Replies

1. 
   JeffBuck | Aug 07, 2003 09:50pm | #1

   U rethink everything....

   U change everything....

   A string line the whole way thru helps.....

   I do a dry run most each and every time.....wall to wall.

   Then after I think it's just about perfect....

   I rethink and change everything again.

   You're almost always gonna have that dreaded sliver somewhere with a complicated layout.....trick is knowing where to hide it.

   Sometime ya leave the sliver ...sometime ya don't. All depends what the main focal points are.

   And sometimes ya plan for a threshold at a doorway to give a natural break that helps hide the differences....

   Nnot one right way or magic formula.

   Just remember ....they're easier to move before the thinset is mixed up.

   Jeff

   Buck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

    Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite                  

2. 
   WayneL5 | Aug 07, 2003 10:40pm | #2

   I don't think there's one "right" way.  If you're not lucky enough for the pattern to carry well from one room to another, you have a number of options.

   • Reworking the layout to see if you can make the slivers go away in both rooms.  Does shifting the whole pattern one-half tile work, or does it create slivers in the other room?
   • Making the layout work for both rooms, but in the doorway creating an irregular pattern.  For example, creating a "visual threshhold" by laying the tiles, just between the door jambs, on the diagonal.  So, there would be an area about 4 to 6 inches wide with the same color tile on the diagonal, creating the look of a threshhold.  It would still be good for the grout lines in the two room to align so if you looked from one room to another you'd see a straight line, but using this technique you can account for an offset front-to-back.
   • Using a different color tile in the doorway, creating a threshhold look.
   • Living with slivers in the laundry room if they are in an out of the way area, such as behind the washer and dryer.  (You should be so lucky).
   • Creating a decorative border with contrasting tile, perhaps in a different size, too, in one or both rooms.

   Laying tiles on the diagonal is more effort, but visually it works very well, especially in long, narrow spaces.

3. 
   MojoMan | Aug 08, 2003 12:22am | #3

   Gee..What is this...fine homebuilding? Most of the tile guys I see lay a full tile in the corner farhtest from the door and have at it! Luckily, I found a good one that understands there is art in this trade. He's always too busy to return his calls.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

4. 
   joeh | Aug 08, 2003 12:52am | #4

   I've found that what it looks like from the entry door is what to concentrate on. Lay it out and have a look from the front door, rear door, whatever entry to the house you are likely to see it from.

   Try to get what looks best from there and then work with it to get your rooms looking the way you want.

   Hate those details that poke you in the eye when you enter a house.

   Joe H

5. 
   DennisS | Aug 08, 2003 06:00am | #5

   Hi Shake -

   I think Joe H came closest to what I would do in your case - cogitate on which entrance to the kitchen is the most important, circulation wise, and focus your layout from that perspective.

   Whatever you do, I'd suggest considering working from the center of the room towards the walls. Find the center of the two most distant walls. Snap a line between these centers. Now lay the tile *dry* from this centerline to either one of the walls to see where you end up. Less than half a tile? Shift the whole row one half tile over so you end up with more than a half tile at either side.

   Now find the center point of this centerline and 3/4/5 a right angle on either side. This is your centerpoint for starting in the other direction. Dry lay the tile from this centerpoint to one of the end walls to see where you arrive and adjust accordingly as well.

   Now then, you have cabinets in this kitchen to work around, too. As someone else said, you can keep moving and shifting the tile around till hell freezes over until you get something that works. In as many places as possible. But unless you were born with a silver margin trowel in your mouth, you ain't gonna get them *all* to work out that great.

   My personal opinion is that small slivers of tile are more acceptable if under a toe kick (cabinet situation) or hidden behind something (a 'fridge or washer) .... The long runs against walls is where I'd focus on trying to obtain the most pleasing layout.

   ...........

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   woodnut@anatechsys.com

6. 
   ken1 | Aug 10, 2003 12:12pm | #6

   i use a laser line instead of a chalk line ,that way you dont needto wory about seeing chalk line in adhesive as laser jumps over ridges (about $50 can)

7. 
   andybuildz | Aug 10, 2003 04:52pm | #7

   As everyone said.....you need to rethink it all over and over.

   Just finished a job like that..through a kitchen redo I just did then down a long hall....into a closet and laundry room then down another hall.

   One thing to also consider when getting to slivers is the possiblilities to change base moldings....maybe add shoe molding or multiple layers where applicable and pleasant to the eye.

   At times where multiple layers of molding didnt look appropriate I've shimmed out the main base molding from behind with 1/2x and whatever over the top.

   Its all in your creativeness.

   Be sure to charge right because it can really go on and on and on with customers changing their minds every time you come back in the morning after you wracked your brain, back and knees.

   Be creative

                   andy

    

    

   In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

8. 
   attackgirl | Apr 01, 2019 08:03pm | #8

   As everyone also recommends moving the tile and adjusting you can also try different patterns; straight-line, diagonal, Brick, chessboard, herringbone, basketweave on and on. I always lay out the tile every piece and make adjustments as necessary for visual appearances taking into account Feng Shui but also feeling under the feet, you don't want to sit on the toilet and have your feet on the crack or 4 way meeting when a slight adjustment will suffice or also sitting on the toilet looking down or across the room dead ahead at the tile and seeing those slivers, or for the gentlemen looking behind the toilet to see messed up tile, or stepping out of the shower onto a drain.

   Sometimes doorways are your saving place as suggested making thresholds will allow for pattern changes, grout color changes etc to help build a rooms character all using the same tile. Walk into a long kitchen with a staggered pattern making the kitchen seemingly bigger and drawing your attention in then a threshold area to stop your gaze. Then imagine coming in from back of the house into the laundry room the herringbone will lead you in but keep your gaze in the room, so play with the tile. To busy of a tile and you do not want a complicated pattern it's exhausting.

   Tile is considered permanent so you don't want to go with latest trends that come and go or you will soon be outdated then out a backache and lots of $$.