Please Help a Frustrated DIYer

[shneld]

Hello everyone.

I would really really appreciate some pointers/help please.

I'm tiling my bathroom with 600x300mm tiles, about 10mm thick, for a start, I don't think I have chosen the best tiles to use for my first attempt?

I have done one wall, all is ok.

I have started to tile the adjoining wall, problem is the walls are not plumb, surprise surprise :mad2::mad2:

As I have worked my way up the wall, the gap between the two wall/tiles is getting bigger and bigger (too small to get a tile in but big enough not to be covered up by the Silicon)

I set out the tiles, so as to avoid awkward cuts, I have laid them in a 'brick wall' fashion.

I don't see how I can set the tiles out on the second adjoining wall to avoid silly cuts without loosing the symmetry of the 'brick wall' idea.

I hope I have explained myself and look forward to any help

Thanks

Lee

 

[Gazzer]

Ok before you go any further, please dont tell me you are using ready mixed adhesive on skimmed wall with tiles that big ?

 

[Ian]

I think I know where you are coming from. Have you tried to come out of a corner with a whole tile? A couple of pictures may help us solve your problem.

 

[White Room]

Did you work the tiles out to start from the corner..

 

[chille]

oh dear sounds like a mistake in setting out the brick bond pattern, have you got ant pictures or dimensions of the walls so we can get a better idea?

 

[peteablard]

As above, you should always cut into the walls to avoid this problem

 

[shneld]

Ok before you go any further, please dont tell me you are using ready mixed adhesive on skimmed wall with tiles that big ?

No I'm using Mapie powdered adhesive. I did some reading on here and decided not to use tubbed.

I have attached a quick sketch to help illustrate my problem. Unfortunately I cant take any pics at the mo.

The first wall worked out well, as you can see. This is drawn roughly to scale.

 

[Gazzer]

Good man for taking note but sadly it looks as though you have fallen into the full tile trap. While it seems great , it only works if all walls are perfectly plumb.

 

[Ian]

The problem is trying to come out of the corner with a whole tile, unless the walls are dead plumb (they rarely are) you will encounter this sort of issue. If you had come out of the corner with 1/4 and a 3/4 tile you would have had the 1/4 tile extra to help overcome this issue. As a rule of thumb,never come out of a corner with a whole tile.

 

[shneld]

The problem is trying to come out of the corner with a whole tile, unless the walls are dead plumb (they rarely are) you will encounter this sort of issue. If you had come out of the corner with 1/4 and a 3/4 tile you would have had the 1/4 tile extra to help overcome this issue. As a rule of thumb,never come out of a corner with a whole tile.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Bri, so are you saying there is no way to maintain the symmetry, in my case, and I will have to do as you say.
Fortunately the second wall I have removed the tiles

Anyone cover the St Helens area and fancy some work?

 

[White Room]

Your trying to get a full tile to the corner, from the top of the wall where it leans back furthest measure 580mm out from the corner, then use a level for a vertical line..then start from there but check the setting out to the other corner so you don't end up in the same position..

 

[shneld]

As above, you should always cut into the walls to avoid this problem

In other words, don't start with a full tile?

 

[davemul]

Can any pro's offer a guide to setting out a brick bond pattern?

 

[Gazzer]

In other words, don't start with a full tile?

Only if you are 100% certain your walls are bang on.

 

[shneld]

Only if you are 100% certain your walls are bang on.

Cheers.

Another problem I have found, I used a batten at the bottom of the wall to give me a straight edge and to support the tiles.

I have used a mosaic boarder tile half way up. Problem, is the tiles above the boarder are not very well supported and tend to sag sometime, as the boarder tile is a mosaic type and a bit flimsy.

How would you overcome this issue?