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We are ready to start to lay the 10x16 tile in our bathroom. We have been trying to figure out where to start. My husband is worried about getting the grout lines with the inside tub wall and skirting around the tub lining up. We have been trying since 8 this morning to figure out how to do it right. He has read on line but he still is not sure what is the best look. We have waited 12 years for our new bathroom so we want to do it correct. Please help. If I can figure out how to upload a pic I will. Thank you so much.
Here are a few pictures. Thank you. He say the short tiles need to go at the top. I think it would look better if the short tiles go at the bottom. He is driving me crazy with this. I just want him to start with 1 tile but he is not sure where to start. We have lost almost a whole day. Please help.
Before you start I would suggest that you nearly double the number of screws you put into that Hardibacker. They appear to be at least 12" apart which is quite a bit more than Hardie recommends. Start on the back wall center. Make a story stick by cutting a thin scrap of lumber the length of each wall. Now put marks on the stick where the edges of the center tile falls and work your way out to the two edges. You want both edges to get a partial tile of the same size. Do the same for the height of the back wall, shifting tiles to you get a sysmetrical lay out. Remove the tub spout, shower stem and valve handle. The valve aooears to have a very unusually small escutcheon which will make cutting the tiles diffiuclt. I usually try to have a grout line go straight down through the spout and valve, that way its just a matter of nipping the corners of the tile. You can buy a carbide circle balde for an electric drill that can cut ceramic but it takes time. More screws in the greenboard too. The seams and corners of the hardibacker should be sealed with fiberglass drywall tape and modified thinset, use the same thinset for the tiles.
Measure the back wall. It should be 60". Mark center of wall. Space out tiles from center to each corner. If tiles are 10" horizontally it should take 3 tiles to each corner from center mark. If tiles don't work out exactly, shift center mark 1/2 tile. This will make the last tile slightly more or slightly less than 1/2 tile. You don't want any small pieces. You also don't want to have to cut off small amounts from a tile unless you have a tile saw. Let's say that it works out that if you start in the center there would be a 1/2 gap between the last tile and the corner. Shift your starting point 1/2 tile in either direction. Then the last tile will be 1/2 tile plus 1/2". If you did not have the window you could find a starting point such that there would be no tile less than 1/2 tile.
After finding the starting point with respect to the end walls use a level to draw a line up the wall at a grout line to see how the tiles will work out with respect to the window. Shift your starting point for the best compromise between the window and the wall. You want to avoid having small pieces of tile, they are hard to set and do not stick very well. If you cannot avoid small pieces put them in the corner for appearance.
After finding the best starting point horizontally you must do the same thing vertically. Check to ensure that the tub sits level. If it does, measure up to the bottom of the window and see how the window works out. Again avoid small pieces buy moving the starting point up 1/2 tile. If the tub does not sit level, measure up 1/2 tile from the low end and draw a horizontal line as a starting point. Then begin shifting up and down as necessary to make the window and the desired top of the tiles work with no small pieces. If you are going to have cut pieces make them at the bottom if possible. Draw horizontal and vertical lines at the starting point. Carry the horizontal line around the end walls. Draw a vertical line on the end walls at the desired edge of the tile. Adjust this line if necessary to avoid small pieces in the corner.
After drawing out the horizontal and vertical lines start laying tiles on the back wall. Start at the center starting point and lay tiles to the corner. If the first row is cut tiles, cut and lay to the horizontal line. When doing end walls start with the vertical line and lay to the corner. Unless your corners are perfectly plumb in both directions it is better to have cut tiles in the corner than full tiles. This allows you to adjust the size of the last tile in the corner as the wall moves in and out.
Take your time in laying out starting lines, then double check everything. Planning ahead is the secret to avoiding difficult situations in tile work.
Hello thank you for your replies. This is where we are and we have to make it work. I am sure its not perfect but he won’t be taking it apart now I am sure.
He is taping and putting thinset as he tiles. We didn’t need to cut any of the tiles going across the back as they fit in perfectly. We were planning on tiling the window.
You lucked out because six 10" tiles would normally take up at least 61" with a grout line, things must have been tight. Now I would suggest finding a good epoxy stainproof grout that is premixed.
Goodmorning, we are about to tackle the ends this morning, ballengerb1, I have to tell you that the guy who does our crack filling told us that we use too many screws so in the bathroom we cut back.
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