To Tile or not to Tile... (myself)

[Josh Wells]

Hi all,

So long story short, I have just purchased my first house and I am a avid DIYer. I am looking at installing some "wood effect" porcelain tiles in my downstairs hallway/kitchen/utility room/WC.

I have only previously helped my dad with tiling projects at home and I am wondering if this is a job to big to take on as my first "solo" job? (totalling about 35-40 sqm2)

I have been researching it quite a lot and speaking with my dad a bit and have the confidence to try and do it myself.

is there any tips or tricks / improvements you could give me on my below plan?

1) check floor is level and fix if needed otherwise lay tiles straight onto the dry concrete slab
2) measure the middle line with a chalk line (dry lay and cut some tiles), but start at the kitchen unit edge to make sure the tile is straight to this.
3) mix adhesive and use a trowel at 45° to get the correct thickness. and back butter the tiles as being wood effect they are classed as LFTs.
4) looking to use something like the T-lock levelling system to aid in the achievement of keeping all tiles level to the surrounding tiles.
5) grout when adhesive is fully dry.

other question I have, what grout thickness should I go? 1, 2, or 3 mm? I would like to achieve the most professional finish possible (as all good DIYers) as well as the most realistic to a hardwood floor structure.

Regards,
Josh

 

[WetSaw]

I'd want a straight line in the hall. If the kitchen isn't square to that it'll look awful when you come in the front door.
Have you got a floorplan you can post?

 

[Josh Wells]

Hi pdc,

thank you for taking a interest in my project, please see below for a floor plan from SketchUp all the white flooring will be tile ( kitchen island will be installed after flooring)

 

[GoneGuy]

I would be marking out to see where the tiles will land on the different cuts.
Also make sure the concrete is level.
Use a suitable primer such as sbr

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Hi Josh and welcome. I am also a DIY person and I will paste below some words of wisdom passed to me recently (he did a half decent job on a big install)

"Yes a lot of planning for sure, 3 criteria mainly, aesthetics, technical and best use of material. You can break many rules in relation to conventional tiling, as regard set out, however, on installations there is virtually no room for compromise.
If installed incorrectly it will fail, not maybe, it will. "

Planning, Flattness, Levelness, Planning, Flat Tiles, line from the front door, primer, I like larger grout gaps. Anyway you will get plenty of good advice.

One question is can the run from the front door run right through in one continuous section ? Will the gaps around the edge of the tiles be all thats needed for movements and expansions etc ?

 

[Josh Wells]

Hi Adey, thanks for helping me on my first tiling project. Quick question actaully what is the best way to make sure it’s level? I only have like a 1 meter straight edge? Would a longer one be better or is there another solution I could use?

 

[Josh Wells]

Hey Julian,
thank you and saw few bits of your work on the other threads, looks professional to me! Not sure to be honest and the expansion gap etc? I have the option of taking off the skirting boards and tile “under” them and plane them down the required size nessary. Or attach them before and tile up to with a grout line. Not sure the more professional or preferred way.

Regards,
Josh

 

[GoneGuy]

Hi Adey, thanks for helping me on my first tiling project. Quick question actaully what is the best way to make sure it’s level? I only have like a 1 meter straight edge? Would a longer one be better or is there another solution I could use?

I would suggest getting a longer spirit level 1.8m, you can pick up some good quality cheap ones then you can use to find out if there are any high or low spots you need to address before tiling

 

[Andy Allen]

When tiling mutible rooms you need to get plenty of lines down to get everything as straight as possible from to point of entry, which would be the hall.....and then make sure it squares up with the kitchen,
Then make adjustments to suit...
Not an easy thing to achieve for the first time but good luck..

 

[Josh Wells]

Hi Adey,
Thanks for the advise with the longer 1.8m spirit level. Does anyone know, if it’s a new build can I get the build/developer to come in and level it as a snag? Or is that down to me to level 100%?

Hi Andy,
Thank you for the heads up I guess I should put a line in each of the smaller rooms and 3/4 in the kitchen?

Regards,
Josh

 

[Andy Allen]

This floor I did last year, it was a hall running into a kitchen, dining room, utility, and cloakroom.
Everything was squared off the left side wall in the hallway. A Dead straight row of tiles were fixed down the length of the hall into the kitchen, I then laid the tiles in the other rooms working off this row, using long straight edges..

 

[Josh Wells]

Hey Andy,

That looks very good! Fancy a trip to Ireland 😉 so looking at my layout would it be best to start on the right wall in the hall? And then dry lay them out in to the kitchen to the units and to the right wall? To make sure it would all be square.

Also as stated before, does anyone know what is best? Tile before or after skirting boards are on. I going on the side of under the skirt board as it would allow for the most “hidden” expansion gaps

 

[Andy Allen]

Yes square off the right hand wall in the hall........dry lay a row into the kitchen and see how square it is with the units.
Always best to tile with skirtings off if you can ...

 

[Josh Wells]

Thanks Andy, I really appreciate all the advise and I am even feeling a lot better at doing my first tiling job. What do you or others think about grout protectors, is it worth it? I would be looking at going black or dark brown grout as the wood effect tile are dark in colour

 

[GoneGuy]

Hi Adey,
Thanks for the advise with the longer 1.8m spirit level. Does anyone know, if it’s a new build can I get the build/developer to come in and level it as a snag? Or is that down to me to level 100%?

Hi Andy,
Thank you for the heads up I guess I should put a line in each of the smaller rooms and 3/4 in the kitchen?

Regards,
Josh

If there is a site agent ask him as usually they will bend over backwards to help the customer so they can get their reviews up

 

[Josh Wells]

Yeah we have estate agent, developer and foreman is that what you mean? Sorry not sure on terms for house sites! Once we get the keys would people like to see the progress? Of the tiling or the end result

 

[Flintstone]

We all love a photo on here! Good luck with it and make sure you ask a question if your not sure. Hoover it, make sure it’s clean, prime it, mix your adhesive as per the instructions, use slow / standard set adhesive, make sure you are getting good coverage of adhesive between tile and floor. 12mm notch trowel, and probably 10 bags of adhesive

 

[Josh Wells]

So I went to the house yesterday and the floor seems level, maybe off by 2mm at a very few points. Would this matter? Should I level it to 100% once I get the keys? Or is 2 mm not noticeable when put in tile.

 

[LM]

So I went to the house yesterday and the floor seems level, maybe off by 2mm at a very few points. Would this matter? Should I level it to 100% once I get the keys? Or is 2 mm not noticeable when put in tile.

We work to a tolerance of 3mm over a 2metre straight edge. Very very rarely do we encounter a floor that is as good as only 2mm out so you should be grateful for that. A professional tiler wouldn’t need to do any more prep in regarding the flatness of the floor if it’s as good as you say it is. Without the correct training and experience those deveations could be enough to make the floor end up looking disastrous in the hands of an incompetent person.

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Not directly related.
FYI.
With the typical accuracy of +/- 0.5mm per meter measuring 2mm/2m is tricky. One thing however is that the level you have in your hand is very repeatable (over a short time - temperature and transport affect them). So if your measurement is 2 degrees then the subsequent measurements (within the realms of dust and level surface) on that floor 'should' be much improved over the +/-0.5 mm/m and limited mostly by how well you can read the vial (taking closeups images can help). There are low'ish cost solutions that would get you within +/-0.15mm/m if needed.

 

[Bill]

Not directly related.
FYI.
With the typical accuracy of +/- 0.5mm per meter measuring 2mm/2m is tricky. One thing however is that the level you have in your hand is very repeatable (over a short time - temperature and transport affect them). So if your measurement is 2 degrees then the subsequent measurements (within the realms of dust and level surface) on that floor 'should' be much improved over the +/-0.5 mm/m and limited mostly by how well you can read the vial (taking closeups images can help). There are low'ish cost solutions that would get you within +/-0.15mm/m if needed.

Is Earth flat?

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Depends how big your back yard dog is 🙂

 

[Andy Allen]

Don't worry about it being level to a spirit level , you just need it to be flat.
Put a long straight edge on it , look for hollows, high points, or the straight edge rocking anywhere, if all is good and or slightly out (2mm) then use a 10 to 12 mm notch trowel and it should be fine..

 

[WetSaw]

We work to a tolerance of 3mm over a 2metre straight edge.

Are you sure you can use "we" at the moment Lee? 😀

 

[Rosa]

Hi Josh,
I'm doing my downstair floor at the moment, 35 sqm, and it's my first time tiling also with very little to none experience in diy.
There're has been a few places that had btw 1'5 to 2 mm, but with the 12 mm notched trowel and the help of leveling system it hasn't been a problem. Try to mark where they are as when you tile in that area you know to pay attention.

 

[Josh Wells]

Hey Rosa and all! As always great advice from you all! Currently waiting on the Valuers from the bank to go to the house and give us a valuation. Give them to Friday lol. As it’s holding everything up! With us progressing with getting the keys. But once I acquire them I will be on the hunt for a trowel and tile cutter etc. to get a good job done 🙂

 

[Rosa]

Hope you have your key by now!
Before you start look for prices online...unfortunately tools are half the price or less than buying in here (Dublin).

 

[Josh Wells]

still no keys, phoned them on Friday, and bank said will be done by Monday and then should be good to go, so probably another 1-2 weeks away 🙁. always get tools online haha

 

[Rosa]

Look at the bright side...you'll have one or two weeks to plan your setout, list what you'll need, check prices online, watch videos in YouTube ( look for sal diblasi)...2 weeks will fly!

 

[Josh Wells]

small update... valuation finally back and should get keys by Friday... just have a OP on my elbow though so that's going to push it back a couple of weeks as well 😡

Anyone fancy coming to do it for me at this rate? lol

 

[Unused Account 1]

Once youve set out,get a few course fixed level both ways ,then you hav something to work off