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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Painting, Decorating & Tiling Questions >> Tiles on the diagonal https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1158242695 Message started by CWatters on Sep 14^th, 2006, 3:04pm

Title: Tiles on the diagonal
Post by CWatters on Sep 14^th, 2006, 3:04pm

I was thinking of laying some floor tiles on the diagonal. I've not done this before (on the diagonal) but I can see a potential problem...

If you lay row of tiles with a corner against a wall the tiles that need to be cut to fit will be triangles (obviously) but they will have to be made by cutting square tiles corner to corner. On past experience I anticipate a very large breakage rate with lots of corners breaking off.

Presumably its better to lay the tiles so that the cuts are aren't fully corner to corner or is there a way to avoid this?

Any advice welcome.

Title: Re: Tiles on the diagonal
Post by WOLF on Sep 14^th, 2006, 3:27pm

Quote:

I anticipate a very large breakage rate with lots of corners breaking off.

why??

i bought a decent pro tile cutter with replacable blades, and just used that to score my kitchen tiles which i laid on the diagonal, and i think i only lost a couple, which ended up being used as cuts else where....

as for laying them out, i was taught by some nutty Italian guy, who used to "png a chalk line central first, then work from this, and would do alot of the floor DRY and then make the majority of the cuts, then work through what he had!! so basically you got what ever cuts there was going to be , he always preached about "All-aways , buta all-aways keepa to a da line a centralla!" (naff accent i know!!)

no doubt JasonB will be able to offer up more advise than i , or even Sailfish Honey, if shes a listening in...

but get a decent tile cutter!

Title: Re: Tiles on the diagonal
Post by jasonB on Sep 14^th, 2006, 3:53pm

AS wolf says a decent tile cutter makes all the difference, preferably one where the "snapper" can be used along the whole length of the cut, something like a RUBI Star50 or pocket 50 will do 300x300 diaagonals and not cost too much.

As with any tiling you should not start with a full (or half corner to corner) tile on one wall as you will no doubt end up with an odd size on the oposite wall and if the two walls are not parallel it will look fine on one side and well off on the other.

Set out from cross lines that are central to the pairs of walls.

Jason

Title: Re: Tiles on the diagonal
Post by CWatters on Sep 14^th, 2006, 8:25pm

Thanks. I see what you are saying.