Do Tiles Ever Fit Properly?

We recently read about an interesting mathematical discovery – a new kind of pentagon that can tile together neatly without leaving any gaps or overlapping, something the normal regular pentagon can’t do.

 

Since 1918, mathematicians have been searching for types of pentagon which can achieve this; however, most thought that all of the options had been discovered. A new one hadn’t been uncovered for thirty years, until researchers at the University of Washington Bothell announced their discovery last month. There are now 15 types of pentagon which you can tile together for a neat finish on your walls or floors, providing a great talking point if you happen to know any mathematicians!

 

This got us thinking about tile fitting; we know that after all the painstaking decision making on what tiles you want, the last thing you need to worry about is them not fitting into the gap you’ve got.

 

The Basics

 

There’s always that corner of the cupboard which stops a full tile from fitting, or an awkward corner which is going to look crowded.

 

Well. We have a way round that.

 

1)      Check your space

 

Make sure you’ve measured the space you want to tile.

 

2)      Check your tiles

 

How big are your tiles? Take the width and height measurements.

 

 

3)      Do a little maths

 

This is where it gets a little complicated:
– Take the height of the space and divide it by the height of the tile. Round it up if you end up with a fraction.
– Do the same with the width of the space and the tile.
– Multiply the two results – that’s how many tiles it should take!

 

From experience, we know that mistakes and breaks happen, so before you go nuts, give yourself 5% extra for wall tiles and 10% for floor tiles.

 

Advanced

 

Now we’ve got the basics out the way we can move onto the tricky side.

 

We know that tricky areas to tile are things you need in your house like a light socket, a door or window. Other tricky areas could be an awkward uneven corner.

 

In case of fixtures, the best thing to do is to work around them; cut the tiles accordingly to get a good fit. Remember to measure twice, cut once, so you get it right first time. Laying your tiles out first will help you get an idea of how best to fit them around your fixtures for minimal cutting.

 

 

In other situations, such as uneven walls, you must sort out the wall. Sand it down and make it even.

 

If you don’t, then when you attempt to stick the tile on to the wall, it will probably fall off because it will not have enough grip. If the tile does grip, be aware that because it does not have the sturdy wall completely behind it, it is more fragile.

 

So, do they ever fit?

 

So, short answer – yes. It is possible to get tricky spaces tiled. You just have to be clever and out-wit the space. Make sure you double check all your measurements before you begin, don’t rush it and you’ll be just fine.

 

At Tile and Stone Online, we’re not just suppliers of beautiful Porcelanosa tiles and other stunning ranges – we’re also a friendly, helpful team who can offer advice on your project from start to finish! If you’ve got any tiling questions, give us a call on 01539 741155, or pop down to our showroom, open Monday – Saturday every week, to have a chat with our team.