Just saved a big tile job in Scottsdale from a layout disaster

I was setting up a herringbone pattern in a huge master bath (like, 400 square feet) and realized my chalk lines were off by a full inch after the first two rows. The homeowner was due back in an hour. I had to pull up all the fresh thin-set, re-snap every line using my laser and a 3-4-5 triangle check, and start over. It set me back almost three hours, but man, catching it then saved a nightmare tear-out later. Anyone else ever have a layout go sideways that fast on a big pattern?

3 comments

3 Comments

adams.harper1mo ago

A whole inch over 400 sq ft seems like a lot to redo for no visible flaw.

wyattc771mo ago

You really pulled up two rows for just one inch? On a big floor like that, a single inch over that whole space is nothing. Most of the time you can just fudge the cuts at the walls and nobody will ever know. Seems like you wasted three hours for no good reason.

nelson.daniel1mo ago

Fudge the cuts at the walls" is how you get that one weird sliver that catches your eye forever. My buddy did that in his kitchen and now he points it out every single time I'm over. Some things you just can't unsee once you know they're there.