L-Shaped Bathroom Tile Job

[RickStazy]

So I've tiled a square bathroom and rectangular laundry room but now I'm on the L-Shaped bathroom. My question is, should I stick with squaring the L-shaped bathroom or should I make it more aesthetically pleasing upon the entrance of the bathroom?

Pic of Squaring L-Shaped Bathroom:

Pic of "more aesthetically pleasing upon the entrance":

 

[oldognewtrick]

I would center the tile with the door and have cut pieces on each side of the full. Looks better balanced. Just my :2cents:

And to House Repair Talk!

 

[bud16415]

:agree:

You didn’t show the third option and the one I would like best I think. Center a row of tiles on the span and then cut the two side ones.

 

[nealtw]

:agree: That makes three.

 

[CallMeVilla]

Well, have you considered doing a diagonal pattern to escape the problem entirely? You can center the points in the doorway and build it through the bathroom accordingly.

 

[RickStazy]

Thank you, I didn't even think about it.

 

[RickStazy]

Agreed, thank you.

 

[RickStazy]

Since I didn't diagonalize the other bathroom or laundry room and do not plan to in the kitchen(last place I'm tiling), don't you think it would be odd to do just one of 4 places diagonalized?

 

[Chris]

I did tile for years and we always went with what was eye pleasing, we always found the focal points of the room like a doorway and centered off if that. You can either put the grout joint down the center or a full tile down the center depending on how it left the cuts. We tried not to leave a sliver along a wall. Also if it is an L shape make sure you also center the L part so it all flows.

 

[Chris]

From looking at the pictures posted, try it with a full tile down the center, that should push your tiles to the right to fill in that sliver cut and you will have just about 3 full tiles across. That will probably leave you with a sliver in front of the tub if that is what is along the wall to the left around the corner so you will have to see which you like best. It will take several different measurements to get it exactly perfect but it is usually worth it in the end.

 

[Chris]

:agree:

You didn’t show the third option and the one I would like best I think. Center a row of tiles on the span and then cut the two side ones.

Didn't see that you beat me to it.:beer:

 

[RickStazy]

By a sliver do you mean not leave a grout line exposed when you put new baseboards back on? The way I have laid the tile thus far is cutting it to where the tile is butted up against the wall and then I will put new baseboards on top of it. As far as where the bathtub meets the tile, I also butted the tile right next to the bathtub and will be lining the bathtub where it meets the tile with a peel & stick caulk strip in order to perfectly square the bathroom so that the the peel & stick caulk strip trim extends as far as the baseboards on the opposite wall.
Another Question. I haven't had to deal with this yet because in the first bathroom that I put tile in, it met to carpet so i just jammed the carpet into the 1/4" gap that I left to make a smooth transition. In the laundry room I'm just going to put a transition strip and since it is the laundry room I'm not too worried about appeal since there will be bi-folding doors. BUT here's my question: When I figure out my layout, I am going to need to put a transition strip from the wood floor to the tile. Now this makes me ponder the situation a bit because the transition strip lip is 1/2" on both sides. Would you lay a thin piece of tile (1/4" thick and grout it (1/4')) where the transition strip would sit on in order to expose a full tile upon entrance or would you just transition 1/2" over the entrance of the bathroom tiles?

 

[Chris]

By sliver I mean a piece of tile less than a couple inches wide. You are doing it right by going to the wall them basing above it.

As for the transition when I meet wood there are a few options. One you can but them together and use a color matched caulking between the two if they are the same height roughly, or you can use a wood T molding that goes over the edge of both. The later is more forgiving but I like the smoothness of just using caulking but that can be more maintenance in the future since wood likes to expand and contract with different seasons.

 

[Chris]

Also on the tub I like to make my cuts to follow the contour of the tub and just have a grout joint there and nothing else. I think it looks cleaner but it takes a little more work on the saw.

 

[nealtw]

I like the vinyl strip that fits into the aluminum track on the floor, I used it between tile and laminent. A little hard to find now.
http://www.installerstore.com/Johnsonite-Aluminum-Track-Base-w-out-Pins.html
http://www.rehau.com/us-en/furniture-cabinetry-and-surface-edging/edgeband/t-molding-and-bullnose