hacked off with battens

[geordie2013]

:icon8: Totally naffed off tiling three months a half dozen jobs later i just cant get my battens level. Whenever tiles meet again after tilig 4 walls they never meet. Spend about hour trying and failing to get the next wall on the same level as the last. Help gratefully appreciated.

Also am i the only person who cant stand joiners telling you how to do your job. C'+@k.
Thanx

 

[enduro]

I dont use batterns, i use a level and mark a line around the room, i always try and start with a full or half tile around bath checking cuts up to window and ceiling and thats where i start my level line from, also use a laser level.

 

[howard]

i always use a laser level perfect finish every time

 

[Fekin]

For a full bathroom I always batten 2 walls first going on a right angle, keeping a spirit level on the first so I know it's level.
Then line up by eye the second batton, stick it, get the spirit level on it and the other batton across the corner and get it level and that's it, 2 battons across 2 walls on a 90 degree both level to eachother, then as you go onto the 3rd wall do the same, and in my view you can't go wrong.

 

[shaunykieron]

yeah put a level line round the room and stick to that , say if you come off the bath full tile (depending if its ok with reguards to your cuts) then level round the rest of your room , i always finish above the door so if it is slightly out for whatever reason then its in the best place to hade it

shaun....

 

[vince1]

hi howard where do you get a laser level from mate ? and what one do you have ?

 

[howard]

i got it off ebay £140.0 its a stanley one i would be lost without it

 

[Caledonian Tiling]

Geordie,

Make a datum line approx half height of your room and use this as the central
point to refer to on marking out your room, taking in windows,doors,baths etc
ensuring full or as full a cut as possible when meeting each feature.

Based on you have all marked out correctly, tile fom your datum line down
to the floor, take this all around your room, be easier to identify/correct any
issues on your tiles matching up. Once done the rest should just fall into place.

Unless large format tiles stick to a high grab(supergrip) adhesive.

Then take your battens attach a piece of chain inbetween them and
give your know it all joiner some bruce lee nunchaka action to
his big mouth...... you will have no more problems with him im sure....

Caledonian.

 

[Rad2474]

Just on the off chance but are your batons straight? noyt warped or a dodgy cut maybe?

 

[Dan]

Stick a level datum line around the room at any possible height where it's most constant, so not in the way of any boxing in and windows if possible, then when you find your starting point after working out the best looking cuts you can use a tape measure to measure down from your datum line around the room to stick on your battens. I used to just batten one wall at a time too, although I don't know if that would help, it was just easier to do and used less wood.

Tip: Spin the level around each time you draw a line down the length of it to counter-balance any few mm it's out. A level that is 2mm out will be 20mm out once you've used it 10 times. Spinning it each time you use it can only give you 2mm or less inaccuracy.

 

[Caledonian Tiling]

Rad, are you suggesting hes using a boomerang for battens...?

 

[devonmark]

Just on the off chance but are your batons straight? noyt warped or a dodgy cut maybe?

that could have a lot to do with it...mark

 

[GazTech]

Always battened out...just me style...as Dan said spin the level evry time....the place to lose any discrepancy is over the door....Gaz

 

[brummie tiler]

agree with gaz and Dan.....sound advice as always:shades_smile:

 

[Varley]

How much did you pay for your spirit level?

You need to be buying good gear and spirit levels should always tell you what there acuracy are, I have stanley levels and they are accurate up to 0.5mm per metre, thats a good level but they cost £35.00 each. Don't go buying 5ft levels for a fiver, they'll be miles out.

 

[faithhealer]

got myself a 30 quid self leveling laser from screwfix. don't buy one that isn't self levelling because they are only as accurate as that little vial with the bubble in, AND you spend all your time setting it up every time you move it!
Actually seen a bathroom that was an inch out! not one of mine I hasten to add

 

[sc24]

good advice from dan, if i use battens i put a datum line around the room measure down to the last full tile then cut a staff so wherever you place the staff on your datum you know that the bottom of the staff is where your batten should be

 

[jabba]

yeah i got a laser level thats self-levelling, shines a complete 360 degrees and has its own adjustable tripod by black and decker for £50.. its the dogs.

 

[Fred]

I put up my first batten on wall 1, leaving enough room at the end of the batten and wall to slot the next batten on the next wall into.

Tile wall 1. Then, as above, slot batten 2 on wall 2 and up under the tile on wall 1. Level batten 2 and nail in place, again, leaving enough room at the next end for batten 3 etc.........

Perfect levelled and fit together tiles in the corners every time.

 

[geordie2013]

Cheers lads.

Good tip there Fred
Its all simple once you know it. Finished job now only ended up about 1 mm out in last corner. I was using wood a joiner gave me think it was a bit of old skirting board. Probably half the problem there
Once again cheers lads id be lost without this site.

 

[terrygrant]

The classic mistake that gets you about 50mm out is to transfer a line from the top of the level to the bottom when transfering a point across a room........I only did it once over 20 years ago.....It made me a lot more sympathetic to the two tilers I have seen make the same mistake since

Terry

 

[Brindle]

Terry - I nearly had heart failure on one job and momentarily couldn't fathom why last wall was 2 inches out!! luckily i hadnt tiled it before spotting the oversight!!
I know a guy who did tile a whole room though, customer wasnt fussed!!?

 

[White Room]

The classic mistake that gets you about 50mm out is to transfer a line from the top of the level to the bottom when transfering a point across a room........I only did it once over 20 years ago.....It made me a lot more sympathetic to the two tilers I have seen make the same mistake since

Terry

Nearly done the other day.....thats why I like lasers.

 

[Dan]

Another spirit level issue that catches loads out is to keep the level in your hand and keep sliding it around the room length by length and then find the lines are out by 20mm because the level is 1mm out and they slid it 20 times to get around the room.

You should always flip a level each time you do a length and then you can only ever be out by the amount the level is out (which is often less than 1mm to be fair) and only 50% of the time as the other time it's bang on as the level is back around the other way.

If that makes any sense at all.

 

[Plumbing Tiler]

A self levelling laser level is the best investment you will ever make!, I swear after using it a few times you will wonder how you ever managed without one!, I still check the laser line on the wall with a spirit level though- just in case lol!