Best arrangement for floor tiles? Help, advice, information, answers and tips on all types of flooring from laminate and carpet to timber and vinyl

[Dadwood]

My small kitchen measures just 3m x 3m. On one wall there is a window and the door to the garden, and on the adjacent wall there is the door to my lounge. I want to lay rectangular (30cm x 42cm) ceramic floor tiles. Is there a preferred way to arrange them? Would the finished effect look better with the long side of the tiles parallel with the window wall? Or does the trade have no 'best' way for laying them?

[floorlayergrant]

depending on where the kitchen units are whichever is the longest wall tiles should be laid lengthways. this will elongate the room making the space look bigger. hope this helps
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[rosebery]

I'd say there is no "best way" because it depends so much on the individual room and the tiles. For example sometimes laying them on a diagonal looks really great with square tiles but I digress because yours aren't square! If its a galley kitchen then laying your tiles lengthways will emphasise the "long and thin" look and draw the walls in rather than making it look bigger.

Your best solution would be to set out one way - open a box or two and loose lay them on the floor, then turn them around through 90 degrees to observe the different effect.

You could also try a stretcher bond layout but thats really more suitable for wall tiles.

See which looks best to you then ask your better half for her opinion. I'm guessing you'll be going with whatever she prefers, LoL.

Cheers

[Dadwood]

My thanks to floorlayergrant and rosebery for their valued replies. I did as you suggested, rosebery, and loose layed quite a few. The better half eventually decided she liked them best in the way that floorlayergrant had mentioned. The present floor is 40 year old vinyl tiles stuck with a black bitumastic-like adhesive onto screeded concrete. The tiles all came up very easily and left all the adhesive firmly adhered to the concrete. So what I now have is a flat concrete floor covered entirely by a 2mm even layer of black adhesive. It is neither brittle nor ready to come off the concrete. I've tried scraping it and found it still sticks absolutely like the proverbial bed linen. In fact, it presents a perfectly flat unblemished surface. My question is; can I put the new tile adhesive directly onto the thin layer of black adhesive?

[rosebery]

I think you have three choices:

1. Remove it mechanically - chemically will just leave a horrid mess. Whilst this is probably the ideal its also the most impractical for you.

2. Overlay with 6 mm tilebacker the tile onto that.

3. Prime it with SBR and use an SPF adhesive.

2 or 3 would suit you fine.

Cheers

[Dadwood]

Hi rosebery, thanks for your advice. I primed the old black adhesive with SBR on Friday, did the tiling yesterday, and grouted it all today. A really nice job, even if I do say so myself. How long should I leave it before I move the white goods back into place? I have a heavy washing machine, floor standing gas cooker and a refrigerator. They will all have to be pushed right the way across the new floor into their final positions.

[rosebery]

Depends on what adhesive you used. If you used rapidset you should be OK tomrrow for the light stuff but I'd be tempted to leave it another 24 hours for anything particularly heavy.

Cheers