orientation/pattern?

Thanks
Ed

Start in your main room and make that look the best. then follow through and hope that it works but you always have to concede that there will be some small cuts somewhere. The main area is the most important IMO.

[edwardk]

orient_HER_kit02.jpgorient_HER_kit01.jpg

I think the herring bone is nice but with the grain/pattern of the stone it makes it a little crazy for me.

Thanks - I think you've shown me that there are plenty of options and I needed to see them for myself to make my mind up - good teaching

So I'll probably go with the normal course and oriented north/south. So length running from the side door so that the corridor as you come in they run away from you and as you go into the kitchen (turn right) they run across you.

Hopefully that's a good choice.

Man they chip easily... just moving them around I've taken off half a dozen very small chips - not enough to be bothered by but enough to realise that I should be treating them like glass...

[Bri]

Well i am doing all this with some tile layout software I am trying. So its pretty easy. If I had exact dimensions then it would be easy to set out the whole area for you and probably give you the best set out.

Do you use the software for quotes Neale? Or is it quite a new thing?

[Sir Ramic]

Do you use the software for quotes Neale? Or is it quite a new thing?

Its all fairly new but it could be useful as this thread is showing. The client can get more idea of how different set outs will look and once the drawing is on the PC its quite easy to adjust things such as setting out points or orientation. You can actually load a photo of the tile being used for a better idea. Also it can count the tiles for you !

[Bri]

That sounds really impressive, can I assume you will have a thread coming in the near future???!!!

[Sir Ramic]

That sounds really impressive, can I assume you will have a thread coming in the near future???!!!

All in hand, when i can use it on a few more projects and sort a few issues out.

[Sir Ramic]

Edward K kitchen 1.jpgHope this is the way round you wanted if not let me know or if you want it altered.

[Sir Ramic]

Edward K kitchen 2.jpgok or this way

[Scott]

Now your jsut showing off..... nice to see you got the table and chairs in out of the rain though

[edwardk]

Many many thanks Sir Rammic - much appreciated !

I think I'll go with layout number 1.

With this it looks like I'd start by laying out from the thick opening (top /centre) so I get a central tile in the kitchen door.

Do I need a laser line to layout ?

Or just a chalk line and tape measure ? Happy to buy a laser if it makes laying out alot easier.

Ed

[edwardk]

Damn - just looked at it again (don't suppose Sir Rammic you could post layout 1 without the units/table/chairs [throw them out again!]).

Looks like I could start from the centre of the french doors.

This would make my life easier as I have ducts that need to stay open in the middle of the kitchen door. Might give the plumber time to do his stuff.

Thanks
Ed

[Sir Ramic]

A chalk line is what I use mostly...ok so some times I have more lines than Crewe station but easy to rub out.

Dont take those drawings as 100% accurate but it gives you some idea. You cant beat laying the tiles out before hand.

I actuall set that out so it had a centred tile down the length of the corridor and full tile from the wall on the left by the table. It may look better like the next pic as I have moved the full tile to the plinth on the right hand units.
Edward K kitchen 3.jpg

[Sir Ramic]

centred in french doors ? Like this or ?
Edward K kitchen4.jpgSee how easy changes can be made ?