Template for cutting floor tile around toilet

[pete f]

martin if its possible remove the pan tile and put it back in it will save you a lot of time and its a much better finish

 

[ScottG13]

It matters not whether you use templates or not, I feel very angry when members insinuate that fellow members are DIY. Bad Very bad insult:mad2:

In your case Phil it stands for 'Doing it Years'.

Know what you mean though I looked on that Diynot forum and you should see how they all talk to eachother on there :yikes:

 

[Lincoln-tiler]

Get out the battery powed makitas ;-) lol

 

[Lincoln-tiler]

I love it when everyone gets all agitated - but surely controversy is part of a good discussion?

I know that a lot of tilers use BnQ plastic templates, paper, cardboard, plastic etc. Could even be said that shows an innovative approach to a problem. All that matters is a good job at the end of the day (and a good quick job earns money). But I still dont like paper templates and think they are unprofessional.

As for nibblers - Mike - they still remain one of the quckest tools for accurate removal of small amounts of tile waste - I know there are "Sigma" tilers who can break 4mm off the edge of a tile, but I still score with a manual cutter and use nibblers to break at the score on such small cuts - about 10 times quicker than using a diamond dry/wet cutter. And what do you guys do when the electric gets cut off?

get out the battery powered makitas ;-) lol

 

[Lincoln-tiler]

I mark by hand and scribe in with a pencil but may i suggest using masking tape. put your hole tile/straight cuts in place around the toilet (dry stuck) and stick masking tape in the space where your tile is needed not forgetting to leave a tile joint and only a tile joint. once you have done this scribe any excess masking tape to the toilet with a stanley knife. That will give you a perfect template. Then peel the masking tape up and place it onto your whole tile. It will stick in place so you can put a pencil mark around it ready for snipping or grinding. what ever you prefer. May I suggest get good with your snips before getting to used to your grinder. Good luck!!!

 

[jay]

I cant believe everyone is talking about paper templates...........
First off, try to centre tile layout around the toilet. Make sure that at the back of the toilet you have a joint in the centre - it is a nightmare to try and fit a whole tile behind a toilet.
Second, fit the full tiles around your toilet.
Third, mark a rough guide (very rough sketch to keep your mind straight about where to nibble) of the cut you need to make.
Fourth, lay the tile exactly in an adjacent line (either with adjacent horizontal; or vertical tile) and mark the point between edge of the set tile and toilet, on your tile to be cut, so that you have a starting point.
Fifth, get a marker rod/ruler (Rubi TS lateral stops are popular for this). Place it exactly up against the toilet base, and mark the position on your marker, of the mark made on the tile to be cut. Now use the rod as a template marker - keeping it exactly at 90 degrees to the tile, move it inch by inch around the toilet base. Mark on your tile, the point on your rod that was transfered from your tile - effectively you will quickly mark the shape of the cut exactly onto the tile.
Once the tile is marked up, use a wet cutter to cut out most of the waste tile, the use nibblers to get to the exact marked line. Until you get confident with your marking, always cut too little. As you cut more away you can place your tile against the toilet, and use a pencil to fully mark the final cut.
This really works well, is so much more professional than DIY or paper templates, and wont get you laughed off the first building site you work on.
However, If the tile is bigger than the gap between the toilet and adjacent wall, either partially cut away known waste on the tile until you can get a proper marking on it, or you may need to use a short ruler to mark a straight line adjacent to the toilet, or measure distance to toilet base at 1" intervals, then transfer to tile.
This may sound complicated at first, but I haven't time to photograph this in practice - sorry.
And to all you paper templaters.... bah humbug! :lol::lol::lol:

thats a big statement
just to let you know we are all different some scribe /paper /or remove pan
i recommend you go and have a look at some of Phils and others albums then correct your judgment call
just out of curiosity if you make a mistake when cutting a dificult cut (you probably dont) do you use the bad cut tile as a template:yikes:

move on were all different as long as it works for you


jay

 

[jwatson]

well this has been a good debate lol my phone going off twice an hour.
i think whatever method you have been taught is good for the person who learnt it.
but for ease of explaning on here, the paper method must surly be the best for any newbys.
i use the paper method because of good results and it is cheap. 1 roll of lining paper,im not even half way through it allthough i have not been tiling as long as the likes of phil/daz and a good few more. but surly it will last a couple more years.

my conclusion to this very good debate is there is more than one way to skin a rabbit

 

[jwatson]

As Bri above for me, using thin cardboard, better stil felt paper. These were done using that method.

that pinky/beige bathroom suite doesnt do that good tiling youve done any justice.
like the other bathroom tho, more to my personal taste.

 

[Mike]

that pinky/beige bathroom suite doesnt do that good tiling youve done any justice.
like the other bathroom tho, more to my personal taste.

i reckon phil had long hair and wore flares when that suite went in :lol::lol::lol:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

i reckon phil had long hair and wore flares when that suite went in :lol::lol::lol:

Still do mate:lol: That job was tiled last november, don't know when the suite went in I was probably still an apprentice

 

[Michael kiss]

Use a flexi curve, you can get them from art shop's, bend it round the toilet, it keeps it's shape, then once you work out your starting and ending points on the tile, place it on and mark the curve.

 

[Brinkley]

did one today had to cut round a curved shower tray ,toilet and sink i dont use paper or gauges i think i doit like daz works for me remember little and often

 

[DHTiling]

I cant believe everyone is talking about paper templates...........

First off, try to centre tile layout around the toilet. Make sure that at the back of the toilet you have a joint in the centre - it is a nightmare to try and fit a whole tile behind a toilet.

Second, fit the full tiles around your toilet.

Third, mark a rough guide (very rough sketch to keep your mind straight about where to nibble) of the cut you need to make.

Fourth, lay the tile exactly in an adjacent line (either with adjacent horizontal; or vertical tile) and mark the point between edge of the set tile and toilet, on your tile to be cut, so that you have a starting point.

Fifth, get a marker rod/ruler (Rubi TS lateral stops are popular for this). Place it exactly up against the toilet base, and mark the position on your marker, of the mark made on the tile to be cut. Now use the rod as a template marker - keeping it exactly at 90 degrees to the tile, move it inch by inch around the toilet base. Mark on your tile, the point on your rod that was transfered from your tile - effectively you will quickly mark the shape of the cut exactly onto the tile.

Once the tile is marked up, use a wet cutter to cut out most of the waste tile, the use nibblers to get to the exact marked line. Until you get confident with your marking, always cut too little. As you cut more away you can place your tile against the toilet, and use a pencil to fully mark the final cut.

This really works well, is so much more professional than DIY or paper templates, and wont get you laughed off the first building site you work on.

However, If the tile is bigger than the gap between the toilet and adjacent wall, either partially cut away known waste on the tile until you can get a proper marking on it, or you may need to use a short ruler to mark a straight line adjacent to the toilet, or measure distance to toilet base at 1" intervals, then transfer to tile.

This may sound complicated at first, but I haven't time to photograph this in practice - sorry.

And to all you paper templaters.... bah humbug! :lol::lol::lol:

This and your other reply about You love agitating other members is bordering in Forum Trolling and if continued is a ban'able offence.

I love it when everyone gets all agitated

learn forum etiquette and be nice to others rather than criticise methods you do not use... the template technique was around well before you even dreamed of being a tiler , so think before you type.

Admin.

 

[andy8758]

This and your other reply about You love agitating other members is bordering in Forum Trolling and if continued is a ban'able offence.
learn forum etiquette and be nice to others rather than criticise methods you do not use... the template technique was around well before you even dreamed of being a tiler , so think before you type.

Admin.

OK sometimes mickey taking can be taken the wrong way.

First off, I never intended any insult to Phil Hobson and apologise unreservedly for any offence given. Furthermore, I have read many of Phil’s responses on a wide range of tiling matters and fully respect his expertise based on what I have seen him post.

Secondly I don’t understand what trolling is.

Thirdly, if I make any comments that start strong responses, I stop posting on that thread – I don’t see this or any other forum as a platform for arguing – I see them as a useful resource for everyone interested in that topic.

Fourth and last is the question of what is right or wrong, good or bad in tiling is often a matter of opinion and nothing more. Dave and other admin/moderators are right to intervene if you think something goes beyond the aims and objectives of the forum – there is no intention from me to undermine this forum and I apologise if I have caused an either real or apparent problem in my posting – that was not my intent.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Just had a very nice PM from Andy. He is imo a 'stand up guy'.

I think the moral of this thread is each to their own.

 

[ms.tiles]

hi
having read all posts on this thread then its each to their own. i was trained with nips and wasnt even allowed a wetcutter until i could nip a curve. ive been doing it that way for 5 years and only now am i getting confident with using my eye to gauge where i can start from without taking off to much. i always leave a bit extra on and will put the cut up to the toilet and run my pencil around it to then nip off for a nice tight finish. it has taken me time to get quick at it and sometimes i do break the odd tile which can be really annoying especially if its right near the end,im sure we've all been there.
Try some of the ways given and find what your comfortable with and over time you'll get quicker at it.
Good luck

 

[DHTiling]

OK sometimes mickey taking can be taken the wrong way.

First off, I never intended any insult to Phil Hobson and apologise unreservedly for any offence given. Furthermore, I have read many of Phil’s responses on a wide range of tiling matters and fully respect his expertise based on what I have seen him post.

Secondly I don’t understand what trolling is.

Thirdly, if I make any comments that start strong responses, I stop posting on that thread – I don’t see this or any other forum as a platform for arguing – I see them as a useful resource for everyone interested in that topic.

Fourth and last is the question of what is right or wrong, good or bad in tiling is often a matter of opinion and nothing more. Dave and other admin/moderators are right to intervene if you think something goes beyond the aims and objectives of the forum – there is no intention from me to undermine this forum and I apologise if I have caused an either real or apparent problem in my posting – that was not my intent.

Thank you.. The rules of the forum are simple.. be nice or get removed.. and thankfully 99% of members love this rule and stick to it, hence why Tilers forums is what it is.


As for Troll
.. lol.. Google is your friend.. and yes we do clamp down quick on this.

 

[Andy Allen]

i don't use templates........kept forgetting my lining paper and got fed up with having to cut my daily sport up..

 

[MartinH]

Folks thank you very much for all the advice you have provided on this topic, there are obviously a number of ways to do it and what is clear is that the only way I will know is by doing it and over time working out which is best for me ......

I initially sought the advice as this is my first time having todo this and wanted to have some confidence that I was apporaching in the right way...what this thread has done is also provide alternative methods and sound advice specifically regarding the "nibbling".....many thanks to all and ill let you know how it went !

 

[diamondtiling]

Just read all the way through this thread and it reminded me of the first time I had to cut around a loo and pedestal. I kept waiting until the owner of the house went out for the morning before I started to do the cuts. I thought they might think I did not know what I was doing if they saw my method.
It involved the paper out of my van, a pencil and a pair of scissors to make a template. The cuts were nice and tight and I thought I was really ingenious for thinking of doing the cuts that way. Only later did I realise that many many tilers use the same method.
Phil has a few years on me but that was over 25 years ago.


So long as the end result is satisfactory just stick to what you know but be prepared to learn a few tricks when us oldies start yabbering.

Now where are my slippers and pipe?

 

[MartinH]

diamondtiling - the great thing about this forum is that its good to know its there.........you can buy all the latest tools, cutters etc....but you cannot buy the experience...and the beauty of it is that on here, its free....well at the moment it is !.......as someone new to the trade, this forum was recommended to me by someone who simply said " you will learn more from tilers on that forum, than you will ever learn months on end in a training room"...enough said really and this forum for me is probably the most important tool I have..who knows in years to come I hope I can hand down the experience to others...that will depend on whether I get killed by the customer for him not liking my cut around his toilet !!!

 

[diamondtiling]

Cant ever see the forum not being free Martin, unless Dan does a pay per click for answers???
oooh...........a new porsche for Dan
:auto:

 

[MartinH]

Cant ever see the forum not being free Martin, unless Dan does a pay per click for answers???
oooh...........a new porsche for Dan
:auto:

.....it was the PPC scenario that came to mind ;->