I plan to install self stick tiles (yeah, I know) on my kitchen floor. It's been recommended that I use a chalk line to find the middle of the room. Any tips on how to do this? I'd just as soon eyeball it (gasp).
I'd start at the widest points at each end.. snap two lines that should cross approximate center of the room (maybe)...if you "eyeball it" and like it be happy. If not adjust until your eyeballs feel better.
Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
You don't so much need the middle of the room but rather a line that will be square with the room and which if used as a starting point will not have you end up with a sliver width of tile when you get to any wall. You dry lay one row in all directions from that line to make sure that all tiles end up a decent size at each wall.
Wish me luck.
Another consideration here is to try to avoid thin slivers of tiles along the edges. If it was me I'd lay a row of the tiles out in both directions and stand back and see how they look.
The technique is to snap chalk lines from corner to corner to make a big X. Where the lines cross is the center where your start tiling. That will give you a symmetrical tile pattern so the margins are the same on opposing sides. However, it doesn't guarantee that you won't wind up with thin slivers along the walls. Also, it doesn't help with making sure the tiles are straight (parallel/perpendicular) with respect to the walls. My advice would be: usually you can just start tiling along one wall (the most visible one) and then just go across to other one, where you will likely have to trim that last row of tiles. However, measure first (or dry-lay the tiles) to make sure you don't wind up with a line of thin slivers of tile along the far wall. If that happens, you should cut the first row in half. (So for example if you are using 12 inch square tiles and there would be a 1-inch gap on the far side, rather than filling it in with 1-inch strips of tile, cut the first row of tiles in half, lay them and then work across. That way at the end the last row will be 7-inches instead of 1-inch. So there will be a 6-inch wide row along one side and a 7-inch wide row along the other. Not perfectly symmetrical but good enough for a self-stick tile job.) --H
yep!. cabinets, adjacent rooms would have me "eyeballin'" for a perspective. Tile on the floor for viewing does help.
Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
The proper way to do it.
Measure and mark the center of all all 4 walls. Snap chalk line between the marks on opposing walls.
This gives you two lines parallel to both walls and crossing at the exact middle of the room.
Now dry lay tile from the center starting with from line.
If you have -less- than one tile width remaining at the wall, move the chalk line over 1/2 tile width.
Do the same for the other direction.
Harry K
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