Found a stat about tile layout that saved my next project

I read on a flooring forum that over 90% of DIY tile jobs fail because people don't dry lay their pattern first. Last weekend I tried it with a cheap 12x12 sheet I bought, ended up fixing a weird gap before any thinset touched the floor. Has anyone else caught small mistakes this way?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosepark17d ago

Laid out my first tile job dry and realized I'd planned to start in the corner where the wall was actually 2 inches out of square. Would have ended up with a sliver of tile showing on the opposite wall. Called myself a lot of bad names that day. Dry lay saved me from ripping out a whole floor.

ray56217d agoTop Commenter

Oh come on, dry laying is just a crutch for people who can't measure right the first time (no offense). Real pros can figure all that out on paper or in their head without wasting hours stacking tiles on the floor.

tessalane17d ago

Huh, I actually think dry laying is pretty smart even for pros. Saves a lot of "oops" moments that paper math just doesn't catch.