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A simple chalk line changed how I set my first row
For years, I would snap a line for my first row of plank flooring, then just start laying from there. I thought I was being careful. Last week, I was doing a big open floor in a house in Tempe, and my helper, a guy who's been doing this for twenty years, just watched me for a minute. He said, 'You know, if you snap a second line a plank's width over from your first, you can see the whole run before you commit.' I felt like an idiot. I tried it, and suddenly I could see exactly where my end cuts would land at the far wall and if my starter line was truly square to the room's longest wall. It added maybe two minutes to my setup and saved me from a wonky cut on the other side of a 40-foot room. Why did it take me so long to learn that? Do you guys use a double line, or is there another trick for making sure that first row is locked in?
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lindal132mo ago
My buddy had a similar wake-up call laying tile. He was always fighting the last row until someone told him to dry lay the whole first line from wall to wall. Total game changer, saved so much headache.
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shanelee2mo ago
My uncle did tile for 30 years and said the same thing. He started snapping two chalk lines to find the exact room center before even mixing thinset.
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harris.rowan2mo ago
That's the kind of prep work that separates a good job from a great one. @lindal13 is right about dry laying too, it's like a rehearsal before the real show. Skipping those steps just means you'll pay for it later with weird cuts and a lot of stress. Taking the extra time at the start always saves you more time in the long run.
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