The first decision on a floor is which line you will start from. This decision determines where cut tiles end up—at the walls where they are hidden, or in the middle of the room where they are obvious. Working out from a centerline means cuts fall evenly at opposite walls. Starting from one wall means all the cuts are at the opposite wall. The sight line is what matters: which line is the eye most likely to travel along when looking at the room? The starting line is chosen so cut tiles fall where the eye is least likely to land.
Perimeter gaps exist at every wall. The tile is laid with a margin between the last full tile and the wall. That gap is hidden by the skirting board or wall trim that sits above it. The gap accommodates movement—thermal expansion and contraction of the tile and substrate. Grout alone cannot absorb this movement; a gap and a flexible joint do. At doorways and thresholds, the gap is also hidden by the threshold trim. These gaps are structural and necessary, not a mistake in layout; they allow the floor to move without cracking the grout.
Cutting around obstacles—a toilet flange, a waste pipe, a cabinet leg—is planned so the cuts are hidden or are the smallest possible. A toilet flange sits on the finished floor, and the tile is cut around it. The cutting is done carefully so the escutcheon covers any gap or unevenness. A waste pipe might be cut around with a precision hole or a cut-out, depending on the exact location and whether the pipe sits between tiles or on one.
Sequencing matters for foot traffic. The installer works out of the room, setting tiles backwards toward the door, so the last area to be finished is at the exit. Nobody walks on fresh tile, and the path out is the last to be completed. This is a detail that separates a careful installation from a rushed one. The room is worked in a sequence so whoever finishes the job can leave without walking on fresh work.