JASON PETTINATO TILE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A PARTICIPANT FOR UPDATING
THE:
2011 TILE (C54) CALIFORNIA STATE EXAM
Tile Design Ideas
Tile layout is a critical step in the tilesetting process. Having an undesirable cut at a focal point could be noted as a "layout mistake" or even a lack of layout. Placing your first tile in a corner and working your way out is not layout. Determining where and what size your cuts are "before" you stick one tile is called layout. Take your time with this and check your measurements twice! Remember, once you lay the first tile, the layout process is no longer an option.
Check your critical areas. For example, a tile entry may be surrounded by carpet. It makes sense to try and layout the entry for full tile where it meets the carpet. Maybe the cuts will be at the door and against the wall. Most tile layouts have some wiggle room meaning you may be able to scoot your tile over a inch or two in order to eliminate a undesirable cut. Look for where you would like to see full tile and where the small cut should be. Sometimes you will want to "center" your tile design putting even size cuts on either side. Larger projects like multiple rooms may be more difficult to layout but is well worth the time to determine where those cuts will be.
Each project will layout differently and I have worked on some where you just can't avoid that tiny cut because you wanted full tile at a focal point. That is just the way it goes. It might help to get a few opinions when doing layout to get a different perspective. Ask the reason why they would have a full tile at one place. Remember, there may more than one good layout for a certain project. A sucessfull ceramictilepro layout is knowing where all your cuts are before the first tile is installed.
