Tile install tip (from a rookie!)

Well, hello there little kitty cat! Have you come for my tile tutorial?


Have a seat and let's get started then!

I'm currently tiling an entryway. I'll be doing a before and after when the floor is complete so I actually have something interesting to show you. However, I thought perhaps I could share this little rookie tip with you I created.

(all real tile installers, please leave the building NOW. Or, keep the laughter down to a dull roar as my hearing protection is now off. Thank-you.)

So here we have this fancy dancy tile twisted diagonally, or, on the bias.

It's a great gimmick to use when your walls aren't square. However, that wasn't my true intent this go around in this room. It's part of the design. If you look back at the cat picture, you can see there's a pattern smack dab in the middle of the floor. And now what I'm doing is wrapping the bias tile around the pattern.

(yes I'm out of my mind crazy for doing this, but I was bored out of my tree with just doing it normally and needed some massive adventure here! So I got fancy)

I had been using a ruler and tediously measured and measured and measured until there were no numbers left on the ruler. (true story, they rubbed off and I had to find another) And then I figured out an easier way.

Place a piece of paper in position, taking note to avoid the grout spacing. (1/4" in this case). Bend the paper where it hits the wall, again, taking in account that you want abit of a gap against the wall.

(tiles don't move, however walls expand and contract and you don't want to have your tile snap on you, hence the gap against the wall)

For crazy corners in tight spaces, I use post it notes instead! Stick them down in your space while slightly overlapping them so they stay intact to create your pattern.

Place the paper (or stuck together post it notes) on the tile against the outer edges and draw your angled line as per the fold in the paper. (no measuring, see?!? How exciting!)

Cut your line.

I've been using a heavy duty wet saw, however you can rent smaller variations or even buy manual cutters too. (the type where you drag, cut and snap) But if you have the opportunity to tile with one of these... ohhhh yeahhhh. GOOD hearing protection and safetly glasses are a must. Yes I look like an alien when I work but it's what all the pros are doing these days.

Place your tile into position. I do dry runs first, doing alot of cuts, then mortaring later just to keep things moving a little quicker.

Isn't that perfect fit just the cat's meow?!?

Come back! It was just a joke!

(more 'building of the front entry' stories HERE)