Advice Needed On Using Mosaic And Large Format Wall Tiles

[DaveM]

I'm going to be tiling this week in my bathroom, it's been bashed off back to the brick and plasterboarded and tanked and the walls are pretty much square and plumb, but there's a small amount of concaveness to one of the walls, it's only a few mm, but someone mentioned to me that I may struggle with large format tiles (250x500), so did a bit of reading and people seem to recommend a 10mm notch trowel for this? I've also got some mosaic tiles to make a border round the room, but again, I did some reading and it seems that I need a much smaller notch trowel for these? How would I get around the difference in height? The mosaics are 6mm and the tiles are 7mm.

Thanks for any help

 

[DaveM]

@3_fall

Thanks for that! I was originally looking for an alternative to tiles that I could have stuck to the wall, but could only find the upvc cladding and glass splashbacks. The bathroom that has been ripped out was from 1992 and isn't unlike some of the new ones we saw when we were buying the bath, basing and bog! Anyway, I have bought the tiles now, they are being stacked, I've almost convinced her that a border is old hat too.

I'm just wondering, if I run the mosaic up the end of the bath/shower area, how do I cut circular holes in the mosaic for the 15mm shower pipes to come through? if it was just a single tile out for each pipe, that would be easy enough, but I'm not that lucky!

 

[Old Mod]

Just remove minimal amount of mosaic to accept pipe work then cut each piece as required to replace back around pipes.
It'll depend on the mosaic as to how easy/well they'll cut.
Most are easy enough to cut with a pair of tile nippers.
Just nibble at it rather than trying to take chunks.
Most shower controls/diverters come with a fairly large shroud/cover plate to go around pipe work.
Long as the plate covers it, they'll be fine.
Although the plates are generally designed to justpush up tight to the tiles, for added peace of mind u can put a thin silicone bead around the outside which can be cut easily with a box knife if u ever need access.

 

[Flintstone]

Trim to mosaic around it. Cut out enough to get the sheet on the put the 4 bits in. Will have a cover plate over it

 

[Old Mod]

Had you considered tanking around the shower/bath area?
I think for £50 it'd be well worth considering.
Nothing worse than sitting down to breakfast and the ceiling from above joining u for coffee when u've had a unoticed leak!

 

[DaveM]

Ok thanks, wasn't sure if I could nip at them as some of the bits are glass?

It's all tanked with an aquaseal kit, did the entire wall where the bath/shower, basin and toilet are as I had a lot of paint left over.

 

[DaveM]

These are the mosaics, I got some of the mesh backing today from al murads, it does seem to make them more manageable.

 

[Old Mod]

Yeah apparently they do make them easier to manage, never use them myself, but whatever makes your life easier has to be a bonus!
When u say u have a lot left over, did u just get the 4.5m kit, or the bigger 7.5?

 

[DaveM]

Yeah apparently they do make them easier to manage, never use them myself, but whatever makes your life easier has to be a bonus!
When u say u have a lot left over, did u just get the 4.5m kit, or the bigger 7.5?

I got the 7.5 kit off ebay for 40 quid. I've got a 4 year old that likes to splash, so I thought it wise to do as much as possible.

 

[DaveM]

I have a setting out question, am I right in thinking that it's best to start with the wall that the window, end of bath/shower, basin and toilet are? Which gets priority, the window, or bathroom suite when it comes to lining up the tiles? Hope that makes sense. I've read loads and watched loads of vids, but not been able to find one that has all these things on one wall.

Apologies for the temporary bathroom.

 

[Old Mod]

When we walk in to any room are eyes are always drawn to the biggest source of light first, namely a window.
That's what has to look right.
So avoid small pieces adjacent to window reveals.
And what typically looks most pleasing is equal cuts top and bottom, and side to side. (n/a in your case)
And as big as piece as possible.
Ideally we'd all like to see full tiles around every window!
If only!
And also keeping one eye on the tile line parralell to the bath.
This is the next place people look in a bathroom haha,
Oh and then the ceiling.
Sometimes there's a compromise, and u have to make that call.
Remember for every proposed joint line u mark on the wall, the tile can either butt up to it, or it can straddle the line 50/50
Eg. If u've 400 X 400 tiles and you're left with 100mm cut into corner then move your tile off the line u've made and straddle it instead.
U'll then be left with a 300 cut instead.
Hope that's suitably confusing!

 

[DaveM]

@3_fall OK thanks mate. I was planning on tiling just below the bath, maybe 6 inches as the walls are nice and square, and the bath is slightly shorter than the distance between the walls by maybe 20mm. So you reckon keep a grout line away from the line of the bath? Would say a half tile's worth be ok?

I'm putting a false ceiling in using batons, upvc cladding and some downlighters. I was going to to it after I tile and attach the battens to the tiles. You can't see it in the photo, but at the window wall end of the bathroom, there's a 45 degree slope in the ceiling at that end where the eaves are and the plan is to drop the ceiling to get rid of that. It still leaves plenty of headroom above when stood in bath.

And yes, that last bit was confusing haha

 

[Old Mod]

No no, all I meant was it notices if the cut around the bath is very small and it also becomes a weak point because when u fit a small slip like that u increase the chances of it not getting full coverage on tile.
But if you're going to tile from below bath with a full tile then no problem. Although u can improve water integrity within the bath by cutting down on to it.
You're relying solely on a silicone joint otherwise to prevent moisture ingress between wall and bath.
If u cut down onto it, u can install something like this between wal and bath first which will give u 100% leak free bath, if installed correctly.
These are excellent.
Classi Seal Flexible Waterproof Self-Adhesive Upstand - 2M - https://www.rubberduckbathrooms.co.uk/classi-seal-flexible-waterproof-tile-upstand-2m?source=googlebase&kw=&fl=1000&ci=84361459935&network=pla&gclid=CK6J75XQ0s0CFasV0wodNXwFCg

imagine u draw a centre line on the wall perpendicular to your bath.
U start a tile either side of this line and work towards the corner. When u get to the corner u are left with 100mm cut, not desirable if the tiles are 500mm long!
So instead straddle the line with the tile. 250 each side. Now your cut will be 100 + 250 ...350mm much more acceptable.

 

[DaveM]

No no, all I meant was it notices if the cut around the bath is very small and it also becomes a weak point because when u fit a small slip like that u increase the chances of it not getting full coverage on tile.
But if you're going to tile from below bath with a full tile then no problem. Although u can improve water integrity within the bath by cutting down on to it.
You're relying solely on a silicone joint otherwise to prevent moisture ingress between wall and bath.
If u cut down onto it, u can install something like this between wal and bath first which will give u 100% leak free bath, if installed correctly.
These are excellent.
Classi Seal Flexible Waterproof Self-Adhesive Upstand - 2M - https://www.rubberduckbathrooms.co.uk/classi-seal-flexible-waterproof-tile-upstand-2m?source=googlebase&kw=&fl=1000&ci=84361459935&network=pla&gclid=CK6J75XQ0s0CFasV0wodNXwFCg

imagine u draw a centre line on the wall perpendicular to your bath.
U start a tile either side of this line and work towards the corner. When u get to the corner u are left with 100mm cut, not desirable if the tiles are 500mm long!
So instead straddle the line with the tile. 250 each side. Now your cut will be 100 + 250 ...350mm much more acceptable.

Ah I get it now, thanks

So that window and the bath need to be balanced out so the cuts aren't small. Got it. Thanks again mate, much appreciated!

 

[Old Mod]

No problem, but window should take priority.

 

[Italy]

for @DaveM .
attention @3_fall
now send invoice.............ahahha

 

[Sean Kelly]

for @DaveM .
attention @3_fall
now send invoice.............ahahha

What a good idea antonio.

Paypal link ??

 

[Italy]

What a good idea antonio.

Paypal link ??

cash cash.
illegal work no paypal

 

[DaveM]

Back again! I'm setting out and if I get the window with equal pieces, it leaves a smallish cut right at the bottom near the floor of about 5cm. Is a 5cm piece at the very bottom acceptable? If I go either way, up or down, the window is out.

Left to right is OK .

Thanks.

 

[Old Mod]

Have u taken into account the finished floor level?

 

[DaveM]

It's even less with that, I was looking at just vinyl flooring and some plywood, so 15mm tops?

Cheers!

 

[Old Mod]

Sake of 15mm drop it down, as long as it doesn't create a new small cut elsewhere.
If u have large pieces above and below window, it won't be noticeable,
U'll know its there and it'll bug u forever!
Likes been mentioned earlier, sometimes compromises have to be made.

 

[DaveM]

Haha, yes it probably will, I've dropped it down. I've taken a pic of the top and bottom so you can see, hopefully it won't look too bad. There's no small cut at the top anyway

 

[Old Mod]

What happens if u come full tile from window ledge?
That looks awfully close to full tiles.
What size tile again please and height of window?
And it looks like u have a lot of leeway within window.
Is that a fixed window frame on window sill or is that the opener?

 

[DaveM]

What happens if u come full tile from window ledge?
That looks awfully close to full tiles.
What size tile again please and height of window?
And it looks like u have a lot of leeway within window.
Is that a fixed window frame on window sill or is that the opener?

Thanks again! Tiles are 250x500 x 7mm. I'm not sure what you mean by it looking close to full tiles though?

The measuring stick was only to thow the up and down, the tile will come further over to the left and then there's a half tile before the mosaic strip.
The window is 780 x 1045 and I've added a pic so you can see it, the light is bright so it's hard to get it so it shows the room and the window together so I've added 2. The opener is on the left and its a 50/50 split.

I've added another pic with the mosaic stuck in place with some tape and me holding a tile up near the window sill, that tile would obviously be higher up.

Oh and the mosaic isn't central, but that's where it is going and I'll add another single strip up the left to balance it out.

 

[Old Mod]

I'm talking about your horizontal axis.
So if your widow is 780mm, from what I can see you could reduce the size of the window opening by 30mm by building up sill or even lowering the head.
How would that effect your skirting line?

 

[DaveM]

Ah I see what you mean. Yes, the people that fitted the window didn't measure properly so they had to pack the bottom of the window frame. I've already built it up about 4-5cm, no plasterboard left either now, unfortunately. I'll have a look and see if I've got anything I could use, good idea, cheers

 

[DaveM]

There's maybe 35mm to be had up from the current window sill. I've moved my measuring stick up to account for that but I'm then left with a 30-40mm piece at the skirting. I can't come down any from the top as there's not enough frame showing.

 

[Old Mod]

Well ultimately aesthetics are your call.
I'd Probably go with dropping the original 15mm just make sure that is the lowest point, cos if it's the highest, gaps will appear around floor.
Long as it's no more than a few mil in dry areas it'll be ok.
When u silicone around floor line it'll be covered.
But obviously I'm making judgements on images so don't be tied to what I suggest, but with the questions I've asked, hopefully it'll give u a better understanding on how to look at the room overall.

 

[Dan]

I'd drop it so it's full tile at top if window then cutting 15mm or so off the bottom tile. What's that leave below the window then?

It's just a case of playing around with it. With such a large tile there should be a setup that caters for just three or four horizontal points.

 

[DaveM]

Didn't get very far up to now, bought a big clinker off screwfix and it managed about 6 cuts before it stopped working and failing to break cleanly, splintering the surface of the ceramic. Rang QEP to see if they had any ideas, and they said the wheel was dull! Something about a faulty batch of wheels that hadn't been titanium coated. They've sent me a couple out but they haven't arrived yet. And I've got about 6 dead tiles because of it.

Also bought a rubi tile level quick kit and the pliers snapped after securing 6 straps. Shockingly bad quality! I think I'm cursed.


Does anyone know anywhere that stocks these wheels so I could go and buy one today?