Tile Layout - Small L-Shaped Powder Room

[NoClue64]

All:

Would appreciate your opinion on the layouts I have drafted for my small L-shaped powder room. Tiles are 12x24 porcelain. I have attached two pictures of the room and 4 layouts: Straight, staggered, herringbone, and bias. Appreciate opinions on the right choice. Don't factor in time and materials because it's a really small room, I already have plenty of tile, and my time isn't all that valuable.

 

[Jadnashua]

First thing to do is to take two of your tile, lay them finished side to finished side and note any gaps. It's rare that the tile are perfectly flat. IT happens once in awhile, but not often. Unless they are really flat, industry guidelines call for a maximum of 30% overlap. The 50% overlap you have in most of your designs would put the highest point next to the lowest point of the adjacent tile...leading to what may be unacceptable lippage.

It's not what we think about the design, it's what you do and your significant other, but personally, I like the simplicity of the straight layout. Ask 5 people, you'll likely get five opinions. You have to live with it.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Dj2]

A good answer would start with this question: What do you use for cutting the tiles?

 

[NoClue64]

First thing to do is to take two of your tile, lay them finished side to finished side and note any gaps. It's rare that the tile are perfectly flat. IT happens once in awhile, but not often. Unless they are really flat, industry guidelines call for a maximum of 30% overlap. The 50% overlap you have in most of your designs would put the highest point next to the lowest point of the adjacent tile...leading to what may be unacceptable lippage.

It's not what we think about the design, it's what you do and your significant other, but personally, I like the simplicity of the straight layout. Ask 5 people, you'll likely get five opinions. You have to live with it.

Jim - thanks so much for your informative reply. I assumed the tiles are not flat but it never would have occurred to me that 50% overlap potentially maximizes the point at which two tiles vary. Makes perfect sense.

 

[hj]

personally, I think that tile is too large for this small room.

 

[Yardlady12]

I would favor the straight or staggered look. Also with that size tile look into a tile leveling system or you will get uneven tiles even when you avoid the disasterous 50/50 overlap layout problems. Look at something like the Raimondi Leveling system.

 

[NoClue64]

Thanks to all for their replies. I believe those who post a question and get free advice should do the community the common courtesy of posting how you used the advice and the outcome. So here's what I ended up with. Straight lines and no overlap.