Are hexagon tiles harder to lay?

Discussion in 'Tilers' Talk' started by Mancone, Mar 31, 2020.

  1. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    I’m having a dispute regarding costs with bathroom fitter and he’s saying hexagonal floor tiles are harder to lay. Any truth? They are uneven in spacing and also at the corners they aren’t level.
     
  2. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    Photos, young lady, photos o_O
     
  3. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Wouldn't say they were harder....probably he meant more attention required in initial setting out.
     
  4. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    They are potentially more involved to lay - not necessarily harder. Picture the scene - square/rectangular tiles set adjacent to a dead straight wall on stack bond - no cutting required. Same wall, hexagonal tiles - you have to cut every other tile.

    I can't think of a valid reason for a substandard job though - unless tiles were badly misshapen.
     
    Mancone likes this.
  5. Rob_bv

    Rob_bv Active Member

    Could be the tiles - I've been forced to install a customer's tiles before that were so badly domed that if i put 2 tiles on the floor, face-to-face, the top one could spin freely. Although without any pics it's all guess-work.
     
  6. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    Tiles were factory made, as in they are perfect to each other. The floor was on a slope as you would expect for a 100+ year old house.
     
  7. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    Attached is a spirt level and you can see the tiles aren’t slipping down level.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Rob_bv

    Rob_bv Active Member

    how long is the spirit level? I'm afraid that photo doesn't tell us much - for all we know, that could be 3mm out over 2m. How about some photos of the overall tiling?
     
  9. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    Any tiles are a pain to lay if the floors sloping significantly, especially if the tiler has tried to take out some of the slope with extra adhesive, this will vary the gaps between tiles and cause extra grief and dips. If the floor was that bad then there should have been remedial work done before tiling started, especially if a ‘perfect’ finish was required and priced for. What’s the crux of the dispute, and what are you primarily unhappy about? Post a couple of pictures of the wider area, that photo made my eyeballs spin :confused:
     
  10. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    The issue is best described as my feet catching on the tiles when I walk in my bare feet.

    The phone below shows where the gap is different sizes. As the floor is busy isn’t not too bad. The wall tiles are fab though.
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    That’s not ideal, but it does depend how much of a lip there is as there are tolerances for everything, a mm isn’t the end of the world but a couple of mm from one tile to another can make a job look really shoddy. The photo looks decent, though I can see where the lines are slightly bigger, but there can be slight variations in the tiles themselves, nothing is ever 100% perfect. What does the tiler say?
     
  12. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    He says that there is a 1inch variation in the floor. Doesn’t think there is an issue. His tiling is the walls is fine though.
     
  13. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    I’m not defending him as the level of finish depends on a number of things, prep work, quoted price, type of tile, eyesight and ability of chosen tiler etc :confused: but floors are generally harder to tile than walls and an inch variation can make life difficult when trying to get over it, but as I mentioned earlier, if the floor was that bad that it apparently impaired the finish then it should have been addressed at preparation stage. If his wall tiling is spot on then that would suggest that he knows his stuff, and did the best he could with what he had with the floor.
     
    Mancone likes this.
  14. Mancone

    Mancone Member

    I told me I should get new floor boards as I had woodworm. I’m not sure if that was what made the floor not a good result. I had a leaking shower so I removed the boards and that’s that.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice