Laying floor tiles diagonally. Laying floor tiles diagonally

Laying method floor tiles diagonally allows you to create original interior. Let us understand the intricacies of this installation method and tell you how to calculate the number of tiles.

There are two ways to lay tiles on the floor: by orienting the rows along one of the walls or by rotating them by 45°. Laying tiles diagonally is considered a difficult task that can only be handled experienced master. However, despite the high complexity of the work, many would like to lay the tiles this way, because diagonal laying provides noticeable advantages. We will understand the intricacies of the process, and also calculate the consumption of tiles.

Why lay tiles diagonally

The traditional method of laying tiles on the floor involves orientation towards one of the walls. This is relatively simple to implement and therefore a widespread technology. Despite its advantages, the result of such a calculation looks rather inexpressive. Therefore, a method was invented in which the tiles face the walls and doorway not on one side, but on an angle. It was called “Diagonal Laying”.

The method of laying tiles with a diagonal orientation has a number of advantages:

Tiles laid in this way visually increase the area of the room. This solution will be especially relevant for small rooms, as well as for very elongated areas of the floor - corridors, passages, technical premises etc. To enhance the effect, select a pattern consisting of tiles of two or more colors.
Spectacular look. Unlike the traditional method, diagonal laying is not perceived as a template solution.
If in the room uneven walls, the traditional installation method will only emphasize this flaw, creating parallel lines in the room. The diagonal method of placing tiles, on the contrary, will mask these shortcomings.
Trimmed elements placed along the edges of the room will look neater when placed diagonally.

All the advantages of the diagonal method of installing tiles will appear only when correct execution markings. Don't start work without a clear design and don't rush into drawing reference lines.

The diagonal layout method also has some disadvantages. First of all, this is an increased consumption of tiles. If to completely cover the floor traditional way you will need 100 tiles, for a diagonal installation of the same tiles in the same room you will need 120-130 tiles. Increased consumption is associated with a large number of elements that need trimming.

Operating time is also increasing. It is necessary to check the correctness of the markings more often, cut tiles more often, make elements of a more complex shape if it is necessary to bypass pipes and other obstacles. The risk of error also increases.

It's all done in a way diagonal laying more complex, so it is usually not recommended for beginning tilers. But with due diligence and an understanding of technology, you can cope with it, even when starting to lay tiles for the first time. To learn how to lay tiles on a wall, read this article.

Preparatory work

The work should begin with design. It is best to make a drawing of the room on a scale of 1 to 10, marking on this drawing the position of the supporting diagonal and the rows of tiles extending from it. This will allow you to understand how many tiles will be needed to lay out the floor in its entirety, and how many in the cut form. In addition, following the drawing, it is easier to cope with the markings on the floor.

When drawing up a drawing, mark each obstacle on it: wall niches and projections, the position of heating risers and other communications, furniture and equipment that cannot be removed from the room (toilet, bathtub, etc.).

Calculating the number of tiles is an important task. It can be solved in one of two ways:

Drawing up a detailed drawing indicating each tile. Such a project requires care, precision and a lot of labor. But if you plan to lay out panels from several types of elements (tiles different shapes or color), without detailed diagram not enough.
Mathematical calculation. It is done like this: the area of the room is divided by the area of one tile, the result is rounded up to whole numbers. Then the result is increased by another 20%

It is necessary to purchase tiles with a reserve to compensate for losses from defects, damage during transportation, etc. To ensure you have enough tiles, purchase 10% more than what was calculated.

When purchasing tiles, pay attention to whether the boxes belong to a particular batch. It is best to buy all tiles from one batch. Otherwise, there is a risk that items from different batches will differ in size. Before laying, you need to sort through the tiles and make sure that all elements are the same color and size. Otherwise, the finished floor will look sloppy.

Final stage preparatory work– leveling the base. It is necessary to remove all debris, old coating, and skirting boards from the floor. If there are cracks, potholes, or height differences of more than 2 mm in the screed, you should think about repairing the screed. Remember that the beauty and durability of a tiled floor largely depends on how smooth and durable the base is. The last step is to treat the floor with a tile primer.

Required materials and tools

A tiler, like any other specialist, needs a certain set of tools to work. These are tools to facilitate marking, tools for stirring and applying tile adhesive, tools for cutting tiles, protective clothing, etc. Here is a short list of tiler's tools in these categories:

For marking, you will need a tape measure, a bubble level, and a roll of painter's cord. For ease of use, we select the tape measure so that its length is enough to reach from the corner of the room to the corner located diagonally. The desired length of the level is 1 m (if it is less, it is difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the measurement, and excess length will interfere in corners, narrow places, etc.).
To mix the glue you will need a container with a volume of about 10 liters. To mix the required volume quickly, you need construction mixer or a special attachment for an electric drill.
To prime the surface, you need a roller and a solution tray. To apply the glue you will need a set of plastering tools: a trowel with a serrated edge, serrated and flat spatulas with a wide blade.
The tiles are cut using a tile cutter. If this specialized tool is not available, a small grinder will do.
To knock the tiles to the desired level, you need a rubber hammer.
To grout the joints you will need a spatula with a rubber blade.

Each master complements the described set based on personal preferences and needs, as well as financial capabilities. For example, operations related to marking will be significantly speeded up and facilitated by a laser level. But if this tool is not on the farm, it is quite possible to do without it.

Having selected the tools, purchased tiles and glue, also take care of some protective equipment. For work you will need gloves and rubber knee pads. To protect your eyes and respiratory system from the dust that is inevitable when cutting tiles, purchase safety glasses and a respirator.

How to lay tiles diagonally with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction

So, the materials have been purchased, the tools are ready, the base has been cleared of the old coating, leveled and primed. The work of laying tiles begins with markings. This can be done in two ways:

From the center. This option is chosen if the room has a square shape (or close to it). In this case, mark the midpoints along the walls and beat off two perpendicular lines with a cord. A diagonal is drawn from their intersection in the center of the room. You should not try to ensure that the diagonal fits exactly into the corner (this is only possible in a perfectly square room). It is much more important that the diagonal divides the right angle between the lines exactly in half.
From the corner. This option is best used in rectangular rooms with small area. In addition, it is more suitable for laying identical elements. In this case, the most right angle in the room is rounded and a triangle is placed in it (either from one casting cut diagonally, or from two).

Having completed the markings, the tiles are laid out along the lines without glue, setting the width of the seams using gauge crosses. This “trying on” will make sure that the marking lines are drawn correctly. Also at this stage, elements for laying along the walls are cut.

After making sure that the markings are done correctly and the starting row fits perfectly, proceed to gluing. The glue is applied to the floor and carefully leveled with a notched trowel. After laying the tiles, use a level to check that they are horizontal. If necessary, knock down the tiles with a rubber hammer. First, whole elements are glued, then trimmed ones.

When the first row is ready, the next rows are installed. The width of the seams is indicated by crosses. Excess glue is immediately removed from the tiles with a rag. After installation of the coating is completed, the glue is allowed to dry for the specified time according to the instructions. Then the crosses are taken out and the seams are filled with grout.

Immediately wipe off excess grout before the composition has time to harden!

WE offer several videos so you can see how to mark the floor for diagonal laying. In addition, the proposed video material contains useful tips from experienced tilers who will help you cope with laying tiles diagonally:

Although diagonal laying is considered a difficult method to master, it is quite possible to learn. Follow all the steps carefully, take your time and take the time to check and double-check how evenly each tile lies. And then the finished floor will delight your eyes for many years.

Laying tiles diagonally is one way to bring a sense of originality to your living space. Tile laid in this way will visually expand any space, making your home larger.

Before laying tiles diagonally, you need to remember a few simple rules:

with this method of laying, the consumption of tiles will be greater than if it is done in the usual way.
Do not lay tiles on uneven floors. Flaws on the surface will not allow you to create a good quality diagonal pattern.
You need to purchase a quality tile cutter. As a last resort, you can use a grinder.
you need to be patient. Laying tiles diagonally more labor-intensive process than horizontal-vertical installation.

Floor preparation

Floor preparation – the floor in a new room that has never had any leveling work done will most likely have imperfections. In order to fix this, first of all you need to remove large protrusions and fill cement mortar cracks. Next, you need to evaluate the degree of surface roughness and determine the volume necessary work. If the height differences do not exceed 30 mm, then you can get by with a self-leveling screed. For differences of up to 100 mm, filling with a cement-sand mixture will be required, and above 100 mm, expanded clay must be used so as not to load the floors.

Go to next stage preparation is possible after cement strainer completely dry. Its degree of drying can be checked using plastic film, which needs to cover the floor surface at night. If in the morning, on the side of the film that was lying on the screed, moisture appears, then the cement has not yet dried and you need to wait.

Laying

The next preparation step may be waterproofing, but this is not necessary.

Marking and laying out tiles – Once the floor is level, clean, and the screed is completely dry, you can begin marking. To do this, you will need a marking cord, which can be purchased at any hardware or hardware store. If you want to save a little money, you can make such a cord yourself at home. To do this, you will need to take a strong elastic rope and thoroughly rub it with a piece of chalk, after which the marking cord can be considered ready. For marking purposes, the cord must be stretched along the floor between two diagonal corners of the room. Having secured the ends, it is pulled up and sharply released. When the cord hits the floor, it will leave a colored line. The same must be done with the two remaining corners. The resulting lines intersecting in the center of the room will serve as markings for laying tiles diagonally on the floor.

The next stage, after marking, should be the preparatory layout of the tiles diagonally over the entire surface of the floor. This is done in order to establish the order in which it will need to be laid out to create a diagonal pattern. The diagonal layout of the tiles begins from the center of the room, where the marking lines intersect. One of the corners is selected where the first tile should be laid, after which we continue to lay out the entire diagonal to the wall. In the same way, you need to lay out the second diagonal. After this, lay out the entire tile on the floor, filling the remaining space between the diagonals. The tiles that end up against the wall will need to be cut to the required shape and size. The laid out tiles, before they are removed, must be numbered for convenience in further work.

Diagonal laying of tiles on glue is the most crucial moment, which in case of an error, it will be impossible to correct without losing the tiles.

How to lay tiles with glue to avoid mistakes? To do this, the tile adhesive solution is prepared in the volume required for the work. To glue tiles on the floor diagonally, you can use different kinds adhesives, their choice depends on the intensity of use of the future ceramic coating and personal material capabilities. Glue for tiles can be divided into three types: cement-sand mixture, adhesive mastics and dispersed adhesives. They differ in price, drying speed, consumption, composition, method preliminary preparation and other indicators that can be found by reading the product characteristics on the packaging or by consulting with the seller. Laying the tiles diagonally is done in the same order in which they were laid out when marking. It is best to use a notched trowel to apply the adhesive solution. The solution must be applied both to the back of the tile and to the floor surface, which will ensure better adhesion. It is necessary to ensure that the tiles are laid at the same level and do not protrude one above the other. If suddenly there is a need to adjust the height, this can be done by gentle tapping with a rubber hammer. Laying ceramic tiles on the floor requires some experience and if you are not sure that laying tiles on the floor diagonally will go without errors, then it is better to seek the help of a specialist.

Grouting joints - after laying the tiles on the floor is completed and they are securely glued, you need to start grouting. For this purpose, special dry mixtures are used, which can be purchased at any hardware store. The method for preparing the grout for use will be indicated in the instructions on the package. Grout mixtures can be divided into two types. The first includes those that are used for seams with a width of no more than 5 mm. The second type includes grouts used for joints with a width of more than 5 mm. Their difference lies in the fact that in the second type of grout, sand is additionally added to the mixture of cement and additives, which is necessary to reduce shrinkage and prevent cracking. In stores you can see grouts based on synthetic resins, but their price will be higher than cement ones. Before starting grouting work, it is necessary to clean the tile seams from glue. For this you can use a regular kitchen knife or a spatula. The resulting solution is rubbed into all joints between the tiles using rubber spatula. Before rubbing, it is recommended to moisten the seams with water to prevent shrinkage and cracking of the drying grout. The grout color must be selected in accordance with the color of the tile. If the solution gets on an already laid ceramic floor, it must be removed immediately before it dries.

At this point, laying floor tiles diagonally is considered complete.

Ceramic tile flooring is a practical, durable and aesthetically pleasing floor finishing option. But even the most beautiful tiles, laid in the traditional way, no longer impresses many people. You can significantly diversify the design of the room using in various ways laying tiles. For example, diagonal tiles on the floor will visually expand the dimensions of the room, emphasize the advantages of geometry and hide disadvantages. There are several installation options floor tiles. They will be discussed in our article.

Preparatory work

Before choosing and purchasing tiles, a preliminary layout of the tiles on the floor must be done. This is easy to do manually by drawing a floor plan on paper; you can also use a special program for designers.

When choosing ceramic tiles, take into account the dimensions of the product and the configuration of the room. Lay large tiles diagonally in small room impractical due to difficulties with trimming elements. Small or medium tiles on the floor diagonally look much more harmonious, and numerous photos are proof of this.

Before you start laying the tiles, you need to prepare the base:

On a concrete base, all irregularities are eliminated (the protrusions are knocked down and the recesses are sealed with cement mortar).
All areas with a loose base are thoroughly cleaned of dust, primed and puttied with a solution.
Next, the required number of tiles is calculated. This is done taking into account the layout on the pre-drawn floor plan. Be sure to consider the thickness of the seams.
After this, the floor is marked before laying the tiles.

Important! When calculating the amount of material, always add a 10% margin.

If you don’t know how to beautifully lay tiles on the floor, then below we will describe several options for laying out floor tiles.

Traditional way

This is the easiest way to finish a floor with tiles. The tiles are laid along the walls in even rows without displacement. To obtain a high-quality, beautiful floor, it is important to lay the products evenly on the prepared base. Most often, square elements are used for this installation method, but tiles will also look good rectangular shape.

Attention: this installation method is suitable for self-execution. It is only important to maintain even seams and lay the tiles without distortions or displacements.

Features of traditional masonry:

worth choosing quality tiles with precise dimensional geometry, since the slightest miscalibration will be visible on the floor covering;
so that the floor does not look monotonous, use two colors of tiles or products with a pattern (in this case, you can lay out geometric compositions, patterns, carpet or stripes);
This installation option is ideal for seamless porcelain tiles.

Diagonal installation method

This cladding option requires preliminary floor marking for laying tiles. The method is based on the traditional masonry described above. The difficulty is:

the need to perform diagonal markings of the room;
high consumption of material;
and frequent need to cut tiles.

The advantages of this method include the ability to visually expand and hide the shortcomings of small and non-standard rooms. Also, a diagonal layout will help hide unevenness in the base.

Installation features:

After thorough preparation of the basics, they begin to mark out the room. The diagonal grid is drawn at an angle of 45° to the wall. For this method of cladding, square tiles are more suitable. The floor will not seem boring even when using monochromatic elements.
The outermost row along the wall is laid from elements pre-cut diagonally.
All subsequent rows are laid either in the traditional way or horizontally.

Offset masonry

This method of layout is also called staggered. In this case, the floor looks like brick wall, since each subsequent row is laid relative to the previous one with an offset of half the element.

Advice! For offset masonry, rectangular or square tiles are suitable.

This layout pattern is used for the floor of the kitchen, veranda, corridor or hallway. The room will acquire originality. The elements are laid not only in horizontal rows, but also diagonally. The middle of the elements in the next row coincides with the seam of the previous row.

Installation features:

This layout option is not very different from the traditional method.
The main condition is the need to maintain equal thickness of the seams.
If laying is done diagonally, then two corner cut elements are installed first. Next, the element is laid above them so that its middle coincides with the seam of the bottom row.
After that side elements the second row is cut to the required size and also attached to tile adhesive.

Herringbone laying

This method is ideal for ceramic tiles and rectangular porcelain tiles that imitate wooden surface. As a result, the floor seems to be covered parquet board. There are two ways to lay herringbone:

traditional parquet method(simple Christmas tree);
option with an attachment (in this case, inserts of a contrasting color are used in the overall pattern, and rectangular elements are located around them).

Tip: Do not use stone-effect tiles for herringbone installations as the floor will look unnatural. Plain wood-look tiles are suitable for this type of masonry.

Laying technology:

A preliminary layout of the floor of the room is required.
The tiles are laid at 45° relative to the alignment axes. In this case, the elements are installed on both sides of the axis alternately.
When laid with inserts, rectangular elements form a square around the insert. This installation method can be performed diagonally in the room. Floor tiles with inlays are a great way to add variety to your floors, but they are not suitable for small spaces.

Modular installation

The modular installation method is not suitable for beginners, since it is necessary to carefully think through and plan the preliminary layout, taking into account the seams and dimensions of all elements. Typically, quadrant and rectangular products of several sizes are used. Moreover, all the tiles differ in tone, but largely coincide in color.

So as not to think about how to arrange individual elements, differing in size, it is better to purchase ready-made sets modular tiles. They are accompanied by diagrams with several layout options, from which you can easily choose the one that suits you.

Tip: the easiest way to implement a modular covering is with the help of large-sized tiles, on which a pattern of large and small tiles is made.

How to choose the placement of tiles and laminate/plank strips to suit the shape, brightness and style of the room

Choosing the type of flooring installation is necessary to give the right style to the home and improve the perception appearance flooring in accordance with the lighting and proportions of the space. You can choose from a number of different geometric combinations, but main question What remains is: lay the tiles diagonally or straight? Let's look at the pros and cons of these options using the example of square and rectangular tiles.

Which tile pattern should you choose?

When laying directly, the tiles are located parallel to the perimeter walls of the room, and when laying diagonally at an angle of 45 ° to the walls. In both, tile laying can be done in various options layout (pattern) - basic (grid), staggered (like brickwork)

Basic pattern with square tiles

The basic tile laying pattern (mesh) goes well with linear elements modern style and visually increases the size of large squares or rectangles, since simple layout The floor draws attention to the tile itself, emphasizing the material and color.

Diagonal laying of square tiles

Diagonal square tile laying, much used in the eighties and nineties, is well suited for stone floors where large tiles are needed and in the restoration of historic buildings.

Straightening with stripes

Aligned rectangular strips allow you to add an impact to one of the room's dimensions, especially if the tiles are positioned lengthwise from a source of natural light. Therefore, in a large space, if the tiles are located in the same direction as Sun rays, they visually, by the direction of the lines, emphasize the flow of light from the window, and in a small space, if they are located along a smaller room, they expand the space.

Laying rectangular tiles diagonally

Rectangular tiles can also be laid diagonally, in which case the effect of expanding the space is reduced. The use of diagonal stripes is very versatile as it suits both modern and classic design interior

Diagonal tile laying - pros and cons

Ideal for historical interiors, spacious rooms, exterior walls.

Advantages of a diagonal tile laying pattern

is elegant and classic
minimizes geometric imperfections in extended room space in both directions
universal and adapted to modern interiors

Disadvantages of diagonal tile laying pattern

more cuts are required, so there is more tile waste with this design

Longitudinal tile laying scheme - pros and cons

Ideal for modern environments to expand narrow spaces to improve natural light

Advantages of a longitudinal tile laying pattern

is important and modern
improves natural light
fewer cuts with less waste
expands space in one direction

Disadvantages of a longitudinal tile laying pattern

emphasizes the geometric imperfections of the room

Other types of tile installation

Of these two main types, straight, rectangular laying you can get more complex circuits. To create a more creative and colorful environment, pay attention to the pros and cons of straight and diagonal tile laying, mix different formats or materials and play with colors.

Ceramic tiles are a universal floor covering. It can be placed not only in the bathroom, but also in the living room. Tiles are laid in different ways, and in this article we will talk in detail about how to lay tiles diagonally.

Advantages and disadvantages

To decide whether this method of laying tiles is right for you, you need to understand its pros and cons. It is also worth mentioning that it will be difficult for a beginner to cope with the diagonal laying pattern, and incorrect calculation may result in additional costs.

So, the main advantages:

The main advantage of this scheme is beauty. Tiles laid diagonally are rare and look quite unusual;
Savings are also a merit this method. With proper fitting, you can save up to 5% of the material, but this only works for professionals, so if you are a beginner, then be prepared for additional costs;
Diagonal laying will also expand your room. The rotating position of the elements creates the effect of moving the walls away from each other, which visually increases the space in the room;
Thanks to this installation method, you can visually hide most of the irregularities in the perimeter, but not the surface.

Laying tiles diagonally on the floor also has a list of disadvantages:

The most significant disadvantage is the increased number of costs. As mentioned above, in some cases everything works the other way around, but even experts will not always be able to fit the tiles correctly, so most likely you will need 5-10% more material;
The complexity of the work is also big drawback. Marking, fitting and cutting tiles takes a huge amount of time, and you can accidentally damage the material while cutting. Laying floor tiles diagonally is also quite a painstaking job that requires a lot of concentration.

What you need for work

The difficulty of laying diagonally begins already with preparatory stage. First of all you have to calculate required amount tiles (more details: " "). If you choose during normal installation required quantity The material is quite simple, but here you will have to resort to more complex calculations.

First, you must draw a layout diagram on paper, keeping to scale. You will have several types of elements on the sheet:

Whole tiles;
Cut in half or more;
Very small details.

First, count the number of whole tiles, then add to them the number of elements of the second type (they are counted as a whole tile). Small elements complete the calculations. You can combine them by size into one tile and add them to the previous result. It is best to add another 5-10% to the resulting figure, which you can ruin when cutting.

The next thing we need are tools. The list of them is quite wide:

Roulette;
Container for solution;
Mallet;
Glue;
Grout;
Spatulas;
Level;
Crosses and spacers;
Threads and chalk with which you will make markings;
Tile cutter or grinder;
Mallet.

Beginning of work

Laying any floor covering begins with preparing the base. To make the process of laying tiles easier, you should level the surfaces: walls and floor.

The floor is leveled quite simply: use self-leveling screeds for this. You will purchase a dry mixture that needs to be dissolved in water, then evenly distributed with a roller over the floor surface and left for several days. After drying, you will get a flat floor on which it is convenient to lay tiles.

Leveling the walls is much more difficult. If the unevenness is insignificant, then you can easily hide them with putty mixtures, but you will not be able to hide large distortions this way, so you will have to cover the walls plasterboard sheets. Here we can highlight another disadvantage of diagonal laying, because it highlights all the unevenness of the walls.

Once you have corrected the surfaces, you can proceed to the next step - priming. Using a cheap primer, you should apply it several times; with more expensive samples, one coat is enough. At this stage it is also worth hiding small pores in the concrete, which will significantly improve the adhesion of the tiles and the surface. This can be done using tile adhesive applied to the surface. thin layer(less than 1 mm).

The final stage of preparatory work is marking. Everyone does it in their own way, but most measure the center, make an even perimeter and approximately lay the tiles without a fastening compound, after which they make control notes and begin laying.

It is worth mentioning separately about cutting tiles: it can be done using several tools:

Bulgarian – rude and not quite handy tool, which can ruin the material; in addition, after cutting you will have to trim the edges with a file.
Tile cutter – The best decision, however, it is worth buying only if you have extra money, or if you intend to lay tiles professionally.
Glass cutter - cuts perfectly wall tiles, however, it is completely unsuitable for our case, because we have to cut a large number of material that will quickly exhaust you and take a lot of time.

Laying tiles

Speaking about how to lay tiles on the floor diagonally, it is worth mentioning two in different ways, which differ only in where you will start laying the tiles: from the center or corner.

The first method is good if the center of your room is open enough and the floor is clearly visible. The place where you start will be the most neat and symmetrical, so the corners are in this case It’s better to force it with some household items.

In this case, marking should be done not from the center of the walls:

Draw lines from opposite corners to each other;
Mark the point of intersection of these lines - this will be the “center” of your room.

Laying tiles on the floor diagonally is carried out in the same way as in the standard case:

Apply the glue with a spatula to the tiles or floor;
Keep it horizontal when measuring building level;
The seams should be smooth and uniform; spacers and crosses will help you with this. Read also: "".