Laying floor tiles with small-piece elements: photos and recommendations of the master

The article contains a master class on laying tiles with a stepped pattern. You will learn how to correctly mark the premises and economically trim the material. Step-by-step illustrated instructions contain the techniques and advice of a professional on the formation of this pattern..

Floor cladding with an unstable “well” pattern creates an interesting optical illusion – the lines seem to be smoothly curved. At the same time, the edges of the tiles are even, it is standard. We will give and show several important rules for this unusual styling in this article..

The selected pattern consists of large 450×450 and small 80×80 ceramic tiles. Choose a pattern and color combination in advance, taking into account the color of the interior and lighting.

If possible, create a plan in one of the architectural and drawing computer programs – the result can not only be seen, but also adjusted to suit your preferences. Such a project will allow you to very accurately calculate the amount of material and determine in advance the sequence of actions.

If there is no such plan, it doesn’t matter, just counting will take more time, and seeing the result will require more imagination. You can completely do without a drawing, since the layout and direction of laying are practically not tied to it.

In the example, we consider the most difficult case – the joining of two completely different materials – tiles and parquet boards. This means that the floor seam cannot be avoided. In order for it to be less noticeable, it is better to place it strictly under the front door. The line of the door leaf will be the starting line of the entire cladding..

Operating procedure

The first step is to determine the passage (door, opening) with the greatest traffic. It will be the starting point of the pattern – the pattern will come naturally to other passages (if any).

Determine the line of the door leaf and mark it with a cord or level. After installation, the tile itself should go 10 mm under the canvas. There must be a whole tile at the entrance – the line connecting the corners of the rhombus (tile) must go through the middle of the opening.

Try on tiles with limiters (“crosses”) on dry. Make a wall trim. Thus, you will get the appearance of the finished site.

Then the screed should be primed.

Lay the measured area with undercut on glue. These will be lighthouse tiles, from which further installation will go. Do not forget about the 10 mm overlap under the canvas!

Next, you should continue the calculation in the direction of one of the walls, performing trimming in place. Small items are inserted using delimiters.

Attention! Do not trim all tiles along two walls at once. Collect as many scraps as possible from one wall – they can come in handy on the opposite edge.

We carry out the installation to the center, gradually filling the floor space and coming to the walls and joints on the aisles with whole tiles.

One of the options is not to cut the tiles along the wall (except for the lighthouse row), but to lay the whole tile on the maximum area. Pruning can be done after installation, including small items. This option is most popular with craftsmen who work on order – 90% of the area is covered quite quickly, but small painstaking work remains “for later”.

The final look before laying the last small elements:

Grouting is done in a standard way.

Oddly enough, this type of pattern does not require marking or dividing – they lose their meaning due to merging of the edges. In this sense, a straight cell is more complicated – the slightest distortions immediately catch the eye. Laying in this way not only gives an original appearance, but also allows you to hide small defects in the tile, installation flaws and smooth out the uneven geometry of the room. If the first beacons are set correctly, even a beginner can handle the installation.