How do you get your Grout lines to meet?

[Perry]

I butter the backs of around 20 tiles then throw them against the wall wiv my eyes shut! This keeps everything messed up just the way i like it!

Well thats what i may a s well bloody do!!!!

Yes Wivs I have seen some of your work lol

 

[White Room]

Yes Wivs I have seen some of your work lol

This is from 2008 Pete.....but wivers was mootching about 3 weeks ago.

 

[Paul]

I get a bit confused on datum lines Im under the impression that the datum line running around a room is the point you tile up and down from ? Then I've always read it can be used as just a reference point ?? So do you have 2 lines running around 4 walls one being datum another being one from your staff detailing tile + spacer size ? For layout purposes !

 

[bugs183]

You can have one that is exactly on the tile line or one that is levelled round at a random height.
If you are using a random height line make a gauge, use a tile off cut or a marked piece of wood to check if the tiles are level with your datum, bit hard to explain.
The brilliant thing about the laser is that you can check at any moment how the tiling is height and level wise by sliding it up or down the pole.

 

[Paul]

You can have one that is exactly on the tile line or one that is levelled round at a random height.
If you are using a random height line make a gauge, use a tile off cut or a marked piece of wood to check if the tiles are level with your datum, bit hard to explain.
The brilliant thing about the laser is that you can check at any moment how the tiling is height and level wise by sliding it up or down the pole.

Thanks Bugs for replying im no tiler im just trying to learn a bit Cant see the point if having a second datum line running round a room if there is no intention to use it I'm guessing it's just there to keep the same gap around all the walls from the tiles already laid if you get me ? Other than that I can't see what it does

 

[peteablard]

I get a bit confused on datum lines Im under the impression that the datum line running around a room is the point you tile up and down from ? Then I've always read it can be used as just a reference point ?? So do you have 2 lines running around 4 walls one being datum another being one from your staff detailing tile + spacer size ? For layout purposes !

It can be used as a reference point. As an example i'm working in a new build at the moment and a lot of work was being done before the floor was screeded. Door frames and sockets had to be fixed apptox 150mm high to allow for the screed and insulation. A datum was put on the wall which would be exactly 1 metre above the finished floor level and everyone worked from that with lasers. Hope that makes sense....

 

[bugs183]

It is a strange concept without actually seeing how it works.
When you look at a room, especially one with lots of different areas like windows, showers, baths etc you need to know at what height everything is. So don't know for certain how the tiles will work in the those areas, so you need to gauge the room. You may have full tiles off the floor, but a rubbish cut under the window or maybe the ceilings out and you get a rubbish cut there. You need to know before you start tiling otherwise you could drop a massive clanger.

Draw a line around the room, it doesn't matter what height, it just has to be level. Now you can measure from this line around the room and check where the lowest point of the floor is and if the ceiling is out of level. These are important to the setting out.

So if you want for example to have a full tile off the floor you need to know where the lowest point is in the room, the datum will show show this, now you put a tile against the wall in this lowest spot and mark the top with a line, allow for spacing and hold another tile on this line measure this to the datum (lets say it's 100mm),and you now know where the tiles will be at any point in the room, it's easier if you mark out these lines on a stick and use this.
Walk around the room say to the window, measure down 100mm from the datum and draw a line here, now using a tile you can mark where each tile will go and this will tell you how the window work, good or bad cuts.

Say you are happy how the tiles set out and you decide to tile from the lowest point of the floor you can now mark from the top of this tile, and draw a line around the room.

So yes you have two datums, but if you marked a full from the floor and drew a line round, you could find you've picked a high spot on the floor, so you'll get a tiny cut somewhere else, it could do the same on the ceiling, or you maybe have a cut on the window or bath that you don't like. So if you try another way, draw the line and that doesn't work, you now have two useless lines.

Draw one all around the room at any height, gauge the room, and then draw another if you like where you are sure the full tiles will be.

I hope this explains it better!

 

[Paul]

Thanks Pete yeah think so I guess you tiled upwards on that line

 

[peteablard]

Thanks Pete yeah think so I guess you tiled upwards on that line

I haven't actually tiled downstairs yet but in theory I could have transferred that datum through to the downstairs toilet, measured 1 metre down, put a baton round and tiled up from it and the screed would come up to the bottom of my tiles.

 

[bugs183]

No Pau,l as Pete says the datum was a gauge for everyone to use, and now he can use it for tiling too.
The screed was going to raise the floor by 150mm (15cm).
Say a socket was need at 170cm and was measured off the floor 170cm before the screed went in then it would too low by 150mm, so every one would measure off the datum at 1 metre to allow for the raise in height after the screed.

 

[peteablard]

No Pau,l as Pete says the datum was a gauge for everyone to use, and now he can use it for tiling too.
The screed was going to raise the floor by 150mm (15cm).
Say a socket was need at 170cm and was measured off the floor 170cm before the screed went in then it would too low by 150mm, so every one would measure off the datum at 1 metre to allow for the raise in height after the screed.

Exactly that,well said!

 

[bugs183]

Ta! It's bloomin hard enough to show someone on the job let alone try and explain it!!!

 

[Paul]

Ta! It's bloomin hard enough to show someone on the job let alone try and explain it!!!

Yeah think I need to spend some time with pro,s cheers gents for the explanation - Brilliant forum !!!