Twelve essentials for tiling your home

Published On: November 14, 20220 Comments on Twelve essentials for tiling your homeCategories: Home improvementTags: Last Updated: January 27, 202410.8 min read

Everybody wants to improve the aesthetics of their tile work. Mike Dunfee Management in Carson advises the point at which you begin your work will be crucial. The first step in tiling any surface is to create a detailed plan. Therefore, you may plan your cuts and tile layout with confidence. Think about where you want to put the first tile before you start tiling. After the first tile is in place, continue laying the rest.

bathroom with tiles

You will grasp the significance of the initial point after reading this essay. Also, you’ll find out how to begin tiling your walls and floors.

Tiling a floor: where to begin and other useful hints

When tiling a floor, it is best practise to begin at the room’s centre and work outwards. With this method, the tiling pattern will be symmetrical and your work will be simplified. This method is a good starting point if you want to tile your room in a diagonal pattern. The centre may not always be the ideal place to begin, though. When tiling a floor, this is one of the most common concerns people have. Your floor tiling project can start whenever you’re ready. The installation of tiles will be uneven and the joints will not be flush if you begin at the wrong location. When tiling a floor, where you begin will be determined by the pattern you choose. Effective tiling requires the application of particular methods.

The use of a variety of tile sizes

Many modern tile layouts incorporate tiles of different sizes. There are two or three distinct sizes and shapes spread out in a pattern over the floor. To begin this layout, head to the far left of the room. The protagonist is waiting at the front door. When tiling a room, starting in a corner allows for more precise tile trimming throughout the wall’s perimeter. You can place tiles in any pattern you like if you begin at a corner. The pattern’s progression to the edges will be more challenging to achieve if tile installation begins in the middle. Laying Tiles in a Diagonal Pattern

Putting down diagonal floor tiles requires you to begin in the room’s centre and work your way out to the four walls. Finding the floor’s centre is the first step in laying out tiles in a diagonal pattern. One way to accomplish this is by sketching a line from one corner of the room to the other. Get out your ruler and split the length of this line in half. Draw a line through the centre of the circle and another line at right angles to the previous one at the halfway point. As a result, the space can be split into four equal sections. You can now begin tiling the floor, working from the centre outwards to the four corners.

Straight tiling pattern

If you’re just starting off, it’s a good idea to use this tiling pattern. There are two methods that can be used to determine the first tile to be laid in a straight line. The first technique involves locating the exact middle of the wall that faces the main entrance. As you enter the area, you’ll see a complete row of tiles, giving your design a more professional appearance. The tiles can be trimmed at the edges and then laid around the room’s perimeter. The tiles should be installed first. Let’s say you discover that a tiny tile is needed at one end. Start from a slightly different place. Thus, the two ends are roughly proportional to one another.

Alternatively, you can divide the room into four equal quadrants and use it as a guide when you’re just starting off. Locating the exact centre of the floor will serve this goal. Pick a wall at random and measure its length. Take the halfway point and draw a line on the ground heading in the opposite direction. Find the same method for locating the centre of the opposing wall. The centre is found at the point where the two lines meet.

Tiling a backsplash: where to begin and other useful hints

When tiling a backsplash, the middle is typically the first place to begin. Find the main point of the backsplash surface and begin fastening tiles from there, whether you are working vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Installing a Backsplash Tile Border Around the Middle:

Always begin tiling a backslash near the wall’s centre. This makes your backsplash look better and helps maintain symmetry among the tiles. How to locate the exact middle of a wall by measuring its entire length and then dividing it in half. Mark the centre of the wall with a straight line, and then use that mark to measure the wall’s height. Take a straight shot at the intersection of the two lines. For tiling the backsplash, you’ll want to begin here, in the middle. Methods for Starting a Tiled Backsplash at a Specific Location:

Locate the element in a complicated design that will serve as the tile’s focal point. From there, work your way out to the edges, tiling as you go.

laying floor tiles

First Steps in Backsplash Tiling:

Don’t ever begin tiling a backsplash at a wall’s edge or a corner. Doing so will result in an uneven and untidy tiling job, as all of the cut tiles will be installed on the same side. If you want your tiled backsplash to look neat and professional, it’s best to work outward from the centre or focal point.

A few pointers on how to begin tiling a bathroom’s tub

Again, you’ll need to locate a beginning location to fix your first tile while tiling the area surrounding a bathtub. The floor and walls around a bath can be tiled. The secret to successful tiling in either situation is locating a suitable initial point.

A wall is the best place to begin tiling around a bathtub

You should work your way up from the floor when tiling the wall around a bathtub. Higher up, cut tiles will be less obvious. Furthermore, tiles may slip and fall due to weight if you begin tiling at the top of the wall. It’s possible to get stuck with a full tile at the end of a row if you don’t tile from floor to ceiling.

The floor is the obvious place to begin tiling near a bathtub

Tiling the floor near a bathtub, begin with the area that will get the most attention. After that, begin laying tiles across the room. The full tiles will be more visible, giving your floor a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The broken tiles will be hidden at the borders or in obscure places.

Where to begin tiling and other useful advice

Whenever possible, it is best to begin tiling from the middle of a room. You need to locate the surface’s geographic centre. This can be done by taking the whole length of the surface and halving it. Just start a straight line right here. The breadth of the area should also be measured and cut in half. If you take two measurements and then draw a straight line between them, you will find the centre of the surface.

Perform a dry test before permanently affixing tiles to the surface. This will allow you to test the entire layout with as few variables as possible, reducing the likelihood of errors. Put down the first tile right at the beginning. You should use spacers in between the tiles and label the tiles that will need to be trimmed. Draw a line on the tile with a ruler and a piece of chalk or a pencil to indicate where it should be cut. Don’t stop laying down spacers and tiling until you have a beautiful arrangement and have marked every tile that needs to be cut. If you find that you require exceptionally little tiles at one end, switch up the arrangement. As a result, the space at each end of the room will appear more proportional to one another.

Use a tile cutter to cut out the tiles that you’ve marked. Make sure to write the order of the items on the back. That way, you may plan ahead for the placement of a specific tile.

Tiles for the walls: where to begin? Some Suggestions

Lay tiles in a vertical pattern, starting at the floor and working your way up. I would recommend beginning in the middle. It’s not a good idea to tile a wall from the ceiling down. If the thin-set utilised is of low quality or the tiles themselves are too heavy, they may come loose. Tiling a wall from ceiling to floor:

Organic mastic is extremely adhesive, thus it is the best choice if you want to tile your wall from top to bottom. Additionally, painter’s tape can be used to prevent tiles from sliding from the top to the bottom. Another option is to place a baton under the tiles for support while you carefully lay down each row. Re-tiling a wall beginning at the base:

It is not necessary to use a baton when laying tiles from the bottom up

If you decide to begin at the wall’s centre, lay out your tiles and do a dry fit to determine how much you’ll need to trim the tiles around the edges. There’s one thing you need to double-check before you start tiling from the bottom. The joints of the wall tiles appear uneven and unappealing if the floor of the room you are tiling is not straight or has a minor slope. The issue can be remedied by beginning tile installation at the wall’s highest point and continuing this practise for all walls. Tiling a wall from the middle out:

Finding the wall’s centre is another good place to begin tiling. The initial tile should be placed in the exact middle. Proceed along the wall’s edges from that point. As we’ve already established, this requires taking measurements from the centre out to each of the wall’s four corners. Before you begin mixing the thin-set, you should do a dry test by placing the tiles upright and marking each one with your pencil. The number of tiles and any partial tiles at the end of each row can be determined in this manner. Because of the symmetry this creates, the wall will continue to look wonderful. And do the same thing horizontally, too. Make sure you use a solid thin-set.

How about the middle? Do you begin tiling there?

When tiling a wall or floor, it’s best to begin in the middle. Having the tiles finish up with identical cuts is much easier to do and more aesthetically pleasing when you use this method. When tiling a more intricate design, it’s usually best to begin in the spot the viewer’s gaze will initially land. As with any tiling project, installing shower tiles is best begun in the centre of the area. But this is a time-consuming operation, and it may take longer than you anticipate to finish the entire surface. When tiling a floor, if time is of the essence, it is best to start at one well and go toward the other. This will reduce the total number of incisions, although it may not always be optimal.

Is there a corner you could start tiling in?

The floor can be tiled beginning in a corner, but it is not the direction I would go in. I would begin in a corner only if that was the best vantage point in the room. The wall construction is unique. If you can make out the corner, that might be a good place to begin. Start with a sequence of whole and half tiles, or the other way around, depending on the design. Dry testing the design ensures that you are aware of how it will look in all areas of the room. Modify as required.

How to begin tiling a wall that includes a window, with some other useful advice

The initial tile should often be positioned in the window’s lower left corner. Then, proceed to the window’s left side. Tiles must be trimmed so that they may be placed around the window. You should start at the top of the window and work your way up, first installing the tiles in a straight line directly above the glass. Keep the tile joints aligned and the spacing consistent when laying them out. Prepare the surface for the tiles by filling any gaps or cracks and removing any loose paint or wallpaper. Next, use sandpaper to make the surface even, and a damp sponge to remove any remaining dust and dirt. Painter’s tape should be applied to the window’s edges once the surface has dried. This is done so the mortar won’t spread over the adjacent wall.



Share This Tip With Your Friends!

About the Author: Handyman tips team

The Handyman Tips Team is a group of authors that provides tips on the Handyman Tips website. The Handyman Tips team consists of real handymen, contractors, carpenters, woodworkers, and experts in home repairs, appliance repairs, and landscaping. The team is always there for visitors to the Handyman Tips website. If you can't find the answer to your question on the Handyman Tips website, one of them will reply to you almost immediately if you contact them through the Ask the Handyman page!

Leave A Comment