How best to Tile a room?

[Italy]

See now I don't agree.
I'm not talking about this job in particular, I'm talking generally. A room doesn't always look best centred imo. A room looks best with the overall effect being pleasing, and if that means hiding a cut under a sofa, then so be it.
I'm not saying this is the best set out for this room, but I can see the merit of looking from the main door or hallway and seeing 3 full tiles across the opening and down into the family room.
I feel that a room of this size is difficult to see as a whole once you're in it, you can't actually see it all within your field of view.
So does centralising it really matter?
Surely you want impact?
So as you enter a property and look through you want to see it for its best, cos once you're in the room it's too big to take it in all at once.
So in some instances I'd be happy to put a smaller cut where it'll be covered with furniture if the rest gave a better effect. But that's just me.

for me it is normal, the more you have the entire tile for the expansion joint, without cutting tiles.
but this, this is the praxis in an apartment with furniture to one side.
different matter, when it comes to shops or larger environments.

 

[Old Mod]

I agree Antonio.
Every space is different and I think every area should be treated accordingly.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

And of course there is always going to be a sofa there to hide it!!
Not the best answer to a setting out procedure.

 

[Old Mod]

And of course there is always going to be a sofa there to hide it!!
Not the best answer to a setting out procedure.

Doesn't really matter, we don't live there, if that's what the client wants, that's what a client gets.
We're taught to centre everything, don't mean it's always right.

 

[Italy]

maybe it's time to open a new trend ....
how to set tiling .....
I now, after 35 years I am very confused .....

 

[widler]

Well I will eat my hat, I wish I could go through all the posts on here where you lot always advise to centre the room , and to make it look symmetrical, cuts the same at either end etc.
is it because Ive advised it ? , bit of a joke if I'm honest.
Trusted advises giving shoddy advice imo , I can't wait until his bloody wife says " no no , I don't want the settee there , it looks odd .
Good morning by the way ,

 

[John Benton]

Just pray that @mp3wizard doesn't get into Feng Shui otherwise he could be in trouble…….

 

[Andy Allen]

Well I will eat my hat, I wish I could go through all the posts on here where you lot always advise to centre the room , and to make it look symmetrical, cuts the same at either end etc.
is it because Ive advised it ? , bit of a joke if I'm honest.
Trusted advises giving shoddy advice imo , I can't wait until his bloody wife says " no no , I don't want the settee there , it looks odd .
Good morning by the way ,

 

[widler]

Doesn't really matter, we don't live there, if that's what the client wants, that's what a client gets.
We're taught to centre everything, don't mean it's always right.

bull Marc, we are here to advise how to do it the right way , imo and every person I know, centring the room is the right advice , wizard, don't bother listening to advice any more, do it as you like my friend

 

[widler]

Im as happy as Larry Andy, I'm just shocked

 

[widler]

Next bit of advice , if you run out of tiles, take a few full ones up in the middle, replace with broken bits and grout, it won't matter the wifeis putting a rug over it

 

[Old Mod]

What the hell is wrong with you Craig.
What are you the setting out police?
Show me where it's written in stone that you have to centre every area.
That's complete bull and sometimes aesthetically wrong.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

 

[Old Mod]

Haha it's not a fight John, he's wrong

 

[Andy Allen]

 

[Time's Ran Out]

At the end of the day it is a personal opinion as to which way looks the best.
Sometimes we are instructed to set out against our advice and other times we make the decision. A lot can be dependant on the design of the tile and the need to follow a pattern around ( such as book match) and the colour of a travertine piece.
All I'am saying is putting a bit of furniture over the tiling is not one of the factors that would decide my setting out!

 

[Old Mod]

If anyone on here says that no matter what, in every circumstance without exception, they've centred every area throughout their entire professional career they're being less than honest.

 

[Andy Allen]

But it could be one of the clients factors !

 

[Andy Allen]

I've often shown clients different set out options and had the ....we will go with the slither against that wall because the furniture will hide it option.
This is mainly when tiling multiple rooms....hallway into kitchen ect

 

[Old Mod]

At the end of the day it is a personal opinion as to which way looks the best.
Sometimes we are instructed to set out against our advice and other times we make the decision. A lot can be dependant on the design of the tile and the need to follow a pattern around ( such as book match) and the colour of a travertine piece.
All I'am saying is putting a bit of furniture over the tiling is not one of the factors that would decide my setting out!

I think you're taking things to an extreme there John in the way you're deciding to translate previous posts.
If the guy is in, what he considers to be his home for life, and he wants to see 3 full tiles throw the main entrance to his kitchen, but it leave a smaller cut to one side, which will be hidden amongst fixtures and fittings, why the hell not?
How far have you got to stand back to see a room
4-5m wide and be able to take it in within your peripheral vision?
Saying a space has to be centred without exception is just short sighted and not what we're paid to do.
We're there to give the client what he wants and the best possible finish.
When have you walked off a job because you weren't allowed to centre a room? Haha

 

[Andy Allen]

Yeh...John...

 

[mp3wizard]

Morning all, makes a change for me not to be centre of an argument. I understand that it is the done thing to centralise it usually, but there 800mm tiles I'd rather see a full a tile as possible for majority of room, rather than make 2 cuts, I know there will be some furniture on that side but it's not all about hiding it, I personally don't see it being terrible, needs to be cut somewhere, that would mean having a cut by bifolds and entrance, I'd rather just have a cut by bifolds. My bathroom is extremely small so again being able to see huge tiles going under bath with fewer visible cuts would be my preference, and same for kitchen, as cabinets will be sat over perimeter.

 

[Old Mod]

.
is it because Ive advised it ? ,

Haha no Craig, why the hell would you think that! Haha the way I look at a job is just different to yours, like you would look at a plastering job different to me, that's all, it's nothing sinister. Haha

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I think you're taking things to an extreme there John in the way you're deciding to translate previous posts.
If the guy is in, what he considers to be his home for life, and he wants to see 3 full tiles throw the main entrance to his kitchen, but it leave a smaller cut to one side, which will be hidden amongst fixtures and fittings, why the hell not?
How far have you got to stand back to see a room
4-5m wide and be able to take it in within your peripheral vision?
Saying a space has to be centred without exception is just short sighted and not what we're paid to do.
We're there to give the client what he wants and the best possible finish.
When have you walked off a job because you weren't allowed to centre a room? Haha

Not sure if you even read my post with this reply!

 

[John Benton]

Who's

Morning all, makes a change for me not to be centre of an argument. I understand that it is the done thing to centralise it usually, but there 800mm tiles I'd rather see a full a tile as possible for majority of room, rather than make 2 cuts, I know there will be some furniture on that side but it's not all about hiding it, I personally don't see it being terrible, needs to be cut somewhere, that would mean having a cut by bifolds and entrance, I'd rather just have a cut by bifolds. My bathroom is extremely small so again being able to see huge tiles going under bath with fewer visible cuts would be my preference, and same for kitchen, as cabinets will be sat over perimeter.

You will have to make 2 cuts, if you come square off the bi-fold doors

 

[Tile Shop]

I'm not even going to pretend that my advise is up there with other time served Tilers in terms of setting out as I haven't had to do it often. But, if I had centred my kitchen floor tiling to the whole room, I would have had a 2 inch slither in front of my units on one side and almost a full tile on the other. Would have looked poo. So I centred it from the main focal point and the largest visible area.

Now the only visible "slither" is 4 inches wide in front of a stepped door way right opposite another door so you do see it when you enter the room from one end. There are also some short cuts at one end of the room that you can't see because of a fridge and a dining table. But its the lesser of two evils. Better than having a 2 metre long, 50mm wide turd in the kitchen. Nothing is going to get moved around in the near future, and my missus is happy with it.

 

[Old Mod]

Ok John I'll apologise,I may have focused on your last sentence more than the whole post.
Bit of a knee jerk reaction on my part.
My intention was to say that, the fact that furniture will be covering that side of the room isn't really being considered as a setting out factor, it's being considered more as a compromise to give the overall desired effect.
I'll try not to respond in haste cos I'm walking out the door in future.

 

[Bill]

I don't centre any floor. I just tile it how it will look best for the tiles and room. If that means starting with a full tile from the rooms focal point then so be it, the same can be said if I centre it. Unless you are tiling a repetitive area then each job should be set out on its own merits.

Now that is the best advice on this subject and I expect a trusted advisor badge forthwith.

 

[Italy]

I don't centre any floor. I just tile it how it will look best for the tiles and room. If that means starting with a full tile from the rooms focal point then so be it, the same can be said if I centre it. Unless you are tiling a repetitive area then each job should be set out on its own merits.

Now that is the best advice on this subject and I expect a trusted advisor badge forthwith.

I can give you mine if you want... I do not need, I'm already over the badge green

 

[Andy Allen]

I'll give mine to the plasterer......stop him moaning all the time...