Designing a Tile Layout

Design Tile Patterns on Graph Paper

One of the easiest methods for laying out a tile design is to use graph paper. Begin by measuring the length and width of the area in question. For small areas, simply give each square on the paper a designation, such as 2, 4 or 6” a piece. For very large areas, divide the number of squares in one direction on the graph paper into a number of inches of the layout in the same direction. This number will designate how many inches each square on the graph paper will represent.

Once the squares have a numerical measure assigned, begin by drawing the length and width of the space. Count of the number of squares on the graph paper that equal the size of the tile being used and begin playing with the layout. This is especially helpful for wall borders, chairrail heights and backsplash tile designs. Play with the height of the border, whether it will have tiles above and below it, a chairrail or molding on either end, and whether the tiles above and below are in the same pattern. Lay tiles below a border straight and above the border on an angle.

Designing a tile pattern can be done this way; sketching the tile sizes to scale, in the scaled space. Drawing out the design this way can help get a feel for the whole space.

Mark the Design with Blue Tape or Poster Board

For those homeowners who need more visual help, try marking the area to be tiled itself. For help laying a border or a chairrail height, place blue painter’s tape at various heights on the wall, or various increments in from the walls on the floor.
If trying to determine how the tiles should lay, try drawing them to scale on a piece of poster board, and either placing the whole board in place, or cutting the pieces out and playing around with the layout. Try laying the loose pieces at different angles and positions and stepping away from the space to get a feel for how it will look. Using poster board in a color approximate to the one chosen for the tile, will help increase this effect.

 

Ask for Loose Pieces

If the tile showroom has a large enough sample room, ask to borrow several pieces of the tile being considered, along with chair rails and moldings. Then use the actual tiles to lay out the pattern or the design in the space and see how it looks. If loose pieces are not available, find out what the return policy is, and purchase a box of tile. Many showrooms will allow for the return of full boxes of tile within 30 days. Some may charge a restocking fee for this service, so be sure to ask before going this route, especially if unsure if this is indeed the tile to be used.

This method works well if playing with different sizes of tile to see how a pattern will look, or if trying different layouts of the same tile. Try placing square tiles on the diagonal in the space, or stacking subway tiles on top of one another, rather than with a broken joint. Take the various sized pieces of a pattern and lay them in the space to see how the pattern will look.

Be sure to try to look at a placement for several days and be confident that it’s the correct one before laying the tiles. Leave blue tape or poster board up for several days to a week, or leave the loose tiles in an area that gets lots of changing light to see how they will look through the course of a day. It’s always better to wait a little longer and be sure of a layout, than to risk having it put in only to find out it’s not the layout imagined. Get creative with the tiles and the space, and start designing a new tile project today.

source: interior decorating 101

Larger tiles are becoming popular

Larger tiles are becoming more and more popular these days. Here are some pictures of some 20x20 tile we installed in the tack room of a horse barn in Bucks County PA.

 This floor is a high traffic area that will see a lot of abuse. The customer chose a large durable matte finish porcelain tile with natural colors to accentuate the walls but also because it is low maintenance.

The color and finish of a tile can minimize water spots from cleaning and spills as well as hide the dirt. Larger tiles mean less grout, and the grout we installed was a stain resistant epoxy. This is a great combination for high traffic areas.

Ceramic tile

Ceramic tile is made from clay fired in a kiln. Then a colored glaze is added, and the tile is fired again, making the colors very vivid. Ceramic tile can be slippery, so they are usually treated with an abrasive if they are to be used a floor tiles. Unglazed ceramic tiles, called quarry tiles, are also available. They stain easily, so they should be sealed for use as flooring.

Ceramic tile is a beautiful and economical way to add a custom style to your home. There are a variety of things to consider when choosing tile. Ceramic tile is relatively easy to install, so many people choose this as a do-it-yourself project. If you plan to install the ceramic tile yourself, it is even more important that you shop carefully.

Ceramic tile is available in a wide range of sizes. In general, the larger the tile, the easier it will be to install. The most important part of installing tile is to keep it even and level. There are a variety of spots that you need to watch to ensure that you are laying the tile correctly.

It is important that the mortar below your tile is a uniform height. This will keep your floor from being uneven. If the mortar is thicker in one area than another, your tiles will also be uneven, leading to an uneven floor. The spacing between each tile needs to be even as well. While there are spacers available that you slide between the tiles to help maintain proper spacing, it can still be difficult to keep each row properly spaced.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways that the spacing and maintaining evenness can be a problem while laying ceramic tile. When you use larger tile, you will have less opportunities to make a mistake with your spacing. Larger tiles are also easier to handle in the sticky, thin-set mortar.

Another consideration when you are choosing ceramic tile is the pattern of the tile. Ceramic tile nearly always has some variation in each tile. If the variation is subtle, it is easier to match. If the variation is more pronounced, it is important to be very careful when laying the tile out. Even a group of tiles that look exactly alike will exhibit subtle changes when set out beside each other.

The easiest way to deal with slight variations in the tile color is by selecting tiles out of each of the boxes in a random pattern. The worst thing that you can do is to use all of one box, and then move on to the next box. Instead, open all of the boxes of ceramic tile and mix them up. This will draw attention to the natural variations between the tiles without there being highly visible lines, with each quarter of the room looking different.

source: geekwise