Large tiles / small tiles. Which is easiest to lay?

[Nickfromwales]

Carrying on from here

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

@Barney12

 

Larger tiles won't follow wonky walls. 
6 and two 3's tbh as I find it's quicker and better with large format tiles but I've been doing this for around 23 years so I would say that ;).
You need to identify the highest point on the wall and make sure there is enough adhesive behind the ones at the lowest point to ensure the wall will be flat.

Off to the grindstone now, post some questions and I'll pick this up later    

[Ferdinand]

Hmmm. Different factors.

 

I'd say that up to about 450x450 are probably OK before some people may struggle, but if you get really big ones that are difficult just for manual handling for you, then you will have problems laying them - and be more restricted in cutting.

 

A 600mm x 600mm porcelain floor tile could weigh the best part of 10kg. And they come in up to 900x900 iirc. Imagine trying to cut that with a power cutter or just leaning over to lay it down.

 

Also, breaking one tile can get expensive when they cost £30 por £40 each !

 

I like about 400x400 or so or 450x300 for walls. I have had no problem laying this size if the base is done properly. It feels modern without being awkward to lay.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited August 24, 2016 by Ferdinand

[Gone West]

I laid porcelain floor tiles that were roughly 700 x 470 x 10mm which is ok if the floor is flat. I laid them brick pattern which is also ok as long as they are good tiles and not banana shaped which causes problems with 50/50 brick pattern. An alternative is 70/30 which evens the curve out a bit.

[Declan52]

It is always my thighs that ache after doing either tiles or wooden floors. Done four floors in my sister's last week and was near fit for a wheelchair the next day. Must be getting old!!

[Onoff]

Ooh tiling.....seems a long way off at the mo but I know the man to ask! 

 

Question asked in another thread and I know it's possible but is it SENSIBLE to tile say half a bathroom floor to get that side of the bathroom "working"? 

[Declan52]

Will be ok till you stub your toe on the edge of the tile some night about 4am.

Could work for most people if it's only sitting a short while but with your track record how long till the other bit gets finished.

[Onoff]

12 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

Will be ok till you stub your toe on the edge of the tile some night about 4am.

Could work for most people if it's only sitting a short while but with your track record how long till the other bit gets finished.

 

 That and stumbling into the unfinished wet room corner that's lower than the slab by about 4"!

 

And it will be dark, took the lights out with the original plumbing months ago (18 or 19 months..... ).

[Trw144]

I ve gone for 900 x 900 - I haven't had to lay them but they certainly are heavy and its not a job I d fancy on the assumption I want to walk the next day. 

[Ferdinand]

3 hours ago, Onoff said:

Ooh tiling.....seems a long way off at the mo but I know the man to ask! 

 

Question asked in another thread and I know it's possible but is it SENSIBLE to tile say half a bathroom floor to get that side of the bathroom "working"? 

 

Given that a bathroom can probably be tiled in a single day unless it is a stonker, I'd do it all at once.

 

if you want it working then put something temporary down eg Visqueen.

 

Ferdinand

[Nickfromwales]

Good to see you went with the DITRA mat. The job I was on a while back ( oil heating and hot water ) had the builder and his son doing a stand up job of fitting 900x900x20mm porcelain. Cuts were with a wet fed Stihl petrol disc as nothing else would touch it. 

I took the opportunity to 'test drive' my Rubi 900mm scribe and snap cutter as it states up to 900mm tiles at 20mm thick. Got 850mm of ot to cut straight but the last 50mm curved off. Probably down to the wrong wheel tbh, but not bad going for a £370 tile cutter I thought   

They laid them perfect and grouted with a like coloured grout. The wife walked in at the end of the day and just said "I don't like the grout colour, can you take it out and use a different colour?". I felt for those guys that day, grouting is a pita, but taking it out is even worse ( without damaging £18k worth of tiles that was ). 

Id have said "give it a few years luv, the colour will grow on you"  

[Ferdinand]

1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said:

Good to see you went with the DITRA mat. The job I was on a while back ( oil heating and hot water ) had the builder and his son doing a stand up job of fitting 900x900x20mm porcelain. Cuts were with a wet fed Stihl petrol disc as nothing else would touch it. 

I took the opportunity to 'test drive' my Rubi 900mm scribe and snap cutter as it states up to 900mm tiles at 20mm thick. Got 850mm of ot to cut straight but the last 50mm curved off. Probably down to the wrong wheel tbh, but not bad going for a £370 tile cutter I thought   

They laid them perfect and grouted with a like coloured grout. The wife walked in at the end of the day and just said "I don't like the grout colour, can you take it out and use a different colour?". I felt for those guys that day, grouting is a pita, but taking it out is even worse ( without damaging £18k worth of tiles that was ). 

Id have said "give it a few years luv, the colour will grow on you"  

 

I'd have said: "No. So divorce me."

[Nickfromwales]

She wasn't my wife  Or the tilers.

 

[Onoff]

1 minute ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Given that a bathroom can probably be tiled in a single day unless it is a stonker, I'd do it all at once.

 

if you want it working then put something temporary down eg Visqueen.

 

Ferdinand

 

TA. The main reason is the basin as it's a pedestal type down to the floor - so I  really need tiles under it.

[Nickfromwales]

Cut a bit of MDF and use that as a baffle until your ready. If you part tile you risk chipping the edges of the last row where they're exposed. 

 

[Trw144]

Yes, 155m2 of tiling so wanted the belts and braces approach of ditra. Also have expansion joints at all doorways and one in the kitchen as its almost 70m2.

[Nickfromwales]

Glad I quoted you £50 a tile now. Think I dodged a bullet there ??

[joe90]

With regard grout colour, in a kitchen I fitted the customer didn't like the shade of grey that I had used ( from then on in I made customers supply any grout that was not white !!!) and wanted the slightly darker grey, I had not sealed the grout so made a strong cup of coffee, let it go cold, and painted it on the grout, it was perfect and the customer was amazed I could remove grout and re grout in a day ?.

[Ferdinand]

11 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

TA. The main reason is the basin as it's a pedestal type down to the floor - so I  really need tiles under it.

Can't you just put it on a bit of board for now?

 

Ferdinand

 

[Onoff]

47 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Can't you just put it on a bit of board for now?

 

Ferdinand

 

 

The basin sits on the pedestal that in turn needs to sit on the finished floor i.e the tiles which aren't done yet. The EXACT height of the pedestal / basin is driven by the height of the tiles.

 

As I see it if I put a board under the pedestal "just for now" I'll have to bring up the tiles to that EXACT height unless I'm wrong?

 

The basin gets screwed to the stud wall and there's also the height of the waste assembly which is all solvent weld so no real room there for up/down adjustment. The floor slab as it is is pretty much dead level. I guess any temporary board would have to the approximate thickness of tile+adhesive?

[Nickfromwales]

You'll have 5mm of play in the waste etc. 

12 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Cut a bit of MDF and use that as a baffle until your ready. If you part tile you risk chipping the edges of the last row where they're exposed. 

 

"You can do it Deeds!"

[Temp]

Sorry if you all know this but...

 

My father taught me to use a rubber faced block of wood (he called it a "blat") to level tiles. First use a serrated spreader to spread the adhesive - the ridges allow the height of the tile to be adjusted - then use the blatter to level it with the surrounding tiles. Its hard to describe the technique but you hold the blat so that one end is in the middle of an existing tile and lift and tap the other end against the new tile. A combination of pressing and tapping with the blat levels the tiles. This works very well on small tiles.

 

Blat also known as tile beating block..

http://www.rubi.com/products/en-UK/tools-for-fixing-tiles-and-finishings/mallets-and-beaters/tile-beating-block.php

Edited August 25, 2016 by Temp

[divorcingjack]

@Trw144 Can I ask where you got those tiles? I've been looking for similar ones without too much success. Beautiful. 

[Trw144]

4 hours ago, divorcingjack said:

@Trw144 Can I ask where you got those tiles? I've been looking for similar ones without too much success. Beautiful. 

Hi

I ve managed to get an account with the factory in Spain. I prefer not to mention the name on public forum as it took a bit of convincing to get hold of it and I don't want to rock the boat as I m not sure I should have direct access. Everyone who has seen them says I should set up a sideline importing them so pm me and I ll send some more details of you want.