Tiling...many questions

[Onoff]

Where to start!

 

NEVER done wall tiling in my life so here goes. 

 

Setting a datum:

 

I've taken the datum to be the centre of the big pocket alongside the bath as this will be the focal point:

 

 

I've set the laser up on a clamped piece of wood. Tbh a pita to keep doing it. Should I set up some sort of permanent platform?

 

 

The width of the laser line is nom 1.5mm. Is that "good enough"?

 

 

 

 

Think I've made a mistake using a Sharpie to mark the datum? Can't help thinking a sharp pencil would be better? Just about to try and start figuring the pockets in the stud wall so they align exactly with the tiles and everything needs to be bob on.

 

Should I at some stage be pinning a batten to the wall to tile up off of?

 

This batten, what size should it be made of? 

 

Should I start tiling with the batten under the first full tile from the floor?

 

Cheers

Edited February 13, 2019 by Onoff

[nod]

27 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Where to start!

 

NEVER done wall filing in my life so here goes. 

 

Setting a datum:

 

I've taken the datum to be the centre of the big pocket alongside the bath as this will be the focal point:

 

 

I've set the laser up on a clamped piece of wood. Tbh a pita to keep doing it. Should I set up some sort of permanent platform?

 

 

The width of the laser line is nom 1.5mm. Is that "good enough"?

 

 

 

 

Think I've made a mistake using a Sharpie to mark the datum? Can't help thinking a sharp pencil would be better? Just about to try and start figuring the pockets in the stud wall so they align exactly with the tiles and everything needs to be bob on.

 

Should I at some stage be pinning a batten to the wall to tile up off of?

 

This batten, what size should it be made of? 

 

Should I start tiling with the batten under the first full tile from the floor?

 

Cheers

Ideally you would have a bracket with your laser 

But matching it to the SAME datum each time will work fine 

Use a sharp pencil to mak your datum

have your laser line nipping the bottom of any tile line or batten

You will find it much easier to work from a batton 

It May help you to put a pencil line along the top of your baton the width of your tile plus adhesive

So you can keep everything straight

Setting out from a focal point is a good idea

[Onoff]

Cheers. I wonder if it's worth me masking taping over the 1.5mm Sharpie line and redoing in pencil?

[Construction Channel]

the datum could be a foot thick as long as you always refer to the same part of it, match the top of the laser to the top of the sharpie mark every time and it will be as accurate as the thinnest of pencil lines  

 

also, that crowbar is just waiting to hit you on the head......

[nod]

26 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Cheers. I wonder if it's worth me masking taping over the 1.5mm Sharpie line and redoing in pencil?

No if you just let the line just catch the edge you will be accurate 

 

Some of the MF ceilings I set out can be 20 meters plus 

I use exactly the same princeible 

The line on my green Hilti is about 5 mil once the distance is greater than 10 metres 

[ToughButterCup]

45 minutes ago, nod said:

Ideally you would have a bracket with your laser 

But matching it to the SAME datum each time will work fine 

Use a sharp pencil to mak your datum

have your laser line nipping the bottom of any tile line or batten

You will find it much easier to work from a batton 

It May help you to put a pencil line along the top of your baton the width of your tile plus adhesive

So you can keep everything straight

Setting out from a focal point is a good idea

 

@nod, you are booked for my place later this year  OK?

 

[nod]

1 hour ago, recoveringacademic said:

 

@nod, you are booked for my place later this year  OK?

 

If I ever get ours finished

I’d hoped January and Feb were going to be quiet months Hopefully I can get a uninterrupted week in a few weeks

Sort of torn between earning the money and getting on with thing

 

Thankfully we have this site to have a good moan with like minded friends 

 

[Onoff]

If I set the top of my horizontal  pocket timber at 378mm above datum will that work?

 

 

 

[Onoff]

On 17/02/2018 at 00:21, Onoff said:

If I set the top of my horizontal  pocket timber at 378mm above datum will that work?

 

 

 

 

Bump. Anyone?

[Construction Channel]

should 378 not be the top of the plasterboard? so 366 for the timber?

 

possibly even top of adhesive so 362...ish???

 

[PeterW]

Doesn’t allow for adhesive ...

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

should 378 not be the top of the plasterboard? so 366 for the timber?

 

 

Yep. I think you're right. Cheers for that!

[Onoff]

7 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Doesn’t allow for adhesive ...

 

I've got a 10mm tile trim and the tiles are 8mm.

[PeterW]

6 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

I've got a 10mm tile trim and the tiles are 8mm.

 

Ok just wanted to check !!

[Onoff]

32 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 

Ok just wanted to check !!

 

By all means, Ed picked up the first faux pas!

[Onoff]

I can't believe nobody spotted the deliberate mistake when I posted up this photo of the model previous! 

 

 

Anyway...Union Jack cuts in 330x330x8mm ceramic floor tiles. On a loser? Possible? 

 

I can probably get some water jet cutting done.

[Onoff]

@Nickfromwales, when you have your tiles water jet cut do you do a CAD drawing or a fag packet sketch and someone else draws it up as a DXF etc?

 

Is it that the tile has to be positioned on the cutting bed to a set datum point as in can they cut to say a line drawn on the tile? Going back to my days doing drawings for the "magic eye" cutter! 

[Nickfromwales]

I give the tiles with tile pencil lines drawn on them where necessary and a handful of beer tokens and he works the magic. I don't ask how, just how much. 

I'm a bathroom fitter, he's a CNC machinist in charge of nearly a £1m worth of huge water jet. He even oscillated the jet to give me a replaceted 3mm grout line when two triangles came back together to make a full tile. The dogs bollocks. 

Beer applied = Tiles cut. 

Tres bien. 

 

PS nowt wrong with back of a fag packet......haven't lost a patient yet. I don't own a scientific calculator btw . 

[Onoff]

17 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

He even oscillated the jet to give me a replaceted 3mm grout line when two triangles came back together to make a full tile.

 

Like they do when engraving i.e. not going all the way through!

 

Shouldn't such a line be properly broken to give falls in two planes?

 

Bit worried about my proposed layout that the clouded intersection is going to give rise to a rather sharp, pointy tile that's also weak:

 

 

(The b&w grid in the background is just something from the youngest's transposition cypher homework NOT mosaics! )

 

[Nickfromwales]

Not a groove jetted in   These were 600x600mm porcelain. The lady of the house had a 'vision' of black and white, so black and white it went. Porcelanosa sold the dream, then handed me a nightmare. 

The black and white chequers are 1200x1200mm and each is made up of a full tile of each colour plus 4 halves.   

 

 

 

If you jet the tiles in half then bring two together then you get a 599x599 quare as the jet takes roughly 1mm of material out during the 'cut'. Problem is you then have no grout gap between the black and white triangles where the black meets white. 

Solution is to ask the water jet guru to oscillate the jet side to side as it's cutting. Then you can choose 1.5-2mm off each cut which then gives you 3-4mm for grout. 

 

This was an open plan bedroom. A curved wall in the corner where you walked into the shower and poop area, and this vanity on one wall of the bedroom, just off. 

 

 

Oh oh and just to piss me right off, there was a mix of black and white grout. Try that for fast access to the loony bin . 

Edited March 16, 2018 by Nickfromwales
Some random picture which isn't mine popped in there !

[bassanclan]

Nice job, but was it a footballer's wife?

[Onoff]

Not knocking the technical prowess and thought gone into it but that looks f****** 'orrible! Had the woman no taste?

 

Did she have you do the ducks on the wall as well?

[Nickfromwales]

"The customer is always right". 

I don't go to design people's houses for them, I got do what I'm asked, and to do it well. 

As you say, technically, it was a nightmare, but as far as execution went, 'twas splederific. . 

And yes, f'kin orrible . 

[newhome]

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

 

 

Oh oh and just to piss me right off, there was a mix of black and white grout. Try that for fast access to the loony bin . 

 

Jeezo! I know we all have different tastes but FML that vanity unit is a monstrosity. And the lights!!! 

[Ferdinand]

That is the proof that Trump is also an adjective.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Ferdinand