Plank tile in bathroom

[Steves0927]

I am remodeling my bathroom and I’m not sure how to layout the floor tile
From the tub to the door is 60 inches and from the wall to under the vanity is 54 inches
My tile is 48 inches by 8 inches so that would be 2 tiles 1 full and one 12 inches
Not sure what size to start the second row with I don’t think it would look right just alternating the rows

 

[Jadnashua]

A few things to understand first:
- any tile with an edge greater than 15", per the TCNA guidelines, calls for two criteria:
1. an offset of 30% or less, a 12" length on a 48" tile would be 25%, so okay
2. a floor that is flat to 1/8" in 10' and no more than 1/16" in two feet
- Are you sure your floor and subfloor are suitable for tile in the first place? Do you know the deflection results?
- you can avoid the restriction of the first point only if the tile are extremely flat...place two top side to top side and look for gaps or warpage. If it's essentially perfect, you can use any offset you want, but that's rare.
- you generally don't want a sliver of a tile, so whatever layout you use, try to avoid them
- you should consider using a thinset designed for those large format tile, usually labeled for LFT

You might try starting with a full tile, then one at 3/4 length, then one at 1/2 length, and the next 1/4. That would stagger the joints across the floor.

Check out www.johnbridge.com for some more ideas...lots more tiling people there, since the entire site is devoted to tile.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Steves0927]

A few things to understand first:
- any tile with an edge greater than 15", per the TCNA guidelines, calls for two criteria:
1. an offset of 30% or less, a 12" length on a 48" tile would be 25%, so okay
2. a floor that is flat to 1/8" in 10' and no more than 1/16" in two feet
- Are you sure your floor and subfloor are suitable for tile in the first place? Do you know the deflection results?
- you can avoid the restriction of the first point only if the tile are extremely flat...place two top side to top side and look for gaps or warpage. If it's essentially perfect, you can use any offset you want, but that's rare.
- you generally don't want a sliver of a tile, so whatever layout you use, try to avoid them
- you should consider using a thinset designed for those large format tile, usually labeled for LFT

You might try starting with a full tile, then one at 3/4 length, then one at 1/2 length, and the next 1/4. That would stagger the joints across the floor.

Check out www.johnbridge.com for some more ideas...lots more tiling people there, since the entire site is devoted to tile.

Thanks for the reply

A few things to understand first:
- any tile with an edge greater than 15", per the TCNA guidelines, calls for two criteria:
1. an offset of 30% or less, a 12" length on a 48" tile would be 25%, so okay
2. a floor that is flat to 1/8" in 10' and no more than 1/16" in two feet
- Are you sure your floor and subfloor are suitable for tile in

A few things to understand first:
- any tile with an edge greater than 15", per the TCNA guidelines, calls for two criteria:
1. an offset of 30% or less, a 12" length on a 48" tile would be 25%, so okay
2. a floor that is flat to 1/8" in 10' and no more than 1/16" in two feet
- Are you sure your floor and subfloor are suitable for tile in the first place? Do you know the deflection results?
- you can avoid the restriction of the first point only if the tile are extremely flat...place two top side to top side and look for gaps or warpage. If it's essentially perfect, you can use any offset you want, but that's rare.
- you generally don't want a sliver of a tile, so whatever layout you use, try to avoid them
- you should consider using a thinset designed for those large format tile, usually labeled for LFT

You might try starting with a full tile, then one at 3/4 length, then one at 1/2 length, and the next 1/4. That would stagger the joints across the floor.

Check out www.johnbridge.com for some more ideas...lots more tiling people there, since the entire site is devoted to tile.

thanks for the reply
It says right on the box to use 30% offsett
The floor is perfectly level. There is 3/4 wood plank 1/2 ply cement board put down with screws and thinset and finally a self leveling compound

 

[Jadnashua]

Sorry to break your bubble, but the Industry standards REQUIRES a layer of plywood on top of the dimensional planks. Also, depending on the one you chose, some SLC installs cannot be installed over CBU. Did you use the (normally) required primer for the SLC? Well, really, if you go by industry standards, you've got a problem. It MIGHT work, but the odds are against you. And, EVERY cbu requires thinset underneath it, so without that, you've lessened the likelihood of things working long-term. Thinset underneath CBU is there to fill in any imperfections, not hold it in place (the fasteners do that). Dimensional planks just literally move too much with the seasons, and since movement is the main reason why rigid tile installs fail, you've set yourself up for problems down the road. Vertical movement because of the lack of thinset under the cbu, and both horizontal and vertical movement as the dimensional lumber moves with changes of seasons and humidity levels. That's why plywood is called for...it's much more dimensionally stable.

It's your house, you can continue as planned, but the industry standards are against the long-term outlook being good. FWIW, since cbu has no structural advantage on a floor (it's a compatibility layer for the tile and thinset), 1/4" would have been the better choice unless you needed the additional height. Industry standards call for a minimum of 3/8" ply on planks, and 1/2" usually works better since it's easier to find that which is flat. It must be exterior or exposure I glue, and the surfaces cannot be lower than 'C' (i.e., no D-faces). Just quoting industry guidelines.

 

[Steves0927]

I should of been clearer
There is the plank then 1/2 inch ply ,thinset then cement board primed then leveling compound

 

[Jadnashua]

I should of been clearer
There is the plank then 1/2 inch ply ,thinset then cement board primed then leveling compound

Okay, that's much better! WIthout being there, we can only go by what is stated. Assuming your joists are up to snuff, the prep is fine.

My suggesting, find an area large enough, then lay the tile out in various patterns to see which one you like best. You can use something to mark out the room size on it to get an idea. Most of the time, people prefer having the long side on the long length of the room. You could also try a diagonal layout which may look fussy, or be brilliant, depending on your preferences. The manufacturer's recommendation on the offset abides by industry guidelines, but you may be able to ignore them IF the tile are exceptionally flat. FWIW, some of the better tile flattening systems can actually bend a tile slightly to take out some bow, and offer a little more flexibility. They also are designed primarily to minimize or eliminate lippage. On a large tile like that, be sure to burn a layer into the back of it prior to setting. While common in Europe, harder to find in the US, is a slant-notch trowel. The notches are narrower and taller, and once troweled, instead of being a V or square notch, they literally fall over, producing the same, metered amount of thinset as a V or square would (if sized properly), but an almost flat layer of thinset that's easier to set the tile into without having to move back and forth as much to spread the notches out and provide the desired 100% coverage. Industry guidelines call for 100% of the edges, and at least 80% of the back of the tile to be covered...much easier with a slant-notched trowel. The larger the tile, the more movement or pressure required to spread the thinset out...much easier if it's already flat to create the desired coverage!