Opus Pattern Question - Tile Advice

[WillCalderwood]

We've got a 3 tile size opus pattern we're doing in travertine. The tiles have not been bought as a set, and therefore there's a slight spacing issue. The tile sizes are 610x610, 610x305 and 305x305. Now, they clearly fit together fine with no spacing (assuming they're all perfectly cut to size), but as you can see from the attached pattern below, if you take a line across it, some parts of the pattern have 3 spaces, others 2. We therefore have 2 options, the guy at Topps said use 4 & 3 mm spacers, I can't see for the life of me how that would work. Using 2 and 3 mm spacers we can ensure a total of 6mm of space across all areas of the pattern. So 3 2mm spacers where we have 3 spaces, and 2 3mm where we only have 2. Again attached example with massive spaces so they're easier to visualise. The 3rd option is obviously to trim 2mm off the smaller tiles where we have 3 spaces, ensuring we can use 2mm spacers throughout.

What would people recommend, visually and amount of work taken into account. Would mixed spacing look weird? Should we be trimming the tiles?

Thanks.

 

[gamma38]

I would trim the small tile definitely.

 

[DHTiling]

Are the tiles square cut or tumbled..?

 

[WillCalderwood]

Thanks, you say trim the small tile. I might be picking up on something unintended here, but you used "tile", not "tiles". I can't seem to work out how to only trim the smallest tile and get it to work. Should I have to trim both the smaller tiles, or should I be able to get away with only trimming the smallest?

- - - Updated - - -

@Dave - they're square cut.

 

[CCTiling]

If they're chiselled edge you wouldn't notice it

 

[DHTiling]

@Dave - they're square cut.

OK... then this will be a bespoke project and you cut to suit as you go... you then control the tolerances of each tile... can be time consuming but this is bespoke tiling..

 

[jonnyc]

This is a very common problem but not as difficult as you think to sort out.
If you had an average joint of 3mm joint you can overhang the joint by a mm where you need to and it will never show when grouted if distressed tile edges. Where you have two tiles = size of one tile with no joint. Just open up the joint when fixed with thin blade.mathematically it does not work but it sorts itself out with a bit of thought.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Will - if you are going to follow a repeat pattern and not use the 3 tiles in a random 'Opus' then your diagram is out in bottom left.
As these tiles are usually not made as a design but brought together as you have done, size and colour differences are extremely common. It's nearly always the small square which has to be accommodated into the layout and cutting the mm's off 2 sides of this small tile is the only solution. It can be tiled using a variable joint without spacers and self spacing, but the tighter joint of the small square is often noticeable on a square edge tile. Fortunately travertine and wet saw easily overcome this variation .

 

[Fran]

We've just finished tiling a floor with opus pattern where tiles were not a set. So the smallest tile x 2 = the exact size of the next tile up. No allowance for spacing. The way we did it was to layout the tiles as a dry run spacing by eye, then measured the overall dimensions of the module. Marked out a grid based on this dimension so as to stick to these lines which meant that the larger tiles stayed perfectly aligned across the whole floor, the smaller tiles were fudged into the gaps. It looks great and the unevenness doesn't jar at all especially as the tiles themselves are naturally variable colourwise. With hindsight the tumbled edge would have been a better choice than chiselled as this would have masked the variance even better. Partner wanted to trim the tiles to fit but I put my foot down, which he admitted he was grateful for as it would have been a lot of unnecessary work not to mention dust!

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

All multi-format tiles need a pattern and grout joint width specified prior to laying.
If this isn't supplied, then the tiler will have to guess on the best layout pattern. This will result in excess and lack of one or another size of tile.
Chipped-edge travertine tends not to have a grout joint at all, but if you are dealing with any other kind of tile, it is completely necessary to have the correct ratio of tile sizes, a pattern and a grout joint size supplied with the tiles. Cutting down tiles will make for a timely and rubbish-looking job.
Send them back if you don't have all the info supplied with them.

 

[Deleted member 54066]

If you know what % of each tile size that has be delivered its quite easy to search the Internet and get at least 1 possible multi tile pattern , normally more to choose from.

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

If you know what % of each tile size that has be delivered its quite easy to search the Internet and get at least 1 possible multi tile pattern , normally more to choose from.

Yeah, it's simple enough to find out ratios and patterns of multi-format tiles, but it still relies upon the tiler picking the correct pattern, and there will be absolutely no instruction on the grout joint size, which is critical on the execution. Cutting-down tiles is simply not an option.

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

Will - if you are going to follow a repeat pattern and not use the 3 tiles in a random 'Opus' then your diagram is out in bottom left.
As these tiles are usually not made as a design but brought together as you have done, size and colour differences are extremely common. It's nearly always the small square which has to be accommodated into the layout and cutting the mm's off 2 sides of this small tile is the only solution. It can be tiled using a variable joint without spacers and self spacing, but the tighter joint of the small square is often noticeable on a square edge tile. Fortunately travertine and wet saw easily overcome this variation .

Just a question about cutting down a tile to fit. Why would you take on a job with tiles that simply don't work with one another? I certainly wouldn't. That surprises me from some somebody like you who has been in the trade for so long. Do you cut down down tiles over a window when you've made a mistake: to fit?
Sounds odd to me.

 

[Deleted member 54066]

I would of expected any tiler with experience and skill to make a multi format pattern work without the need for perfect size tiles or written down joint sizes.
Tiles cut and fabricated is something done by many a top tiler to create great looking jobs

 

[Dumbo]

Just a question about cutting down a tile to fit. Why would you take on a job with tiles that simply don't work with one another? I certainly wouldn't. That surprises me from some somebody like you who has been in the trade for so long. Do you cut down down tiles over a window when you've made a mistake: to fit?
Sounds odd to me.

Maybe he has the skill set and knowledge to do so