How to plan for brickwork effect tiling

[N3mo]

Hi guys,

have worked out with some help how to best plan tiling in the usual grid pattern tiling where grout lines all run parallel to each other

Be being padantic, I have measured out the walls, and have worked out how to get equal size tiles either ends and full tiles in between

BUT

How do you go about planning it if doing the brickwork effect? where a tile sits half way along the tile above it. Am just worried I may end up with a 2cm tile if I do it without any forward planning

Am sure for a professional tiler, they dont spend days contemplating it like I am.

 

[kbdiy]

So if you have worked it out using full tiles, simply move the tiles along by half a tile and see what the result is from there. You may need to adjust the starting position to give an even finish, but nothing more to it than that.

For example, if your planned layout finishes the first row on a half tile, then the next row will finish on a full tile. But you may need to allow for any run out of the walls so just lay out 2 rows dry to see the finished effect.

 

[N3mo]

Should the tiling be moved along exactly 1/2 tile?

Is that the preferred method

 

[AdamCH]

Normal brick bond is half a tile so your alternate row will be half a row out from your first.

Normally you'd centre on a feature such as a window / doorway / WC etc making sure you don't end up with small cuts at the wall edges / windows / doors etc.

Professional tilers will spend a bit of time on setting out - at least the ones that don't end up with slithers at doorways / top of walls / corners will.

Once you've placed your first tile you're committed so make sure it's all planned before you nail anything to the floor or wall.

And if it's brick bond make absolutely sure that you tile in a flat plane parallel to the wall. The overlap from tile to tile means you can't adjust horizontally without creating tile lippage.

 

[kbdiy]

Should the tiling be moved along exactly 1/2 tile?

Is that the preferred method

That is the only method if you want it to look right. As I said before, try laying out 2 rows dry if you are in any way unsure of what it will look like. That will show you how the cut ends will look and allow you to make small adjustments before you commit.