"Seven times measure cut once". The truth of this well-known proverb is true for any type of construction work, including surface cladding with ceramic tiles. Measurements should be taken only after work has been completed to prepare the base for laying.
In this article, we primarily wanted to cover the following questions:
How to measure a room correctly ?
How to place tiles on the floor (breakdown of the covering for cladding) ?
How to mark walls ?
How to calculate the required volume of ceramic tiles ?
How to place tiles on the surface (types of layouts) ?
Measuring the dimensions of the room. First of all, the room must be prepared for installation, and therefore freed from furniture, plumbing or construction waste.
All preparatory work must be completed by this time. The customer needs to resolve issues of the location of water and sewer pipes (if necessary, cover them with a box made of plasterboard or chipboard), electrical lines, doors, window openings, light sources, hoods, service hatches and other things. Measurements should be carried out taking into account niches, columns, boxes and slopes, using special tools (plumb line, marking cord, folding meter or tape measure). To record the results, it is better to draw up a technical drawing. If the room has complex geometry (there are beveled corners or circles), do not worry or carry out precise mathematical calculations of radii or angles. Since ceramic tiles are fundamentally rectangular in shape, errors and undercuts are always expected. Difficult areas of the room can be “finished” to a rectangular shape and these tolerances can be taken into account when calculating the required number of tiles. If the Customer has a technical plan of the premises, then this greatly simplifies the task, but control measurements should still be carried out in order to minimize risks. If we talk about measuring holes and shaped cuts directly on the tiles, then it is better to use special tools (construction patterns, shape templates and various markers). With their help, you can not only obtain numerical parameters of geometric dimensions, but also transfer markings onto the surface of ceramic tiles, along which the cutting will be carried out.
Laying out the floor covering for cladding. The floor area obtained during measurements will be used when calculating the required amount of material. But in order to understand how the tiles will ultimately be positioned on the surface, especially when laying “carpet” (i.e. with a pattern), you need to “break down the coating”. This is a set of measurements that determines the shape of the floor area, the location and size of its main elements: background, frieze (framing border), pattern. In the room where the floor covering is laid out, the flatness and horizontality of the surface are verified, placed on the wall and the “finished floor” level mark is fixed (taking into account the thickness of the ceramic coating). The shape of the floor is checked with a marking cord stretched from opposite corners of the room along its diagonals. The same size of diagonals indicates the presence of right angles in the room and equal lengths of opposite sides. In such rooms, the breakdown of the floor covering is reduced to marking the frieze and installing beacons at a given level of the finished floor. In rooms with different sizes of opposite sides, i.e. with indirect angles (diagonal sizes are not the same), the main background and frieze in the floor covering are laid out rectangular to make this defect less noticeable. The breakdown of the coating is completed by installing beacons on the solution. The accuracy of laying out the covering and the correct installation of beacons prevents the appearance of defects and guarantees the good quality of the laid floors.
Marking wall coverings . First, the contours of the surface to be coated are determined. The bottom of the cladding is located at the level of the finished floor. Lay out the first row dry, starting from the middle of the wall, in order to determine the required number of tiles in the row, taking into account trimmings. It is worth noting that today almost all serious sellers of ceramic finishing materials offer, as an additional service, a design project or layout diagram (for the master). This greatly simplifies the task of marking the surface. To determine the vertical contours, steel pins are driven in at opposite ends of the wall above the top of the future cladding. Cords are pulled plumb from them and secured to pins driven near the floor. These cords, which fix the direction of the vertical seam and the side edges of the cladding, are retained until the end of the work. Many craftsmen place guide rails or other landmarks on the walls. However, the most accurate, convenient and modern way to determine the position of horizontal and vertical directions is to use laser levels.
Tile calculation. How to correctly calculate the required amount of ceramic tiles? This is the most important question that worries the Customer if he plans to purchase the material himself. There are many ways and approaches to calculating tiles; there are even special calculator programs that can calculate not only the number of ceramic tiles, but also the required volume of glue or grout. In this case, any calculation is based on previously carried out measurements, and the essence of any approach comes down to calculating the area of the surface to be coated and the correct ratio of the area of the facing material to it. It makes no sense to consider in detail the calculation of the area of the surface to be coated, since everything here is standard, according to the laws of geometry (S=A x B) . The area of the facing material is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, often taking into account the seam between the tiles, according to the principle “S of one tile = S packaging / N number of pieces in a pack” , where “ S packaging” means the area that can be covered with existing tiles with the recommended seam Ceramic tiles are sold by the square meter and shipped either in packs or in whole pieces. Now let’s use an example to determine the ratio of the area of the material and the area of the surface to be coated:
It is required to tile the floor in a square room with a side of 1.7 meters . We calculate the total area 1.7 * 1.7 = 2.89 sq.m. It is assumed that square tiles with dimensions of 30 cm x 30 cm . The area of one tile is 0.09 sq.m. (indicated on the package: 15 pcs., 1.35 sq.m. ). Divide the floor area by the area of the tiles - we get 32.1 pieces. , since tiles can only be sold in whole pieces, we round up to 33 pieces . As a check, 33 pcs. x 0.09 sq.m. = 2.97 sq.m. The area of the material ultimately even slightly exceeds the surface area.
Now let’s imagine ourselves as a master and start laying out the tiles. 1.7 m / 0.3 m = 5.66 pcs are placed in a row , rounded up to the whole number - 6 pcs . in a row. Since the room is square, we get 6 rows, 6 tiles each. A total of 36 pieces, the material area in this case is 3.24 sq.m. Thus, the difference between the preliminary calculation and the required quantity was 0.27 sq.m. or 3 tiles.
The situation in the example is very indicative, and is due to the peculiarity of laying ceramic tiles. Trimming, edges, design and format of the slab, geometry of the room, taste preferences of the Customer, etc. - all this does not allow us to model a universal calculation formula “for all occasions”. In this matter, it is very important not to become hostage to any template approaches or automated products. Each situation is individual and requires careful study . In order not to make a mistake with the quantity, you should first decide on the layout (the ideal option is to make a design project and print out a diagram for the master). Take into account such important factors as: pattern on the tile; the possibility of using the pieces left after trimming; number of tiles for stock, etc. By the way, many craftsmen and sellers of ceramics, when calculating material, are guided by the rule “Amount of material = S premises + 10% in reserve” , sometimes this works (conditions from our example), but this does not always happen, since they play a big role here the previously listed factors. Among other things, this approach replaces the very concept of “reserve” . Since the reserve is not just a rounding in case of an incorrect or “approximate” calculation, it is primarily the necessary minimum for carrying out restoration work in the future (hence its definition - “repair”), as well as a kind of insurance in case of force majeure in installation process.
Tile layout . The number of tile layout options is limited only by the designer’s imagination. Although a certain classification can be made. Let us roughly distinguish five types of layouts:
- “Staggering” with displacement of vertical seams in each horizontal row, or vice versa - horizontal in vertical;
- Seam to seam with a rectangular grid of horizontal and vertical seams;
- Diagonally with mutually perpendicular seam lines;
- A repeating segment consisting of several elements;
- Artistic (with random arrangement of tiles).
Separately, it is worth mentioning the location of the trims. There are different opinions on how tiles should be laid: from the corner with an undercut in the opposite corner; from the middle of the wall, centered in the middle of the tile with trimming at the corners; from the middle of the wall, centered along the seam between the tiles and trimmed at the corners. There is no point in arguing which method is better, since this does not affect the operational properties of the surface in any way, and the aesthetic component of the issue is determined by the Customer. However, there are a number of recommendations to keep in mind:
- The most advantageous look is trimming done by at least 2/3 of the whole tile;
- It is better to trim in that part of the wall (or floor) where it is least noticeable;
- When planning the layout, it is necessary to take into account the location of furniture or plumbing in the room, as well as repair hatches;
- Having chosen the method of arranging the tiles relative to each other, stick to it when tiling the entire surface.
To summarize all of the above, we once again note the importance of using technical drawings and installation diagrams. Modern graphic programs allow you to visualize the expected result, increase the accuracy of calculations and significantly facilitate the work of the laying master. The services of professional designers are used everywhere today, their cost is reasonable, and large companies even offer to complete a design project for free (as a gift with the purchased tiles). Project visualization is the most accurate way to predict the outcome of future work.