Home Page link

Tile do-it-yourself project

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 1 of 3       1 2 3 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Tile do-it-yourself project crabshell 05-15-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by crabshell on May 15, 2007, 1:41 pm
I've taken on a lot of projects thinking "how hard can that be" only to get
into some quagmires...

I'm thinking about doing my own porcelain tile installation. The room is
220 sq ft with a concrete floor. The concrete still has some thick tar-
like residue from an old carpet install. The concrete is generally level
however there are a couple of places (3' x 1' max) up against the wall
where the original cement didn't fill to make a perfectly smooth / level
surface (it was formerly a breezeway -- it's not a real foundation -- just
poured concrete comparable to a garage floor).

1) How clean does the floor have to be?

2) If I use self leveling compound, will that fill the spaces in the cement
that are not smooth?

3) How hard can it be? I'm detail oriented so I have no fear of doing
precise work. I just want the floor to look perfectly smooth and
professional when it's all said and done.

Thanks for any advice or insight.

Electric Radiant Heat 468x60
Posted by ** Frank ** on May 15, 2007, 3:07 pm

> I've taken on a lot of projects thinking "how hard can that be" only to
> get
> into some quagmires...
>
> I'm thinking about doing my own porcelain tile installation. The room is
> 220 sq ft with a concrete floor. The concrete still has some thick tar-
> like residue from an old carpet install. The concrete is generally level
> however there are a couple of places (3' x 1' max) up against the wall
> where the original cement didn't fill to make a perfectly smooth / level
> surface (it was formerly a breezeway -- it's not a real foundation -- just
> poured concrete comparable to a garage floor).
>
> 1) How clean does the floor have to be?
>

You want the thinset to stick to the existing concrete so it has to be
relatively clean free of foreign material and oil.

> 2) If I use self leveling compound, will that fill the spaces in the
> cement
> that are not smooth?

It doesn't have to be smooth like a garage floor or level but it does have
to be flat. I place a flat aluminum bar on the floor to see where the low
and high spots are. Low spots fill, high spots grind - within 1/8" over 5'
or somesuch. The thinset will cover minor imperfections as long as its
relatively flat. The larger the tile the more attention needed to get it
flat.

>
> 3) How hard can it be? I'm detail oriented so I have no fear of doing
> precise work. I just want the floor to look perfectly smooth and
> professional when it's all said and done.
>

Not hard to make it look nice, difficult to have it perfect. 220sf is a
large starter project. Home Depot and Lowe's have the how to demos and the
guy will answer questions and help you select the right material and tools
for the project. Hometime has some good how to tapes/DVD and here is the
site for tiles: http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/ctile.htm



> Thanks for any advice or insight.



Posted by BobR on May 15, 2007, 3:12 pm
> I've taken on a lot of projects thinking "how hard can that be" only to get
> into some quagmires...
>
> I'm thinking about doing my own porcelain tile installation. The room is
> 220 sq ft with a concrete floor. The concrete still has some thick tar-
> like residue from an old carpet install. The concrete is generally level
> however there are a couple of places (3' x 1' max) up against the wall
> where the original cement didn't fill to make a perfectly smooth / level
> surface (it was formerly a breezeway -- it's not a real foundation -- just
> poured concrete comparable to a garage floor).
>
> 1) How clean does the floor have to be?
>
> 2) If I use self leveling compound, will that fill the spaces in the cement
> that are not smooth?
>
> 3) How hard can it be? I'm detail oriented so I have no fear of doing
> precise work. I just want the floor to look perfectly smooth and
> professional when it's all said and done.
>
> Thanks for any advice or insight.

The pro's will tell you it is a slam dunk but as amateur who has done
a couple of jobs now all I can say is that it is a royal pain in the
knees!

Probably the best advice I can give you is to not mix up too much
thinset at a time. You will not work as fast as the professional and
if you mix too much it will get too thick to work with before you can
use it. Take your time and use spacers to position the tiles. Don't
try to get too fancy with a pattern either.



Posted by Richard J Kinch on May 15, 2007, 4:16 pm
BobR writes:

> You will not work as fast as the professional

All I can say is, having done a decent DIY job on several rooms, with all
the right tools, that I could only average 2 sq ft per hour, all told from
start to finish and grouting and clean-up. So 220 sq ft would be weeks of
work, at least for this perfectionist, but it may be for you, too.

Depending on what your time and knees are worth, you may want to price the
commercial installation.

Posted by ** Frank ** on May 15, 2007, 5:35 pm

> BobR writes:
>
>> You will not work as fast as the professional
>
> All I can say is, having done a decent DIY job on several rooms, with all
> the right tools, that I could only average 2 sq ft per hour, all told from
> start to finish and grouting and clean-up. So 220 sq ft would be weeks of
> work, at least for this perfectionist, but it may be for you, too.
>
> Depending on what your time and knees are worth, you may want to price the
> commercial installation.

Sometimes its not the money but the joy and the pain of doing it yourself,
hence your 2sf/hour. Using your numbers, he will be on the floor for almost
three 40 hour working weeks! :-)



Page 1 of 3       1 2 3 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
Removal of Tile Perfect Ceramic Tile Adhesive & Grout January 27, 2008, 8:33 am
remove ceramic floor tile replace with new tile March 22, 2006, 11:29 am
Granite tile over steel surface, Tile Gurus please help. September 27, 2007, 10:57 pm
Backerboard seams for Tile Floor, when to tile? July 19, 2006, 1:42 pm
ceramic tile on ceiling - I don't want tile there anymore! November 25, 2006, 6:32 pm
OT: Help with project December 12, 2007, 10:08 pm
Towel rod project July 19, 2005, 8:03 am
Project Presentation February 6, 2006, 1:36 pm
Help with school project. March 6, 2007, 2:43 am
suggestions on my project? June 16, 2007, 3:40 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap