Where to start (Blank room)

[newpark7]

Hello

I hope this question is not too stupid - but was wondering the following: -

If starting a new project (blank room) do you start on the floor tiling first and then the wall or the other way round?

Does the skirting go on top of the floor tiles or do you tile up to the skirting?

What are the advantages/disadvantages etc, are there any hard and fast rules about which gets done first?

If tiling floor to ceiling how do you finish the top to ceiling gap?

What do you recommend to use as a seal on bath tops and shower trays etc?

Any help appreciated.

Mark

 

[tiler-101]

Hello

I hope this question is not too stupid - but was wondering the following: -

If starting a new project (blank room) do you start on the floor tiling first and then the wall or the other way round?

Does the skirting go on top of the floor tiles or do you tile up to the skirting?

What are the advantages/disadvantages etc, are there any hard and fast rules about which gets done first?

If tiling floor to ceiling how do you finish the top to ceiling gap?

What do you recommend to use as a seal on bath tops and shower trays etc?

Any help appreciated.

Mark

Personally :-

Walls first saves getting the floor messed up

Skirtin on last over new wall and floor tiles

Should be cut to the ceiling tidy enough but you can always cove it if not happy after.

Bath seals hell of a questions the only seal I would use and recomend is Sealux of all the seals these seem to of got it right.

Again the above is my personal oppinion, hope it helps

101

 

[Fekin]

Yep.

Walls then floor.

Skirting can be done either way really, ie tile down to, or skirting over top of tiling.

Floor tiles should be a couple of mm's away from skirting, then Silicon the gap for an expansion joint.

If you have a gap at the ceiling then flexi caulk\ decorators caulk fills it if it's quite deep, otherwise use Silicon.

Baths, just run a thin bead of Silicon all the way around.

 

[tiler-101]

To expand a little on Fekin re Silicon around the bath.

To Silicon seal your bath cut the row of tiles around the bath a couple of mm short so you have room for a good seal. When these tiles have dried fill your bat to the top with water, then run your bead of Silicon around. Dont empty the bath leave it over night for the Silicon to dry.

When the bath is full of water it won't be that heavy again and the weight pushes it to its extreme, when the bath is emptied it spings back into shape so squeezing on your Silicon creating a very good seal.

That done tidy it up and your done.

101

 

[newpark7]

Thanks for the replies guys - much appreciated.

Mark

 

[brian c]

im with Fekin and 101 on this one,in addition i like to start at the window wall or area where most cuts are just to get them out the way then its the other straight forward walls.

 

[len]

and wear waders or a dry suit

got to agree with Brian,try and do the fiddly stuff first.Dont want to face it later in the day when your getting tired and are dying to get away.

I would also go for walls first. When there is no skirting,leave the bottom row out until the floor is tiled. One very important exeption to this is when using matching floor and wall tiles where the floor joint has to line up with the wall tile joint. Floor HAS to go down first. Just done one of these.Unfortunately,I was unaware and customer didnt mention that this was required until after i had done the walls. To late then.

 

[GazTech]

and wear waders or a dry suit

got to agree with Brian,try and do the fiddly stuff first.Dont want to face it later in the day when your getting tired and are dying to get away.

I would also go for walls first. When there is no skirting,leave the bottom row out until the floor is tiled. One very important exeption to this is when using matching floor and wall tiles where the floor joint has to line up with the wall tile joint. Floor HAS to go down first. Just done one of these.Unfortunately,I was unaware and customer didnt mention that this was required until after i had done the walls. To late then.

Beat me to it len...great advice..when floor and wall have to align....mark out the walls first and transpose to the floor.Tile the floor and then follow the lines up the walls .....not for the feight hearted len is it...levels have to be very, very, true always check.. all ways up..Gaz

 

[DHTiling]

And if your very very clever..you can mark all cuts to walls and floor so they line up..then do walls first and then floor so to reduce crap on floor...

 

[len]

a brave person who is confident to do it that way Dave.Very brave I opt for the easy option...thick dustsheets

 

[Fekin]

Yeah, I normally opt for squaring the window first and doing that wall on the first day, then it's just 3 plain simple walls on the second day, then grouting the third.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Another thing about windows that I have come to realise recently, is that they are not always at the same level as the surrounding wall, if you know what I mean. I have done windows recently where the the walls gently slope out to the line of the window recess, difficult to see on a bare wall, but when you cut the tile around the window one leg of the "L" kicks out away from the wall. Infuriating!!!

Working from the window first would help to keep things level maybe?

Grumpy

 

[len]

tell me about it. I have concluded that plasterers do it on purpose. They must really hate us. Its the first wall i hit with the straight edge when i enter the room. Pushing the adhesive tile bed limits is not unknown.

 

[grumpygrouter]

tell me about it. I have concluded that plasterers do it on purpose. They must really hate us. Its the first wall i hit with the straight edge when i enter the room. Pushing the adhesive tile bed limits is not unknown.

Glad to see it's not just me then, Len.:yes:

 

[White Room]

I'm with dh on this one, mark out floor follow thru to walls, tile walls

 

[len]

this works well as long as the floor tile is cut to the wall tile,but if its the other way around then it is difficult, if not impossible to line up the joints accurately.

 

[newpark7]

Skirting & tile spacers

Hi all

Thanks for the info - the customer has requested floor to ceiling tiling with no cove or skirting. They want the floor tiles cut at 75mm strips and these applied over the wall tiles to act as the skirting is this a normal practice?

Also - on the subject of tile spacers I have have been taught to insert the spacers sticking out from the wall and not inlaid so you can remove them before grouting.

I was watching a professional tiler today who was laying them flat and grouting over them I asked him why and he said it was quicker and the normal way to do it - what is everyones views on this please?

 

[len]

WHere to start! I'm a peg man. Short 2mm hollow pegs for wall tiling. The reason is that it permits lateral adjustment on wall tiling,easy to remove and i can reuse them( not penny pinching honestly).
I carry a selection of crosses for wider joints for 'rustic' tiles and for the occasional use on floors. I prefer to lay floor tiles by eye but when i do use them I do not bed them.
Had one job using rectified 600 x 300 Travertine laid herring bone throughout the house where a 3mm cross worked well. Two crosses on each edge.Not a wandering joint on the entire job.Could not have done it without those crosses.