Tiling Bathroom, where to start? Floor or walls?

[meanwhileinhell]

My wife and I are redoing our bathroom and were wondering what to start. We have done a fair bit of tiling in kitchens, dining rooms etc, and are pretty good at it by now, but never somewhere where the wall tiles meet the floor tiles. My father in law says to do the wall first, then the floor, but I am unsure about this.

We are doing white metro tiles on the wall, and patterned tiles on the floor, akin to this:
http://deardesigner.co.uk/wp-conten...ographed-by-Peter-Medilek-via-Remodelista.jpg

Many thanks.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Start with walls first but batten out, and leave final row of wall tiles between floor and wall off. Once all wall is finished other than bottom row, the tile floor. Once floor is completed go back to tile the bottom row of wall.

Make provisions when setting out your tile plan for wall, to account for the depth that will be taken by tiling floor. So no odd looking cuts to make.

 

[meanwhileinhell]

Thanks for your reply PrenticeBoyofDerry.

With regard to the bath, do you level the bath 100%, lock it in and then start a full tile on the edge?

Thanks!

 

[clive12345]

Hello,
If you start with a full tile around the bath ,you could
end up with a horrible cut at floor ,ceiling level , above the door
or around the window .
Best way is to make up two gauge rods one for vertical
tile spacing and one horizontal .
That way you will be able to see where every tile will be cut.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

With regard to the bath, do you level the bath 100%, lock it in and then start a full tile on the edge?

No you need to set out first and plan the area you are tiling.
You can use a guide rod, which is generally a flat/straight bit of timber at about 5-6ft long. You mark out along the full length, a number tiles (dependant on size of tiles) and you allow for grout spacer in between each tile. Mark the centre line of the horizontal and vertical plain. The using your guide, you can then suss out which is the best place to start tiling. You work out by either starting with full tile on edge of centre line or whether you start with the tile centre on centre line. This way you reduce awkward cuts and unsightly slither tiles.

Do not lay first tile on bath edge, batten out for the row above, and work along and up. Once tiles are set to wall, remove batten and the tile along bath edge. But 2/3rds fill bath with water before tiling, as they can move 5mm-10mm.

 

[meanwhileinhell]

Ah, I see. That's a really good idea. Thanks a lot guys for all the advice and pointers!