A few questions about installing tile

[farmerjohn1324]

For the DEWALT you could invest in a couple of 2 packs of the large LI batteries, which you'll probably need when you install your cabinets, and which will be less than a Hole Hog.

My HOG is 25yrs. old and other than brushes, a cord, re-greasing and a new chuck, keeps on truckin.



It appears that you are using a notched trowel, and the evenness as well as the consistency of the thinset spread are key to eliminating tamping.

Because Tile isn't my only trade, I set the first row and walk away for a couple hours and return with a masons level. Sometimes I'll use the head of the mallet and sometimes the butt end of the handle.



You use as many as it takes to maintain straight lines.



No. If the grout line are full of thinset then you need to use more caution in the application process. There is a grout removal tool which resembles a long handled church key.





I use a razor scraper.



It should have been removed when it was wet. Now you get to carefully scrape it up without disturbing the tile.



No, you have enough bonding surface.



Notched trowels have a straight edge and you hold the thinset 1/4" away from your chalkline, so you can follow it.

#5...

With a razor scraper?

 

[Gary]

We took a weekend trip this past weekend and I thought of this thread when I was in a restaurant rest room. The tile was 12". First row along the wall looked to be about 9 or 10'' wide and the opposite wall had a 1" row. It would have looked so much better if they had spent some time measuring first.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

We took a weekend trip this past weekend and I thought of this thread when I was in a restaurant rest room. The tile was 12". First row along the wall looked to be about 9 or 10'' wide and the opposite wall had a 1" row. It would have looked so much better if they had spent some time measuring first.

I've been noticing things like that everywhere I go.

Not in residences, but restaurants.

 

[Snoonyb]

#5...

With a razor scraper?

It's a single edge razor blade in a retractable metal handle or a plastic folding, and found in the paint dept.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

It's a single edge razor blade in a retractable metal handle or a plastic folding, and found in the paint dept.

I asked if I do #5 (remove thinset from concrete) with a razor scraper, just like I do for the top of the tile.

I didn't ask what a razor scraper was.

But I think I would need a heavy duty scraper for that.

 

[Snoonyb]

I've been noticing things like that everywhere I go.

Not in residences, but restaurants.

Some of that has to do with the floor drain.

 

[nealtw]

I've been noticing things like that everywhere I go.

Not in residences, but restaurants.

Now that you have looked and discussed it, you will look at every tile job you come across for the rest of you life.

And that is why you measure from wall to wall both sides and ends of a room to see if opposing walls are the same, will a parallel line with the transition actually be parallel. Do yo start beside the center line or do you center the first tile over the line.
The more we screw up the first tile job, the beteer you will be for the rest of our life.:trophy:

 

[farmerjohn1324]

Now that you have looked and discussed it, you will look at every tile job you come across for the rest of you life.

And that is why you measure from wall to wall both sides and ends of a room to see if opposing walls are the same, will a parallel line with the transition actually be parallel. Do yo start beside the center line or do you center the first tile over the line.
The more we screw up the first tile job, the beteer you will be for the rest of our life.:trophy:

Look at this nonsense in Dunkin' Donuts.

 

[nealtw]

Look at this nonsense in Dunkin' Donuts.

Like I said, you are stuck now looking at every tile job.

That tile job would be fine if you weren't staring at it to see the fit and finish.:rofl:.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

Do I remove toilets before I tile? Or tile around them?

 

[Snoonyb]

Do I remove toilets before I tile? Or tile around them?

You pull the WC and extend the closet rings to the height of the finished floor.

Actually, that "nonsense" at dunkin-donuts, is only nonsense, until you attempt to replicate it yourself, and you find out how difficult it was, as well as the cost of the tool used, will you realize the talent of the professional.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

You pull the WC and extend the closet rings to the height of the finished floor.

Actually, that "nonsense" at dunkin-donuts, is only nonsense, until you attempt to replicate it yourself, and you find out how difficult it was, as well as the cost of the tool used, will you realize the talent of the professional.

So it was the design to make the floor look like that? Seems strange that they wouldn't go for a more normal shape.

 

[Snoonyb]

The grout lines follow and the large triangle intersects the corner of the structure.

 

[Gary]

The grout lines follow and the large triangle intersects the corner of the structure.

Without seeing the whole room, my guess is they have a gray boarder row going round the perimeter of the room as an accent.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

Day 2 of tile:

1. How does my thinset spreading technique look? Pic attached.

2. Do you recommend laying 1 tile at a time, then putting in spacers, then on to the 2nd tile? Or is it okay to put down 3 tiles, then put in the spacers for all 3 at once?

4. I forgot to take a picture, but I put some tiles down the right side of the room, some down the left, then I tried to fill in the gaps in between and they did not match up. Luckily, they met in an area that will be covered by the center island, so it will not show. What should I be doing to correct my alignment? I'm using spacers and eyeballing it to see if it looks straight. Should I be using a level or something?

5. Towards the end, I noticed my thinset had rocks in it. I think this may be because it was sitting for about an hour. I read to use it all within 20-30 minutes. Is this correct? It may be hard to stick to this if I'm making cuts while laying tile.

6. I have left A LOT of thinset hardened in the grout lines. What tool do I remove this with?

 

[nealtw]

Now you know why you put a line down the center of a room and follow the line and work away from the center.
Do your full tile first then cut all the pieces and finish laying them after.
Throw old mud out when you get to 30 min.
Putting a few down and then spacing is fine if that works for you,

 

[Snoonyb]

1. How does my thinset spreading technique look? Pic attached.

It looks better. I use a dia or half circle.

2. Do you recommend laying 1 tile at a time, then putting in spacers, then on to the 2nd tile? Or is it okay to put down 3 tiles, then put in the spacers for all 3 at once?

You can set multiple tiles, then space, then level/tamp and adjust.

4. I forgot to take a picture, but I put some tiles down the right side of the room, some down the left, then I tried to fill in the gaps in between and they did not match up. Luckily, they met in an area that will be covered by the center island, so it will not show. What should I be doing to correct my alignment? I'm using spacers and eyeballing it to see if it looks straight. Should I be using a level or something?

Pick a starting point and work out from there. Don't pillar to post.

5. Towards the end, I noticed my thinset had rocks in it. I think this may be because it was sitting for about an hour. I read to use it all within 20-30 minutes. Is this correct? It may be hard to stick to this if I'm making cuts while laying tile.

Discard the lumps.

You can re-temper your thinset.

You lay all your field tile, then cut all your border tile, then set them.

 

[farmerjohn1324]

Now you know why you put a line down the center of a room and follow the line and work away from the center.
Do your full tile first then cut all the pieces and finish laying them after.
Throw old mud out when you get to 30 min.
Putting a few down and then spacing is fine if that works for you,

You mean I should start every room with a cross? One vertical row and one horizontal row?

 

[Snoonyb]

Do you remember the purpose of sentence #2 & 3?

You run your field from a single adjusted line.

 

[nealtw]

You mean I should start every room with a cross? One vertical row and one horizontal row?

Yes for the most part. Find the center of all for walls and snap a line with a chauk line. Once you have done that you can measure to where the tile will meet other floors and decide which is more important. Square in the room or parallel to another room.
You can also check to see if the two lines are square with each other by using the 3 4 5 or the 6 8 10.

Measure from the center out from center on one line 3 ft the other line 4 ft and the distance between those two marks should be 5 ft.

If you were using 12" tile in a room 12 ft 2" you would end up with two sides both 1" slivers. So you center the first tile on the line and you end with the side pieces each 7"

You find things screwed up in most rooms so the trick is understanding what will look funny or wrong and make adjustment for them before you start.