By Eye

[pjc]

how do you set your floors out? chalk lines 1 or more? or by eye? or how ?

[grumpygrouter]

Use chalk lines myself.

Grumpy

[Dave]

levels/sqaures/tape/chalklines/pencils and the old 3.4.5 which ever is easiest method for the job in hand.....

[Proper Job]

this is a really big debate mate, i have read book after book on this. You will never really get a square floor.

The norm is to take shortest wall and the oposite to that and centre then mark the centre point on the line between 2 points.

I always check with a 3.4.5 or a floor square.

Marking out i use chaulk pens or a chaulk line, but i know have a dewalt floor tile lazers which very easy to use and spot on.

If the walls are that bad you can do a 3-4-5 in each four corner of the room and create a square within the room.

There so many different ways its what suits the purpose

[IvegotsTILE]

laser line down on the floor with my first few tiles then just keep checking with it.

[grumpygrouter]

Bit of Ignorance here guys I am afraid, whats a 3,4,5??

Grumpy

[heffs]

3 - 4 - 5 refers to Pythagoras's theorem: if a triangle is, say , 3 ft down one side, 4 ft side 2 and 5 ft down the 3rd, then the angle where the 3ft and 4 ft sides meet is always exactly 90 degrees. By setting up a triangle along a wall with these measurements (or to scale), you will get a line which comes off the wall at 90 degrees.

Never thought I'd give advice on a tiling forum!

Regards

Heffs

[grumpygrouter]

Originally Posted by heffs

3 - 4 - 5 refers to Pythagoras's theorem: if a triangle is, say , 3 ft down one side, 4 ft side 2 and 5 ft down the 3rd, then the angle where the 3ft and 4 ft sides meet is always exactly 90 degrees. By setting up a triangle along a wall with these measurements (or to scale), you will get a line which comes off the wall at 90 degrees.

Never thought I'd give advice on a tiling forum!

Regards

Heffs

Thanks Heffs, I knew it referred to a 3,4,5 triangle and pythagoras but didn't occur to me that it was used in the tiling world as such. I generally use a very large square.

Grumpy

[rob hutchinson]

Another way of getting a 90 degree angle without using the 3.4.5 triangle method is to use the bisecting arc method by using a large compass or by making one from a short guage rod/flat stick. You can do this drawing your first line eg...centre-line and mark the point at which you are requiriing the angle.......strike a mark on the centre-line then put the compass point on that mark and scribe a large arc sweeping eg...half a semi- circle through the line. Repeat the process on the other side of the required point and where the two arcs intersects gives you an exact 90 degree angle. Sounds complicated but it is really easy to do witout the need of tape measures etc.

[grumpygrouter]

Originally Posted by rob hutchinson

Another way of getting a 90 degree angle without using the 3.4.5 triangle method is to use the bisecting arc method by using a large compass or by making one from a short guage rod/flat stick. You can do this drawing your first line eg...centre-line and mark the point at which you are requiriing the angle.......strike a mark on the centre-line then put the compass point on that mark and scribe a large arc sweeping eg...half a semi- circle through the line. Repeat the process on the other side of the required point and where the two arcs intersects gives you an exact 90 degree angle. Sounds complicated but it is really easy to do witout the need of tape measures etc.

Ah! geometry! Takes me back to school in the early 70s.

Grumpy

[pjc]

Originally Posted by grumpygrouter

Ah! geometry! Takes me back to school in the early 70s.

Grumpy

Hi Grumpy its the way i do it on floors as they tend to be large areas where it is 4.5 mts 6.mts 7.5 mts the bigger the better Robs idea is something i used to use on smaller floors when i first started can be easer to do on your own :Pete

[tfs]

The old 3 4 5 method is used in most trades, Joinery, Floor laying, tiling anyhting that requires setting out I guess. e.g. stud wall etc.

My tutor always advised that for larger areas we work to grids, we find our centres etc. and then start marking out grids of four by four tiles. I think this just takes ages though and would be of most benefit for use with design work.

I preffer to work from my centre with two battens screwed or nailed to the floor and check square via 3,4,5.