DIY Saying hello and looking for guidance with my diy bathroom project. - Tile Advice

[slicker55]

Hello everyone,

I don't pretend to be a professional anything... just a 'competent DIYer', always willing to listen and learn. I am patient, appreciate the importance of good planning and have an eye for detail.

I am currently fitting a new bathroom and have reached the tiling stage.

I want to centralise everything on a feature wall to accommodate a large rectangular mirror and vanity unit - no problem.

However, on the opposite wall, there is a wall mounted mixer tap (central to the end of the bath). I would also like this tap to be central to the surrounding tiles.

I have been experimenting all day and have determined this will not be possible if I tile this wall in the same way as the feature wall.

Here's my question...

I have studied the general principles of 'setting out' and appreciate that generally tiles and grout lines should be reflected on opposite walls but is it ever acceptable to compromise this approach?

 

[Qwerty]

Welcome to the forum

Yes, it's possible. How much of a difference are we talking?

 

[Old Mod]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
The rule of mirroring opposite walls only really comes in to its own when the floor tile is bonded through with the wall tile. (Lined up)
If the floor is completely different or there is something that breaks the line of sight, like a bath, it’s far more acceptable to change the layout.
Aesthetics play a huge part in the finished project obviously, however, as the client, you have the right to see whatever you want.
After all, you’re the one that has to walk thro the door every day, we don’t.
So even tho we may consider something to be not as we’d expect it to be, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Well unless you’re introducing a mosaic border of some description.
It may also depend on the tile size format as to whether or not it looks out of place.

To give an example, this front wall could easily considered to be incorrect in its set out, however bringing in to account its size and the size of the adjoining walls, I felt it was more visually pleasing to centre it on the radiator rather than the dimensions of the wall. That way one piece could be brought from the right corner, wrapped around the front and the second piece to the left then wrapped straight around in to the left window corner. Otherwise there would have been an extra piece incorporated to make it reach the right hand corner.
It’s all very subjective ultimately.
Some will agree, others won’t.

 

[slicker55]

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for your reply... as you can see by the late hour, I'm still testing new ideas but coming to the conclusion that I may need to 'think outside the box'... on reflection, the difference would be too great (approx 40mm).

 

[slicker55]

3_fall,
Thank you for your detailed explanation - I hear what you say and appreciate your advice. Looking at your pic, if that was my house, I would be quite happy with your layout in relation to the radiator.

I'm not sure things would look pleasing to the eye if I did change the layout on the two opposite walls because these two walls run parallel to each end of the bath and the grout lines wouldn't line up

 

[Old Mod]

Thank you.
If you do need more detailed advice or suggestions, just upload a few images of your predicament along with your ideas in the form of a sketch and there will always be someone about to cast an opinion.
That’s as long as you can take the good with the bad haha
Hope you sort it.

 

[slicker55]

yes, will do - no probs ... would rather take advice prior to doing any work than have to rely on my broad shoulders afterwards!

 

[GoneGuy]

Hello and welcome

 

[slicker55]

Hello again,

Thanks for your patience

Over the last few days I have been trying various tile layouts to see which one will provide the best overall result.

I have prioritised the 'feature wall' as the two pillars either side and centralised mirror and vanity unit will naturally make this the main focal point when entering the room.

I also want to avoid a horizontal grout line between the top of the sink and the shelf but this will come at a price, the compromise being the 'less than favourable' height of the first row of tiles at floor level.

That said, this is a small room and there will only be a small amount of these tiles visible as the bath panel will be finished with mosaic tiles and the vanity unit is quite wide.

My main concern is the wall mounted bath mixer tap.

Whilst this is central to the width of the bath, mirroring the tile layout on the opposite wall, results in it not being ideally positioned to the surrounding tiles.

I don't think setting the tiles out differently on this wall so as to place the tiles centrally to the mixer would be a viable solution as the misalignment with the opposite wall will be too noticeable.

However, I may have come up with a cunning plan...

Fitting a mosaic feature panel behind the bath mixer overcomes the misalignment issue with only one compromise. The tile to the right of the mosaic panel will be 87 mm wide whereas the same tile on the opposite wall will be 153 mm wide.

So, without further ado, I would like to show you some images I have prepared and would like to hear what you think.

 

[Old Mod]

Well it appears to work.
On a personal note, intergrating mosaic in to a tiled bathroom for me isn’t something I’d do, I feel it’s a very dated feature and can tire quickly.
But that’s only personal opinion.
Had you considered having the mixer in the centre of a tile?
Is there a specific reason you must have wall opposite the door mirror that one?
Doesn’t matter, it’s purely curiosity on my part.
The door wall is effectively behind you when you enter so can’t initially be seen. And even when facing the mirror wall or opposite, you can not view both small walls at once. Hence my interest in your set out.

 

[slicker55]

Hi 3_fall,

Thank you for taking an interest in my set out and also for your comments - appreciated

The mixer is centred to the bath but the tile set out on the feature wall (opposite) dictates the mixer cannot be centred to a tiles/tiles without changing the tile set out on the mixer wall which I don't think will look right.

I chose to install the mixer on that specific wall as there is a small walk-in wardrobe on the other side of the wall, through which I have made provision to gain access to the underside of the bath for future maintenance.

Comments noted about mosaics - I think the mosaic panel behind the mixer would serve a useful purpose but wouldn't be my preference if there was another way to resolve the misalignment issue.

Alternatively, maybe this is just one of those situations where the best compromise has already been reached and it's just a case accepting you've done your best?

I thought you might comment about the height of the first row of tiles above the floor - this seems to be the only way I can avoid a horizontal grout line above the sink. I see this as a viable compromise but I don't know whether this would be acceptable to a professional fixer.

I have also prepared a scaled drawing showing the 'plan view' of the room for reference purposes.

 

[Old Mod]

You plan view helped thank you.
I’m always interested in others view point, especially clients.
We look thro different eyes and can sometimes be blinded by the obvious, or we can just be stuck in our ways and stubborn.
As far as bottom row goes, I don’t think it’s iffensive at all.
I don’t tend to walk around with my eyeline at the floor.
It’s kinda skirting height anyway, so perfectly acceptable in your circumstances I feel.
In certain instances, you are correct, it wouldn’t be.
I might consider a larger mirror if it were me, to deal with unwanted grout joint, possibly.

But in honesty, these days, I would be going for extra large format tiles, probably 2.4 x 1.2, that way there would be no horizontal joints anyway.
The industry is changing daily at the moment and difficult to keep up with all that’s out there.
Please do come back and show us your progress, and thank you for taking time out to present this.
Appreciate it.

And good luck.

 

[slicker55]

Hello again,

Just taking a moment to acknowledge your detailed response which I find very encouraging.

My mind is pretty much decided on the set out shown in the images and, thanks to your support, I feel more at ease regarding the height of the tiles at ground level.

I will prepare a scaled image of to illustrate what the mixer will look like in relation to the surrounding tiles if I 'mirror' the 'set out' used on the opposite wall so we can discuss the merits of the mosaic panel a little more...

Just another thought... the ceramic tiles I have purchased are 40cm x 25cm and I have already purchased the mosaics.

I plan to fix the tiles portrait (I have also tried landscape which provides no advantage) but I am just wondering if a professional fixer would utilise a different tiling pattern altogether to get around situations like this?

 

[slicker55]

Undecided which way to go...

Option 1
Mixer central to the bath but not central to the tiles

Option 2
Mixer central to the bath and central to the mosaic panel but the tile to the right of the mosaic panel is narrower (87 mm) than the respective tile on the opposite wall (153 mm)

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Slicker - welcome. I read your project with interest. How did you create the drawings?

While I personally may not have gone with your solution and 3_fall has given me a question I think. The size of tile you have on your first row and also above the door - what happens if you make the first row shrink to zero so you have a full tile above the door, alters the joint near the top of the window.

I look forward to hearing more.

[not a Trade Tiler, more a DIY *1.5 (doesnt always go to plan) ]