Reference section for tiling

How to tile a bathroom

The equipment you will need before you begin:

Setting out Equipment
Pencil
Felt pen
Spirit level
Gauge staff (plywood or timber 50mm wide x 1200mm long)
Few of the tiles to be used
Spacers

Method
First you need to draw a level line around the room using the spirit level; the finish point must meet with the start point.

This line is known as a Datum line.

The Datum line can be constructed at any convenient height but preferably avoiding obstructions like toilet cisterns, wash basins etc.

Now we need to find the lowest point of the floor.

This is achieved by placing the plywood gauge staff to the floor and marking your datum point on the staff.

Then moving the staff at all points around the room still marking the datum (level line) as you move around.

If your floor is not level the marks on your plywood should differ, for instance if there is 25mm difference in the marks on your plywood staff then this indicates that the floor is out by this amount.

If there is a deviation in floor level then the mark furthest away on your staff from the end that was used against the floor will mean that this was the lowest point of the floor.

The now lowest point should be marked on the wall and the difference between the marks on the staff the 25mm we suggest should also be indicated on the wall at the place of the lowest point.

Now using the other side of your gauge staff the clean side, the same procedure as before should be carried out by placing the end of the staff at different points of the ceiling and again mark the datum point on the staff.

If there is a variation again, this indicates the ceiling is also un-level.

Again mark the difference at the high point of the ceiling for instance 25mm.

Both the floor and ceiling will be out of level in most cases, so do not think it’s just your room.

The 25mm we used as an example would be typical of most domestic bathrooms.

If your walls are un-even and require preparation see the section (wall preparation).

Now we need a new piece of timber or plywood the same as your staff used earlier to find the high and low points.

Lay the timber on a flat surface or just lay it on the floor, now from the good square end of the gauge rod place one of the tiles to be used for this bathroom square with the end and the long edge, now mark the tile size on the gauge rod using a pencil.

Now place two spacers between the first and the second tile and again mark the second tile position.

Repeat this process until you reach the end of your gauge rod, if there is a gap between the last tile and the end of the gauge rod either saw this off or clearly mark so you do not use the wrong end of the gauge rod when we move on to the next stage.

You are now ready to set out the bathroom.

Let’s first take a step back the marks on the walls indicating the high point of the ceiling and the lowest point of the floor.

Now place your gauge rod, good end on the floor at the lowest point, mark the tile indicator lines one above and one below your datum line.

This is only a starting point and not necessarily a final decider of any set out.

We are just assuming a full tile at the lowest point.

Now raise the gauge rod by one full tile, so there is a full tile gap below your gauge rod, this is done by lifting the gauge rod so the tile lines you marked are now in line with the lines on the gauge rod again.

You now mark the datum line on the gauge rod, this should fall somewhere between the two tile lines.

Take your gauge rod to the highest point of the ceiling and line up the datum mark just found at the low point and all you are doing is transferring the tile joints from the low floor point to the high ceiling point.

The high and low points are known as the furthest extremities, this is the actual jargon used in the standard BS 5385.

For further training information call 01782 566166