North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

This DIY project really isn’t rocket science – you don’t need to be an architect or pass a course in advanced building.

Using a tape measure, find the midpoint of the two longest walls and chalk a line across the floor between them. Repeat with the two shorter walls – the chalk-lines should intersect at right angles.

Loosely lay some tiles along the lines – you’ll see whether they look right from the door. If the gaps to the walls are less than half a tile-width, nudge the centre line slightly to enlarge them.

Watch for features like fireplaces or French doors – the tiles need to be symmetrical around these and you should have whole tiles at the doorway (again, just shift the chalk-line accordingly).

Apply a square metre of adhesive/grout into one of the chalk-line right angles. Then score it with the notched edge of the grout trowel. Carefully lay some tiles along the edge of the longest line and press them gently into place, ensuring that they’re flush with the intersecting line, too.

Plastic spacers near each corner (that’s eight per tile) will ensure exact spacing. One square metre at a time, fill the first half of the floor as far as you can with whole tiles (use a long spirit level for evenness). Then repeat for the second half.

After 12 hours drying time, cut the remaining tiles to fit the edges, measuring as you go (you’ll need a diamond disc cutter, profile shaper and tile saw). Allow another 12 hours and fill the gaps with grout, wiping clean with a damp sponge as you go.