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Layin' a floor.....

C

Carbo

Diamond Member
....for some of you virgins that's all you'll ever get, but I digress.
As it turns out, ATOT just might be ground zero for the sharpest group on handymen/fixers/contractors on the 'net. With that in mind, I am having new floors put down, from one end of the house to the other.
The tiles are ceramic saltillo, 16". The buying was the easy part for me. Bad check, phony ID, and I'm outta there with my loot.
But, I don't know diddly about laying things. What to do, mistakes to avoid, how do I know the guy I end up hiring is knowledgeable and isn't ripping me off, etc. Any input is appreciated.
By the way, Florida location, no basement, the tile will be on top of a concrete slab.
 
Look for surface cracks,put either plastic sheeting or felt over the cracks.Find center of room,pop a string each direction.Start where x marks the spot,and go from there.Get spacers and a wet saw if you can.Nibblers will work somewhat,but nothing beats a wet saw.Home Depot does a class weekly for tiles,its a good start.
 
Wow! A real, honest to goodness reply. I knew I was setting myself up for a smart ass answer or five with that "I don't know diddly about laying things." comment.
SquirrelDog, nah, I'm not the one to be installing these tiles. I definitely need to hire the job out. I just don't know what to look for so that the guy I hire does the job right.
 
You start in the most visible places with the whole tiles, and work towards the places you never see, becuase it is better if you have smaller portions of tile in places you dont see. But lay it our first, use some chalk-line (available at Home Depot) to lay it out. Depending on the moisture, you may want to lay a vapor-barrier down on the cement floor first. Then you make your setting compound, and using a grooved trowel, spread it in little sections and lay the tile on that section right away. Make sure the tile matches the chalklines and once you get your first couple of tiles in place, you start working your way into the interior of the floor applying setting compound, then placing your tile, then inserting spacers and adjusting the tile to be evenly spaced. When you are done, let it dry and then you mix a grout compound with (in whatever color you prefer), remove the spacers from the already set tiles, and then start applying the grout into the spaces between tiles. Use a slightly wet sponge to go over the grout, and wipe of the excess gout. Once that is semi dry go over it with a sponge once again to make sure no excess grout is on the tiles themselves. Once everything is dry, be sure to sweep the floor, and mop it with a damp mop. It should look like a million bucks...🙂
 
Funny you should mention it, the contractor three days ago finished laying and grouting more than 500sq. ft. of 12" ceramic tile through my parent's house; kitchen, living room, hallways, and foyer. I've tiled bathrooms and counters, but not large rooms, whole houses, or complex tile patterns with a lot of intricate work. Home Depot or Lowe's should have some good videos or books. Oh, I see someone already mentioned Home Depot's tile classes. That would be highly recommended.

Home Depot or other home improvement supply in your area should have the names and numbers of contractors which are reputable, that's where we found this guy. He did a great job, it looks awesome. Don't be afraid to ask for references of his past jobs. I'm not sure I prefer a whole damned house (excepting the bedrooms and bathrooms) tiled vs. carpet, but it sure looks cool.

All moldings should be removed, all cracks in your cement should be patched, and any paint that may be on your cement floor should be scraped up. Tile cement sticks best directly to the cement. Small divets or holes in the floor are unimportant, because the tile cement will file those imperfections in. But large cracks MUST be filled with a suitable cement floor patch.

As someone mentioned, you start with the least 'obscure' and most open area which contains the largest complete square area you can find and work towards smaller, confined, or obscure areas. At least that is my understanding. That has never been terribly important in the small jobs I've done, but it is more important as the area increases.

There are long set and quick set tile cements. The long set stuff is a superior product, but it does require 24 hours to set before you can walk on it. The quick set stuff works fine and only requires 3 - 4 hours. Tile grout sets in a few hours and dries fast.

As mentioned, if you anticipate a lot of cuts, a wet cutter is da bomb. You can rent them, but nibblers and regular cutters work fine for small jobs.
 
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