To start a diagonal tile pattern on a floor, based on common practice and the provided reference, you begin laying tiles right in the middle of the room. Specifically, according to the reference, you should "Work from the centre of the room, starting at the intersection of the two diagonal working lines."
Preparing for Your Diagonal Tile Layout
Before you can start laying tiles, proper preparation is crucial for a successful diagonal pattern. This typically involves:
- Finding the Center: Determine the exact center point of the room. This can be done by finding the midpoint of each wall and snapping chalk lines between opposite walls. The intersection of these lines is the center.
- Establishing Diagonal Working Lines: From the room's center point, you'll need to snap two chalk lines that intersect at a 90-degree angle and run diagonally across the room, usually at 45 degrees to the main layout lines or walls. These are your "diagonal working lines."
The Key Starting Point: The Intersection
Once your diagonal working lines are established, the starting point for laying your first tiles is precisely where these two lines cross in the center of the room.
The reference explicitly states: "Work from the centre of the room, starting at the intersection of the two diagonal working lines."
This means your very first tile, or the corner of the first group of tiles (often a corner of a tile aligns with the center intersection for a 45-degree layout), is placed directly at this central crossing point.
Initial Laying Steps
After placing the first tile(s) at the central intersection, you build outwards. An important part of the starting process is knowing where not to tile immediately.
As the reference notes: "Leave the last full tile and cut tile around the walls until later."
This instruction is key to the starting process. You lay full tiles radiating out from the center intersection following your diagonal lines, but you don't complete the pattern all the way to the walls initially. All the tiles that need to be cut to fit along the edges and corners of the room are left for a later stage. This allows you to focus on laying the main field of full tiles accurately from your critical starting point.
Why Start in the Center for Diagonal Patterns?
Starting a diagonal pattern from the center offers several advantages:
- Pattern Centering: Ensures the diagonal pattern is centered aesthetically within the room, preventing awkward small cuts or narrow strips predominantly along one edge.
- Balancing Cuts: Helps distribute the need for cut tiles more evenly around all sides of the room.
- Accuracy: Provides a solid, square reference point (the intersection of the diagonal lines) to ensure the entire pattern stays aligned correctly.
In summary, launching a diagonal tile pattern on a floor begins by establishing the room's center and snapping diagonal layout lines, then placing the first tile(s) precisely where these diagonal lines intersect, working outwards with full tiles before addressing the perimeter cuts.
