Planning a tile installation Pt. 1
This post will give you an overview of the planning process of a tile installation. This stage can be subdivided into three phases. These phases are Measure, Design, and Prep. This stage may seem self explanatory, but rushing through this step is the culprit of most tile installation mistakes.
The Measure phase is fairly straightforward. You need to make accurate measurements of the areas you will be tiling. If you are doing the floors, make sure and measure all walls, doorways, alcoves, and any obstructions in the room (ie. islands in a kitchen). If you are doing a section on the wall, make sure you measure all windows, doors, cabinets, outlets, or any other obstruction that will affect your installation. Most people find it easiest to draw these measurements out on a diagram. This allows them to visualize the space that will be covered.
The design phase is perhaps the most daunting to many customers. There are so many options available that sometimes its hard to pick the right one. Keep these questions in mind when selecting a tile: Is the tile available immediately or does it have to be ordered? Do you have a 10% cutting overage for straight-lay or a 20% cutting overage for diagonal-lay? Will you be installing the tile outside or inside? Will it be installed on the floor or the wall? What colors are themed in the space? Will the style of tile you’ve picked be appropriate over a long period of time? All these are valid questions used to determine what tile you will use in your installation.
Once you have a tile selected, you will need to plan a layout for that tile. If you have an exactly square or rectangular room, then the layout is fairly simple. With a square or rectangular room the tile will be installed on cross hairs off the center point of the room. This can be found by bisecting the room from one corner to the opposite making an “X” and finding where these lines intersect. In rooms of irregular shapes its a little more complicated, but usually you want to center the tile as best as possible. Sometimes its best to center off of a doorway or hallway that is in the room.
There are so many options for design. These include diagonal installation, borders, listellos, accent tiles, cutouts, and patterns. The sky is the limit. The most important part is planning appropriately during the design phase.
I will cover the preparation phase of tile installation in Planning a tile installation Pt. 2.
http://www.thetiledoctor.com/design/design.cfm
http://www.bedrosians.com/tiledes.htm
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