My wife really wants new tile in our master bathroom. I told her that I would install the tile myself so we can save the money (We just got married almost a year ago so I'm trying to prove myself in the "home improvement dept."). The only problem is that I have absolutely no experience installing tile.
Do you think it's possible for me to get the job done well even though I've never done this type of job before? If so, what are the most important things I need to know going into this job, and what tools will I need.
Thanks for thoughts!
Walt B.
____________________________________ Posted via Homerepairlive.com
the changes in thickness that arise. Is there vinyl sheet floor? You most likely will want to rip that out too. Just something to think about.
I think anyone can do a tile job although I have never been one to shy away from almost any job. There are good books and videos on how to do tile. Pick one up and see whats involved. Watch the shows (Hometime or others). You will get some ideas.
Use a tile saw for cuts. The $88 one at lowes is fine for small tiles and a small job. Plan your job around the capabilities of the saw. If your layout requires diagonal cuts on 16" tiles then you are not going to be able to do that with the cheap saw.
Yeah, don't let her help you. There will be too many arguments. Tell her to go away for the weekend to her friend's house and you will present her with the new floor.
Our local home depot has free hands-on weekend classes to learn to DIY. Check with yours and see when (if?) they're doing a tile workshop. That's what I would do. Although only you know your wife, I would suggest, contrary to the other suggestions you have received, that you see if she wants to take the class with you, and you can both learn at the same time. DH and I have a great time doing things like this.
You seem experienced with this so I have a question. I plan on tackling my bathroom floors as well. They both have original 1975 tile I refer to as Chicklet - those tiny little 1" x 1" (or smaller) tiles. What's the best tool to use to remove them? *Hoping it's not a chisel*.
I just finished tiling my bath, and it came out pretty well. Plan on spending a lot of time and wading through a great deal of confusion. Get used to the fact that when the job is complete, you will always see your own numerous flaws even when no one else claims to.
Take your time, do lots of research, and ask lots of questions in this group. There are some very smart people here.
I can't wait to do my next tile job. I've learned a lot of lessons the hard way.
BTW, what is the group's opinion on mastic vs. thin-set and cement/fiber board vs. greenwall for dry tile walls?
WOW! Thanks so much everyone for all of the great information. It seems like if I spend some more time researching "how to", pay attention to the details, and take my time, I should be able to do a great job installing tile in our master bathroom.
Now, all I have to do is get this job done really well so my wife doesn't say, ...."maybe you should call my Dad, or ask our neighbor..." I hate that :)
Thanks again!
Walt B.
____________________________________ Posted via Homerepairlive.com
I believe a demolition hammer (power tool such as:
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would do the job nicely.
I used a hammer and chisel on my floor which was tile in a 3 inch mortar bed. Slow and tedious. Also pop the nails heads on the ceiling below. I removed both the tile and mortor.
If the floor is in good shape and level, I would seriously consider tiling over it. If you remove the current floor, there is no guarantee that the sub-floor is level (mine wasn't). You wil also need to lay down CBU and possible plywood to gain stiffness and height assuming the tile was set in a mortor bed. In my second bathroom. I tiled over it and raise my door saddle 1/2". Turn out nice and level without the work and resulting tile to dispose of. Just use a high quality thinest.
Perhaps a reframe here would be helpful. Instead of proving how much you already know about tiling, prove how quickly you can learn about it. The latter is a greater measure of intelligence and would remove a large source of stress.
Your first tiling job isn't going to come out perfect. Accept that. It might come out really good and it might come out really bad, but I would defy anyone to do a perfect job on their first try.
I just redid my bathroom and the biggest mistake I made was to wait too long before cleaning the tiles after grouting. If you want to avoid having grout haze and the difficulty of removing this grout haze, make sure you clean the tiles and grout lines well after grouting. You have to find a compromise between over cleaning and not cleaning enough of the grout. Overcleaning and using too much water will leave you with weak grout joints that can crack, not cleaning enough and waiting too long to clean the grout will leave you with hazed grout lines which are a pain to clean.
Just my input, as I am still working on removing the grout haze left on my grout joints. After sugar and water mixture, I will move to acid cleaners.
When we were shopping for tile at a real tile store, we heard a very sad story from another customer. She and hubby had retiled a family room, didn't clean the grout haze until it dried, and then used muriatic acid. Wanted something to repair the damage :o)
No one does the first time. I've now done two bathroom floors, the laundry floor and walls, and a couple of closets. I have the master bathroom left to do as soon as it gets a little warmer.
As others have said, you really need a wet-saw. I bought one a few years ago and use it often. Harbor Freight has what looks like a nice one for a good price (significantly less than I paid for a smaller one):
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There are cheaper ones there but IMO you do need a wet-saw. You'll
*easily* save enough on the first job to pay for it. That's how I build my toy^h^h^htool collection. ;-)
It's a big job, but it's certainly within the range of a DIYer. If your house only has one bathroom things might be, um, interesting for a few days. ;-) A bathroom floor takes me about a week (I'm slow ;).
- One day to remove fixtures, tear out old flooring (unless it's tile, then it's month ;) and prep. Maybe spackle the walls. - One day to do the setup, cut the backer to size and maybe install a sheet or two. ...perhaps paint the ceiling. - One day to finish the backer and tape it. Plan the tile cuts. Plenty of time to paint the walls (easy before the tile goes in). - Two to three days to lay the tile. I like work backwards from the door to the wall far. If everything works out the cuts can be hidden by the base molding rather than being exposed by the saddle and tub. This means I only do as much as I can step over (3-4'), at least the first day. Since I don't do this every day I also don't want to do it tired. I tend to make stupid mistakes when I'm tired. - A short day to grout and clean up. - And a short day to reinstall the fixtures. - I plan so I can seal the grout the following weekend (an hours job but the grout should set up for several days before).
My hubby provides the muscle and the big power tools, and I nag about how it looks and the detail work. Between the two of us, we do pretty well. I would get a good tile book, visit a tile store and get some brochures. Read labels or install instructions (usually available on the 'net) before you begin. Figure out the difference between mastic and grout :o) My main concern would be odd features, like tiling around pipes, and what is under the present flooring.
We contemplated DIY, and hubby's drunk buddy offered to help, at which point I threatened divorce and suicide :o) NO WAY his know-it-all fool friend was going to ruin my floor :o)
We took up the old carpet prior to ordering the tile, so we would be sure there were no cracks in our slab that might be a problem with tile. It meant bare floors for a while, delayed further because the tile was imported and ordered just before 9/11. Our contractor was superb, and took care of a couple of issues that we would not have figured out. They also had a sub who uncercut the baseboards and door trim so the tile goes under it, not up against. It turned out beautiful and looks "original". Another issue would be to be sure you use a floor tile; sort of basic, but wall tile on floors may be a hazard. Another post in this thread mentions cleaning grout haze - pay attention, as that seems to be a frequently mentioned problem on ahr. Don't let the adhesive/thinset pile up in grout joints or the grout will be thin and subject to cracking. Joins to other flooring may be an issue as to type of median or level of each - we have tile up to terazzo in three areas, and terazzo is higher. The contractor slanted the tiles ever so gradually, with ?thinset built up so that the tile edge is level with the terazzo and the "slant" isn't noticeable. If considering white or light grout, consider stain potential. Our only hazard is red wine being spilled - taupe color tile with same color grout. :o)
I saw a clerk at local HD or Lowes cutting tile for someone once. Special cuts the store might do for you - worth asking.
Like the other response said - The tile may be in a mortar bed. I just finished knocking one of these out. A masons chisel makes short work of it. you will then need to make sure the top of the joists are level, or at least flat, install 3/4 ply and backer board then tile. If the added height is OK and the old tile is sound, you can tile over it. I didn't have sound old tile and the added height would have been too much plus I could repair and upgrade some of the plumbing under the floor. I am also replacing the tub. It would have been impossible to get out w/o disturbing the floor as well.
Sugar and water? Hadn't heard that one. I've found that the green kitchen Scotch-Brite pads work pretty well for cleaning the haze after it's dried. Of course one wants to get as much up as possible before it dries, but I never seem to get that part right. There are also additives one can add to the rinse water to help cut the haze.
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