Anybody ever tile their own kitchen floor?

[HeroOfPellinor]

If so, how did it go? Run into any problems? What products did you use?

Specifically, I'm thinking about 12" or 16" ceramic, but the material could change once I learn more.

 

[Howard]

Not kitchen, but bathroom.

 

[PatboyX]

im doing the kitchen now.
so far all we've done is rip up the floor.

 

[Azraele]

I did the bathroom. I got the kind of tile that's sticky on the back. The main thing I ran into was cutting the tile to fit perfectly around corners, etc.

 

[TheToOTaLL]

Bump for this thread.

I'm thinking about ripping up the linoleum in our kitchen and putting in tile around the same time we replacing our crappy looking green carpet with Pergo. Any helpful hints and items purchased would definately be helpful.

 

[Zebo]

Plenty of times. easy as pie.
1. Pull moulding
2. T-off the room
3. start in the center along each t'ed quarter section.
4. Be sure and take the spacers out before grouting.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: TheToOTaLL
Bump for this thread.

I'm thinking about ripping up the linoleum in our kitchen and putting in tile around the same time we replacing our crappy looking green carpet with Pergo. Any helpful hints and items purchased would definately be helpful.

Go to tile stores and ask if they have remanence (sp). I usually only do real wood flooring but one time I got 18" tiles for 93 cents a piece discounted from $3.55

 

[Pliablemoose]

Did the living room last year: pic

It's pretty labor intensive if you want it to look good. Use a good quality polymer mortar that doesn't set up too fast & buy a few plastic buckets for mixing it & the grout.

If you have a large kitchen use the large tiles, however, they'll make a small kitchen appear smaller. I'd stay with 12" or smaller for the average kitchen.

Use chalk lines to make a center of the to be tiled area, start from the center & work out, saving all the cutting for last.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Thanks. Pics coming soon. This is a 44 year old house and I have no idea what's going to be under the vinyl...most likely lots more vinyl.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Oh well, pics didn't come out.

The kitchen floor is about 3/5 of an inch higher than the hardwood on the main floor throughout the house. What could be under that vinyl to account for that height differential?

 

[ajpa123]

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: TheToOTaLL
Bump for this thread.

I'm thinking about ripping up the linoleum in our kitchen and putting in tile around the same time we replacing our crappy looking green carpet with Pergo. Any helpful hints and items purchased would definately be helpful.

Go to tile stores and ask if they have remanence (sp). I usually only do real wood flooring but one time I got 18" tiles for 93 cents a piece discounted from $3.55

Great advice!
My neighbor did the same thing. He ended up getting $3 dollars tiles for well under a dollar a piece and had them installed. The kitchen floor and bathroom cost a total of $700 to install.. .(including price of tiles)

 

[Zedtom]

I did my kitchen about a year ago. Had to rent a tile cutter- which is noisy as hell. We tore out the linoleum, and put in 3/8" plywood subfloor. Make sure you screw down the subfloor into the joists, don't use nails.

We installed ceramic 12" tiles. This room has a southern exposure, and the lino kept fading out. Very pleased with the results.

 

[BillyGoat]

Ceramic should be installed over a cement subfloor, if you dont have one, you can use a hardy cement board, durarock or wonderboard to accompish this

 

[Zedtom]

Yeah, that's right. We used Wonderboard.

 

[BillyGoat]

<--works for a flooring company

 

[cthulhu]

Good thread. In a couple of months, my neighbor is gonna help me renovate my kitchen and the floor is on the list.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I took this picture from the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. The laundry room appears to be an addition or something since there's a step down into it. That step allows me to see the layers of the floor if I look underneath the black plastic step that covers the edge of the kitchen floor as it leads into the laundry room.

Anybody care to guess on what each of those layers is? I'd like to have a reasonably good idea what I'm going to encounter once I start ripping stuff up.

Cross section of floor

Thanks.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I took this picture from the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. The laundry room appears to be an addition or something since there's a step down into it. That step allows me to see the layers of the floor if I look underneath the black plastic step that covers the edge of the kitchen floor as it leads into the laundry room.

Anybody care to guess on what each of those layers is? I'd like to have a reasonably good idea what I'm going to encounter once I start ripping stuff up.

Cross section of floor

Thanks.

Pretty dark picture... I'm sure the yellow one is plywood, but I've never seen that white stuff before.

 

[DanceMan]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I took this picture from the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. The laundry room appears to be an addition or something since there's a step down into it. That step allows me to see the layers of the floor if I look underneath the black plastic step that covers the edge of the kitchen floor as it leads into the laundry room.

Anybody care to guess on what each of those layers is? I'd like to have a reasonably good idea what I'm going to encounter once I start ripping stuff up.

Cross section of floor

Thanks.

Pretty dark picture... I'm sure the yellow one is plywood, but I've never seen that white stuff before.

My guess is the first layer under is particleboard, then maybe linoleum, then another layer of particleboard. I then assume the large white area is the riser board for the step.

If what I think is true, you might have some things to worry about. You do need a cement/wonderboard layer underneath tile. But, I think two layers of particleboard + a new layer of wonderboard + the tile and mastic height is a pretty extreme height. If it was me, I would consider taking up the first layer of particleboard and linoleum. But, then if that tile's old, it might be an asbestos problem.

DanceMan

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I took this picture from the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. The laundry room appears to be an addition or something since there's a step down into it. That step allows me to see the layers of the floor if I look underneath the black plastic step that covers the edge of the kitchen floor as it leads into the laundry room.

Anybody care to guess on what each of those layers is? I'd like to have a reasonably good idea what I'm going to encounter once I start ripping stuff up.

Cross section of floor

Thanks.

Pretty dark picture... I'm sure the yellow one is plywood, but I've never seen that white stuff before.

The very bottom white is, I believe, the foundation of the house. As I said this laundry room is way below the rest of the house and may have been built, at some point to bridge the garage and the house. The white stuff is probably just paint.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: DanceMan

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I took this picture from the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. The laundry room appears to be an addition or something since there's a step down into it. That step allows me to see the layers of the floor if I look underneath the black plastic step that covers the edge of the kitchen floor as it leads into the laundry room.

Anybody care to guess on what each of those layers is? I'd like to have a reasonably good idea what I'm going to encounter once I start ripping stuff up.

Cross section of floor

Thanks.

Pretty dark picture... I'm sure the yellow one is plywood, but I've never seen that white stuff before.

My guess is the first layer under is particleboard, then maybe linoleum, then another layer of particleboard. I then assume the large white area is the riser board for the step.

If what I think is true, you might have some things to worry about. You do need a cement/wonderboard layer underneath tile. But, I think two layers of particleboard + a new layer of wonderboard + the tile and mastic height is a pretty extreme height. If it was me, I would consider taking up the first layer of particleboard and linoleum. But, then if that tile's old, it might be an asbestos problem.

DanceMan

That's one of my two big concerns. The other is whether or not, if I do pull up that top layer of linoleum and particleboard, if the floor will be rigid and strong enough to support the ceramic tile. Aside from that, that bottom layer could be the subfloor, couldn't it?

As a 44 year old house, I think the possibility of asbestos is too great to ignore, so I'll call me home inspector and see who he recommends.

 

[LAUST]

I bought a hud home so my place was TRASHED when I bought it

 

[T2T III]

Then premixed mortar, don't use that crap you have to mix yourself, I found it to suck myself and be far more a pain then what it's worth

I'll also recommend using the "pre-mixed" thinset. The mortar or thinsent can be reallly F#@! up if the proper proportions of water/mix are not followed. So, using a pre-mixed version is definately a better way to go for convenience and consistancy.

Also, I'll re-iterate the need for using a cement board (Duroc, Hardi-backer, etc.) A 1/2" sheet is nearly the same price as the 1/4" sheet. A 3' x 5' sheet usually runs about $8.50 at Home Depot. If you do not use such a product, your floor will have enough flex that the grout will be cracked within a year - and, possibly, even some of the tiles could come loose.

Sadly, most builders still don't use any type of cement board on the floors before applying ceramic. They usually have the sub-floor and a 1/2" layer of plywood tacked onto that - and then the tiles get directly applied.

Finally, keep in mind that there's a scoring system for tiles. Get something durable. The stuff @ Home Depot, Lowes, etc. can be a bit weak at times. If you are looking for durability, check into some of the other brands (e.g. - Florida Tile, Daltile, etc.) - however, you might even find some Daltile tiles on the shelves at H.D.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Tiles2Tech
Finally, keep in mind that there's a scoring system for tiles. Get something durable. The stuff @ Home Depot, Lowes, etc. can be a bit weak at times. If you are looking for durability, check into some of the other brands (e.g. - Florida Tile, Daltile, etc.) - however, you might even find some Daltile tiles on the shelves at H.D.

Great advice, thank you.

 

[Armitage]

I'll second most of the advice here. Wonderboard is a really good idea if you have the vertical space for it, but if you're already 3/5" above the surrounding floor, another 1/2" of wonderboard isn't going to help things unless you can tear down a bit.

Tough to tell from your pic, but I wouldn't be suprised if there is another layer of flooring under the current linoleum. I'd be kind of suprised if it was asbestos, but worth checking before you start making dust.

Also, in my experience, a cheap score & snap cutter is easier, cheaper, and just as good for ceramic tile. You should only need a saw for stone.

Make sure you have the right kind of grout. If the tile has a glossy finish, you want unsanded grout, and will want to run thinner grout lines then if you have a more mate finish tile.

I sat through one of those DIY tile laying classes @ Home Depot, and the guy was actually pretty good. I learned alot. I've got a slate floor, and a ceramic tiled shower to my name right now, and about 200 ft^2 of marble out in the shop for if I ever get to finish my addition.