What Direction Should You Lay Tile Flooring? (2024)

FAQs

What Direction Should You Lay Tile Flooring? ›

It really depends on what you hope to achieve visually for this room. If you run them vertically you are giving the illusion of lengthening the room, run them horizontally and you are widening the room. General rule of thumb is to run them the length of the room, but this dosen't always have to be the case.

Flooring Direction: Parallel

Also known as vertical, parallel flooring directions draw the eye ahead – often towards an entryway, architectural feature, or a source of light such as a window. This classic direction is the traditional choice for most installations.

Vertical tile draws the eye upward and visually elongates a space. This makes vertical tile ideal for drawing attention to a certain focal point or adding visual height to a room. Similarly, horizontal tile can visually widen a space.

When tiling your room, you'll be starting from a central point and working your way out to each corner, one at a time. You'll want to be able to exit the room without walking across your freshly laid tiles, so plan ahead and work into the further corners of the room first so that you finish by the door.

The most popular way of laying rectangular tiles is an offset pattern, like parquet or laminate. We do not recommend placing tiles for more than 1/3 of their length relative to each other. The most problematic pattern will be a 50% offset, or 1/2.

Tiles must be dry and the back of the tile clean. The surface being tiled should be true and even and free from grease, wax, oil, curing compounds, and all forms of contamination. Adhesive should be applied using the appropriate notched trowel.

Start laying tile from your center line. Begin by only applying enough thinset to lay a few tiles at first. This will help you gauge how much you can lay before the thinset begins to set or develop a skin on it.

Diagonal: Laying subway tile flooring in a diagonal pattern adds visual interest and a modern touch. It creates the illusion of a larger space, particularly beneficial for smaller areas.

The staggered floor tile vs. straight can vary based on the professional installation, personal preference, and even the location. The staggered tile can make a space look more traditional and even a nice homage to European cultures, while the straight pattern can be ideal if you want something more modern.

Which direction to lay tile that looks like wood? ›

Because I like for wood floorboards to appear long, and I want them to run the length of the room or in a house (front to back so that it draws you through the house), I like to lay these rectangular tiles in the opposite direction, perpendicular to the length of the room.

Since whichever side of the tile the blade hits first will be the smoothest part of the cut, if your blade cuts from the top, you'll want the tile facing up; if the blade cuts from the bottom, you'll want the tile facing down.

If you want to make a small room in your house look bigger and wider, we recommend you use the diagonal tile pattern. Remember from the straight lay pattern that the eyes follow the grout lines.

Diagonal and Diamond Arrangement

That being said, we'd often recommend laying tiles in a diagonal or diamond arrangement when trying to make a small room look bigger. Not only do diagonal or diamond tile patterns help create a statement feature wall, but they will also help break up any harsh lines.