A challenging cut?

[pablo79]

I'm soon about to tile my kitchen diner floor. I have a couple of questions...

Firstly, what sized notched trowel should be used for 600x300 porcelain tiles being laid on a concrete floor?

Secondly, the room has one challenging part, and that's a metal post that supports an overhead beam. It runs from ceiling to floor and cannot be moved. It's about 15cm/6" wide. What's the best way to work around this? The 600x300 tiles will be set in a brickbond layout, so I won't have 4 corners meeting eachother at this point.

Any ideas on this one, professional tilers?

 

[Gazzer]

Is there no possibility of using the centre of the post as a setting out point ? You could do a few things but really without seeing the job its hard to give a honest opinion.

 

[pablo79]

The post is actually only about 6" from the wall. I certainly could use it as the starting point, although I've not yet worked out how this will affect the position of tiles and cuts at the edges of the room. Let me see if I've got a photo of it on my computer here in work.

 

[Gazzer]

How awkward is the rest of the room ?

 

[pablo79]

Not awkward at all - the skirting boards will be removed for tiling and tiles will go under the plinths.

I've found a couple of photos which give you an idea of what I'm working with. As you can see, the post in question sits close the wall next to the fridge.

 

[Gazzer]

Is it the kitchen floor only or the dining area too ?

 

[pablo79]

The whole kitchen diner area, including the rear porch (through the doorway you can see)

 

[Gazzer]

In that case at some point there will be a compromise, whether its at the post or a door way etc.
If you feel competent to draw a plan of the areas to be tiled and with exact measurements to the mm then I could do a drawing with the tiles shown in different setting out points.

 

[Gazzer]

I assume you wish to keep the post visible ?

 

[pablo79]

Yea, I'm pretty confident doing that. I'll get a to-scale drawing done. It might take me a little while though!

Many thanks!