Tile layout approval.

3 years ago

I know zilch about tile layout. My designer wants me to approve this plan for the layout of 12 x 24 tiles on the floor of the kitchenette/laundry room in our studio apartment. They are a uniform dark grey color. The lower wall will be lined with cabinets and a washer/dryer. The upper wall will have a floor to ceiling set of shelves and built-in countertop seating area at the window.

Does this layout seem reasonable? I have no idea what makes a good layout or if this is indeed as straight forward as it appears.

She suggested 1/16" grout lines but I think it might look better with 1/8".

Featured Answer

chispa

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I have had every 12x24 tile I have purchased installed in a 50/50 layout and never had a lippage problem. I purchase good quality tile and hire the best tile person I can find.

I would shift the tile pattern over a bit to the left, so you don't have those slivers on the right side. A good tile installer will do a dry layout and discuss with the owner where the cuts will be and what are the pros/cons of one layout or the other. The drawings may not match the actual space once it is finished, so a dry layout is important. The final space might be a touch narrower and allow you to skip the slivers.

My previous kitchen, doing a dry layout with my tile installer for backsplash tile. Lay it out on the floor for us to see where we wanted the cuts. Great guy and a detail oriented perfectionist!

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Comments (10)

Kendrah
Original Author
3 years ago
Just read the specs and you are right. That is exactly what they say. What is the concern if I went ahead and did the 50/50 instead of the 1/3? Why does the manufacturer not recommend? Is it more prone to cracking or something like that?

(I have the same tile in my primary kitchen and it is set at 50/50. I didn't do the install, it was here when I moved in and I have not had a problem with it. But again, I don't know anything about tile so please educate me! Maybe there is a problem that I'm not aware of.)
palimpsest
3 years ago
The problem with 50/50 is lippage since these tiles are rarely flat, So at 50/50 you have a potential low spot immediately adjacent to a potential high spot. It does not take much of a difference to nag at a toe if you are barefoot, and only a little more to make you trip on it. Not necessarily trip and fall but catch on it.
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Kendrah
Original Author
3 years ago
Yikes, this is great info to know! Thanks @palimpsest . No need to nag toes on this floor!
Lyn Nielson
3 years ago
I agree with the 1/16. the smaller the better, for me.
palimpsest
3 years ago
hire the best tile person I can find.

That's the thing, how do you know that you have done this? An excellent tile setter can do lots of things by laying out problematic layouts dry and things like that. But there is a reason manufacturers will not back laying tile 50/50. Some of the worst tile jobs I have ever seen have been in Manhattan, too. However, none have them have been done as an individual contract, so I am only seeing builder-production quality.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
!2 x24 no 50% stagger I actually like them stacked no stagger at all. Why does the designer think this is good?
Kendrah
Original Author
3 years ago
I told our architect that we liked our kitchen floor and want to use the same in the kitchenette/laudry room in our guest studio. I wasn't even thinking about layout. I believe she went with 50% because it is what our flooring is in our kitchen. I also think it is more visually appealing than 1/3. But, after learning here about why maunfacturers and industry standards call for 1/3, I want to go that way.

I don't know much about the tile installer other than he is the guy our GC uses. I haven't interviewed any of the subs our CG has used. Thus far they have all seemed good. Fingers crossed I guess.
palimpsest
3 years ago
If you are using the same people who did your kitchen and it's okay, I think you could go with the 50/50 again if it worked there and is the same tile and manufacturer.
Kendrah
Original Author
3 years ago
I don't know if it was the same tile installer who did our kitchen. It was the same CG but they were hired by the former owners before we moved in. I found out who they are and hired them to do this new job. Their project manager doesn't know if it is the same people who did the install or not.