1.8m x 1.0m tiles - any advice please

[kaharrison9]

Good evening everybody.

I have 4 bathrooms coming up in February and I've been told the tiles are 1.8m x 1m porcelain.
I have usually drawn a line at anything over 1m.
What set up, do folk use regarding cutting, for instance if a square requires cutting for a niche or the L shape around a window, a long length for a ceiling,etc?
At the moment, I'm questioning is it worth doing when there seems to be lots of other work, involving more manageable tiles.
Thank you.
Kevin

 

[Concrete guy]

First of all, change how you think about these products. At 1.8m x 1.0m these are no longer tiles, they are slabs.

You approach tiles of this size in the same way you would if you were fitting slabs of marble. You need the correct handling equipment to avoid injury to yourself and damage to the tiles/property.

You don't mark cuts in the normal way you would with a tile, you make templates, the sort of thing a granite manufacturer would make when supplying and fitting kitchen counter tops.

The reality is once you get over a certain size of product that can be reasonably handled by a single fitter, it becomes a different job. You either want to equip yourself to do it and actively seek this kind of work, or walk away and leave it to those who want it.

Also remember as the tile/slab size increases the accuracy of the substrate preparation become exponentially more important, +/- 3mm can't cut it on a 1.8m slab length - it needs to be plumb.

 

[One Day]

Blinkin' well wish I had "just" 1.8 x 1.0 tiles to use...
Straight back onto 3.0 x 1.5m in a couple of weeks...

I think you have worked it out already - if you've other more manageable work - take it.
You really need at least a Sigma kera-lift and kera-cut to start with.

 

[kaharrison9]

Great advice guys - thank you.

Looking at Trade tiler who stock the Sigma Kera lift / cut with other necessaries, then there has to be around, an initial £2,000 outlay, I guess.

Also I assume that any 4 sided holes in the porcelain would need water jet cutting.

Is there any rule with setting out i.e. full one off the floor?

Unsure which way that I'll go with this, as there is chance of further opportunities, but very intrigued, listening to tilers who have the experience (and balls) to take this work on.

Kevin

 

[One Day]

You need a very stable, flat and smooth work table.
Cut outs should be drilled at corners first to reduce stress. No need for water jet.
Set out can be tricky but hey, we're tilers so we work it out.
And you absolutely have to insist on the prep being 200% correct.