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Once your surface is prepared, you’ll need to lay out
where the tiles will go. For a good-looking installation,
layout lines must be square. Otherwise, you’ll end up with
odd-shaped tiles at the walls.
When you’re doing the dry layout of the tiles, place
spacers upright between them to maintain the right gap for
the grout joints. |
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 Establish a
layout line by measuring opposite sides of the room and
marking the center of each side. Snap a chalk line between
the marks. Measure and mark the center of the chalk line.
From this point, use a framing square to establish a
second line perpendicular to the first. Snap a second
layout line across the room. |
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 Check for squareness with a "carpenter's triangle." Measure and mark
one layout line 3 feet from the center point. Measure and
mark the perpendicular layout line 4 feet from the
centerpoint. Measure the distance between the marks. If
the layout lines are perpendicular, the distance will be
exactly 5 feet. |
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 Lay tiles
and spacers along one line from the center to the wall. If
the space at the wall is narrower than half a tile, move
the other line back by half a tile. You’ll end up with
wider cuts at both walls. |
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 It’s best to
divide the floor into manageable boxes, roughly 2- by
3-feet square, for setting the tiles. The best way to
determine the exact size of box that’s right for your
tiles is to lay them out and measure them. Begin by laying
out an L in the center of the room. Use the chalk lines as
a guide and separate the tiles with spacers. |
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 Measure both
branches of the L from the center to determine the size of
the boxes you will lay out on the floor. Add the width of
one spacer to each measurement. |
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 Remove the
tiles. Lay out a chalk-line grid, with each box the size
of the sample you measured in Step 5. |
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RELATED PROJECTS
Installing Cement
Backerboard
Setting the Tiles
Grouting
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