digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: install 6 by 36 inch non-rectified porcelain floor tile using a one-third offset (brick-style) layout, starting from a visible sightline rather than an outside wall, so cut tiles are hidden. The presenter also recommends a chalk-line reference, a large-format cement applied in one direction with back-buttering, and light initial pressure to manage the tile's slight warp.
Key Points
- Non-rectified tile is slightly curved from the kiln, so a one-third offset rule keeps the high and low points closer together and avoids an exaggerated uneven look.
- Layout starts with what is seen first when entering the room (here, the corner in front of a custom glass shower), so the most visible area has full tiles and cuts are pushed to hidden areas such as behind the vanity or toilet.
- Starting in the middle of the room is harder but gives dramatic benefits, because cut pieces end up under the vanity or away from the main view.
- A snapped chalk line set about one-eighth inch off the shower pan's back corner marks the tile edge; it must not be rubbed off or covered in cement so the layout stays straight.
- The presenter calls this an economical approach, since the existing subfloor was reused.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Use a one-third offset: each row starts no more than one-third of a tile from the previous row's start, so one tile finishes at a line and the next starts no more than one-third up.
- Choose the first visible area (rule number one: "the first thing you see has to be sexy"), then cut everything else to fit.
- Snap a chalk line about one-eighth inch off the back corner of the shower pan, direct it as needed, and leave it visible.
- Set the first tile so it is about one foot off the shower base, avoiding a tile that ends an inch short of the shower base. Pre-cut a few tiles (for example, one cut at two feet) and lay them with the one-third offset to set the pattern.
- Subfloor setup: 5/8 inch existing subfloor plus 5/8 inch plywood gives an inch and a quarter total, which the presenter says is what code calls for when putting tile down; screws were added to tighten the floor.
- Apply large-format cement (a special product) over the floor, spreading it in one direction.
- Back-butter the tile with a notched trowel, grooves running the opposite direction to the floor's grooves so the ridges intersect and sit high enough to level the floor.
- Aim for about 90 percent adhesion on the tile, and set tiles gently at first.
- Use spacers to keep lines straight.
- Expect about a sixteenth of an inch of warp rolling like a wave; avoid heavy force on the first tiles so you don't push down the low side and create a kick hazard, then add pressure once the pattern and high and low points are known.
- Behind the toilet, a three-inch cut is acceptable because it is out of the line of sight.
- The presenter says he generally no longer uses spacers but recommends them for a how-to video.
Bottom Line
Non-rectified large-format porcelain rewards careful planning: pick the most visible starting point, use a one-third offset, control cement and pressure, and hide cuts out of sight for a result that looks professionally finished.
