Set out tiles so you don't end up with thin slivers — HomeGraft

Dry-lay tiles first, adjust your lines, then fix a level batten so no wall ends up with thin, obvious slivers.

TS-01Clean and check the wallWipe down the wall with sugar soap to remove grease and dust, then let it dry fully. Check the surface is flat and sound - loose plaster or flaking paint needs sorting before you set out tiles on it. Lay a dust sheet on the floor to protect it and catch debris.

1 each · Sugar soap

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1 each · Cleaning cloth

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1 each · Dust sheet

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TS-02Find and mark the true centreUse your laser level to find the centre point of the wall, both across and up. Mark a vertical centre line and a horizontal line at your intended first-row height with a pencil, and go over them with a snap line for a crisp, easy-to-follow mark.

1 each · Chalk snap line

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1 each · Pencil

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TS-03Dry-lay a test row across the widthWithout adhesive, lay a row of tiles with spacers along your horizontal line, starting at the centre and working out to both edges. Look at what's left at each end - this shows you exactly where your cut tiles will fall before you commit to anything.

1 pack · Tile spacers

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1 each · Tape measure

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TS-04Shift the line to avoid thin sliversIf a cut piece at either end is less than half a tile wide, shift your vertical centre line by half a tile width and dry-lay again. Keep adjusting until both edges end with a cut tile that's a similar, reasonable size - this is the whole point of setting out before you tile.

TS-05Dry-lay the rows going up the wallRepeat the same check vertically, from your horizontal line up to the ceiling and down to the floor or skirting. Watch the bottom row especially - a very thin sliver against the floor looks worse than almost anywhere else, so it's often worth raising or lowering your starting line slightly to avoid it.

TS-06Mark your final setting-out linesOnce you're happy with both directions, snap permanent chalk lines for your final vertical and horizontal starting points. Double-check both lines with your laser level before moving on - these lines are what everything else in the job will follow.

1 each · Chalk snap line

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TS-07Before you drill: check what's behind the wallRun a cable and pipe detector along the line where you'll fix the batten, but don't trust it completely - detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or outside the usual safe zones, and metal stud frames confuse cheap detectors even more. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all about what's behind the wall, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you drill.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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TS-08Work out what kind of wall you've gotTap the wall: solid brick or block sounds dull and solid everywhere; a hollow sound with solid lines every 400-600mm means plasterboard on studs. Run a magnet or stud detector along a hollow section - a steady signal with a line of screw or nail heads under the paint means timber studs, a sharp, strong signal means metal studs. A small pilot hole confirms it: timber dust means timber, fine bright metal swarf means a metal stud. Dot-and-dab plasterboard sounds hollow everywhere with no regular pattern, and lath and plaster feels slightly springy, with thin wood strips visible at any socket cut-out.

1 each · Stud detector or magnet

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TS-09Fix the batten - the right way for your wallOn solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole 40mm deep, fit a wall plug, and screw the batten on with 40-50mm screws every 300mm. On plasterboard over timber studs, screw straight into the centre of each stud with a 50mm wood screw, no plug needed. On plasterboard over metal studs, use self-drilling metal-stud screws driven into each stud - never a plastic plug or an ordinary wood screw, as both strip straight through 0.5mm steel. On dot-and-dab, use a long frame fixing, typically 65-75mm, that passes through the board and the dab void into solid masonry behind, giving at least 25mm of masonry grip. On lath and plaster, locate the timber stud behind the laths and screw into it through a pre-drilled pilot hole with a 60mm screw, to stop the old plaster cracking. A metal-stud fixing will hold this batten fine, but it won't hold anything heavy or anything that pulls away from the wall later - that needs a timber noggin or a fixing back to the masonry.

1 length · Timber batten 25x38mm

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1 pack · Wall plugs

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1 pack · Wood screws 50mm

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1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud screws

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1 pack · Frame fixings 65-75mm

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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1 each · Drill driver

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TS-10Check the batten is level and solidCheck the batten is dead level along its length with a spirit level, adjusting before you tighten fully if it's out. Push and pull it firmly by hand - it shouldn't move or flex anywhere along its length. This batten carries the weight of your first row of tiles while the adhesive sets, so a weak fixing means a collapsed row later.

1 each · Spirit level

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TS-11Tidy up and get ready to tileRemove the dry-laid tiles and stack them safely on edge, keeping track of which ones you marked for cutting. Vacuum up drilling and tile dust, and wipe the wall down with a damp cloth. Store your spacers and pencil ready for tiling day, and leave your marked lines and fixed batten undisturbed.

1 each · Damp cloth

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