Tile and Paver Layout Patterns
The pattern you lay tile or pavers in changes how many you buy: patterns set at an angle to the walls need more cuts, and every cut tile at the edge leaves an offcut you can’t use.
Patterns and the extra they need
| Pattern | How it’s laid | Extra to order |
|---|---|---|
| Straight grid (square or rectangular) | Tiles lined up in rows and columns, joints running straight both ways. The simplest to lay and the least waste. | 5–10% |
| Running bond (brick) | Each row shifted by half a tile; usually rectangular tiles twice as long as they are wide. | 10% |
| Three-quarter or third offset | Each row shifted by a quarter or a third of a tile, which hides slight bowing in long tiles. | 10% |
| Basket weave | Pairs of rectangular tiles set side by side, each pair turned 90° from its neighbors. | 10% |
| 90° herringbone | Rectangular tiles set in a zigzag, each at right angles to the next, aligned with the walls. | 10% |
| 45° herringbone | The same zigzag turned 45° to the walls, so every edge tile is cut at an angle. | 20% |
| Diamond (diagonal grid) | A square grid turned 45° to the walls. | 20% |
| Angled rectangular grid | A rectangular grid turned 45°. | 20% |
Ordering
- Small rooms with many corners and doorways waste more than a large open floor; add a little more there.
- Keep a few spare tiles from the same batch for later repairs: colors vary between batches.
- Lay the pattern out dry from the center of the room so the cut tiles at opposite walls are the same size.
The tile calculator takes your pattern’s extra as a percentage, and the paver calculator does the same for patios.