How to Plan a Tiling Project
Get the best results for your tiling
What tiling lacks in glamour, in makes up for in sheer practicality. It’s one of those handy skills, like hanging wallpaper and putting up shelves, which is extremely useful for any homeowner to acquire.
However, before you put trowel to tile, it’s important to plan the project to get the best results. To help you in the process, we’ve pulled together our top tips to help you plan your tiling project.
Buy online
Not only do the sheer number of options available online surpass those in-store, but buying online also means that your tiles are delivered direct to your door, avoiding the need to carry boxes of heavy tiles to your car and then home.
Plan your layout
It’s typically much easier to plan the layout of your tiles away from the surface that you wish to tile. This also helps you to avoid problematic incidents, such as needing a fraction of a tile to complete a wall.
Just remember to think through the positioning of your first tile, as this dictates the rest of the layout.
Work your angles
By positioning your tiles at an angle, it can often change the whole look and feel of your surface. For instance, if you have rectangular tiles, why not experiment with them at a 45-degree angle? It may make cutting slightly more difficult, but the orientation will have a big impact on the finished result.
Straight lines
It’s worth remembering that many walls will have a natural curvature. Therefore, if you follow the wall, you could end up with a wavy pattern by the time you hit the middle. Instead, draw a straight line in the middle of your floor/wall with chalk and start from there.
It’s all in the transition
When tiling a wall or a backsplash, there will often be transitions to a different surface. It’s key that you think about those transitions and any challenges they present. For example, are you using bullnose (rounded edge) or pencil tiles (long and narrow)? How will the transition area look? How can you prevent an exposed edge of a tile?
Ask the experts
Don’t be afraid to ask a professional for adhesive or grouting assistance. If you’re purchasing your tiles from a retailer, then contact their customer service team for product advice. Alternatively, you can go straight to the tile manufacturer for guidance.
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