Anyone install their own ceramic tile?

[bamamom]

We are wanting to have ceramic tile floors put down in our kitchen, laundry room and both baths. I have found tile that I like at a good price but the labor is outrageous...I was wondering if anyone had done their own and how hard was it to do, any tips, etc... We thought we would start with the smallest bathroom and see how that goes and then go from there....are we crazy to even try it

 

[kuusimo]

We did tile in our laundry and half bath years ago. I would start by going to a Home Depot class on how to do it. One thing that really helps is having a tile cutter. If it is a wet one it is even better. You can save yourself by having the people at your home improvement store cut if for you, but it can be $1.00 a cut. See how square your room is as well. The straighter the better. It is really not that difficult to do, but it is time consuming. Hope that helps.

 

[Bobump]

We are wanting to have ceramic tile floors put down in our kitchen, laundry room and both baths. I have found tile that I like at a good price but the labor is outrageous...I was wondering if anyone had done their own and how hard was it to do, any tips, etc... We thought we would start with the smallest bathroom and see how that goes and then go from there....are we crazy to even try it

We had our bathroom upstairs (walls,floor and shower ceiling) and our kitchen floor done. I was amazed at the little things that we who do not do this work everyday would not think of doing in preparation. After the way they came out I was glad not tro have done it. Note, I am very handy and do electric, gas and all other type repairs.

 

[jennwdw]

It's not hard at all but make sure you understand the process. If you have a friend or family that has done it before to help you get started that would be great. Start in a small area and then move on to bigger spaces. As long as you aren't doing complicated designs you should be able to handle yourself.

We did our 1st bathroom a couple months ago. It was pretty easy but there is alot of work to do. None of it's complicated in and of itself it was just more involved than I expected. I did (by myself) all the prep work and then my husband and I put down the tile, then I put it all back together. The yuckiest part was the toilet but it wasn't hard to remove and put back together, just yucky. It was over one weekend (have to allow for drying time) My parents had done some tiling before so they came to "supervise" but we did the work. I was very happy w/the way it came out and we are going to do our bathroom after christmas.

My parents had a basic tile cutter (not a wet saw) and that worked fine for all but one cut. I got lucky and my neighbor w/all the cool tools was tiling in his house the same weekend so the only cut I needed a wet saw for I was able to run down to his house and do. Home Depot will do cuts for you if you bring your tiles in marked so don't spend the money to buy $$$$ equipment.(Unless you decide to do lots of projects then it may be worth investing into) I know my Home Depot does a tiling class every weekend so you may want to look into that before you start your own project.

I would suggest doing it yourself to save the $$ especially in a small area. Good luck.

 

[Uuaww]

since my dad's back went out, i have done all the remodeling in our house, it really isn't that hard. ive put in marble counters in the kitchen, and tiles in the entryway, and both bathrooms. Really it isn't that hard, but as said before, the more square the easier it is. just take everything one step at a time, oh and remember those spacers for the tiles. this winter break i am actually taking out the old deck and putting in a new one.

 

[the kabuki]

We had our bathroom upstairs (walls,floor and shower ceiling) and our kitchen floor done. I was amazed at the little things that we who do not do this work everyday would not think of doing in preparation. After the way they came out I was glad not tro have done it. Note, I am very handy and do electric, gas and all other type repairs.

I'm going to have to agree with this. I can tell you that until you see a bad tile job, you don't realize how much actually goes into laying tile THE CORRECT WAY. Not saying that you couldn't do it, but there's more to it than most people realize.

 

[Uuaww]

I'm going to have to agree with this. I can tell you that until you see a bad tile job, you don't realize how much actually goes into laying tile THE CORRECT WAY. Not saying that you couldn't do it, but there's more to it than most people realize.

oh god yes, my dad is all knowing on this and he made sure i laid each piece down correctly...

 

[snsadams]

I tiled our bathroom last year and a little place in front of the fire place. If you never try, you will never know what you can do. I say give it a try. Unfortunately, you will always be able to see your mistakes. While everyone else says it looks great, I still know where all the boo boo's are. We like to say the little, hardly noticable mistakes add character to our house.
The best advice I could give you is to lay all the tiles out dry. Make all your cuts and make sure you can lay all the tiles exactly as you want them. Then begin the adhesive process.
If you go for it, best of luck.

 

[rie'smom]

My DH laid the tile throughout our kitchen,keeping room, hall,and foyer - it was his first tile job. It's beautiful. Since then he's done DD's bathroom. He says it's easy and would never pay anyone ever again. His motto is the old familiar "Measure twice,cut once." Also, depending on the size of each room, use as large a tile as looks good because this makes it easier. Look for porcelain because it's the hardest tile-advice from my cousin who does tile design for EXPO.

 

[juliegirl]

We tiled our kitchen ourselves and halfway through lost patience. SO of course the grouting was done half a**ed and looks horrible. Want to re-grout but can't even muster the courage to talk to DH about it.

I say never again - I will pay the cost to have it done right the first time. (And re-grouted this time)

 

[claudia]

no one has mentioned this yet, so I thought I would add that first run of tile must be started from the exact center of the floor...if there are little irregularities or offsets in the room, ignore them, just snap your chalk line and work from that. Lay a full run of loose tiles from the center to the wall. As long as you have more than 2" for the last tile you're in good shape.

 

[ceecee]

I'm going to have to agree with this. I can tell you that until you see a bad tile job, you don't realize how much actually goes into laying tile THE CORRECT WAY. Not saying that you couldn't do it, but there's more to it than most people realize.

This is so true. We looked at a house with a really bad tile job even the realtor commented on it (said the owner was really proud he saved all that $ and thought it looked great). There's a lot involved and it is very time consuming. Our BIL used to do it but has since changed jobs due to bad knees. He does have all the professional tools that cost a lot, but DH would rather pay and get it done correctly. (he knows his strengths and weaknesses!)

 

[dcfromva]

I love ceramic tiles! We had ceramic tiles put in downstairs in our basement. They are the easiest floors to clean and care for. I forget how many sq ft it was, but it took the fellow who installed them two days to put them all in place.
Later on, we decided to make a cut out under the stairs for a roll out storage container. So, DH decided that since it was only about 12 sq ft, he would put in the tiles on the little bit of floor space that was exposed (the same tiles as the main area, so the area would be level). I think he broke a whole box of 12 trying to cut them to the right size. It was such a small job, we didn't want to rent one of those tile cutting machines. When the job was done, it looked nice and he did a good job. I would say that if you are going to do it yourself, you might want to purchase some extra tiles. If you don't have to use them on your project, you could keep them for repairs in the future (it is really hard to match tiles). Also, rent one of those tile cutting machines.
Finally, Home Depot offers "How to" clinics (if you are located near one). Here's a link

-DC

 

[mickeyfan2]

I have tiled. The smallest bathroom may not be the best place to start. Do take a class first and they will tell you how to lay it out, put in the spacers (depending on the tile and grout used), tell you when you can just put the mortar down vs when you have to butter the tile back...

 

[jennifer293]

This was supposed to be my xmas gift from dh, but I have kept him so busy with the chimney business and his regular fire dept. work schedule that he doesn't have time. Today he gets to replace 40 ft. of clogged water pipes..FUN!!!!!

My dad bought a wet tile cutter, so we will have that and my dad is gonna come assist in the process of laying it. We have the kitchen and 3 baths to do...all the rest is hardwood!!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

DH and his cousin did our bathroom and laundry room. DH had never tiled before, and his cousin had done several rooms in their house. The prep work is time consuming, but not difficult. Cutting and laying the tile is a little more precise. Grouting also isn't hard, just time consuming.

I think doing it yourself isn't a bad idea if you're fairly detail-oriented, and aren't easily annoyed with time consuming stuff.

Jen

 

[thelionqueen]

I noticed that no one yet has mentioned undelayment. This is an extremely important material with any tile job.

The smaller the job, the more you may be able to do without it, but honestly, every tile job should start with Hardibacker/underlayment. Also, if the tile is over a crawlspace you need supports depending on the weight of the tile. There are lots of things to consider when deciding to do this yourself.

Secondly, it is very important to pick out a sturdy tile. There are really cheap tiles for sale that will last barely a few years.

I would absolutely not do it yourself IMHO. The work, preparation, materials and expertise are worth what the tile layers charge you.

Believe me, it is VERY hard work, and if you want it to look professional, you really should hire a professional.

A professional tile setter usually charges around 2X the cost of the tile or more. Yes, it is a high price, but you cannot put a price on knowledge and experience (not to mention it is very hard work...did I say that before )

Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[SeeDisney]

My DH installed our morning room and kitchen about 700 square feet. We used a product called Durcongolueum-sp? It was about $2,000 for the entire. It was a very realistic ceramic looking tile. We bought the 16", tanish-marbled tile, and he laid it down diagnolly (for the drama effect) and no grout.

It looks stunning and beautiful. I highly recommend this product.

A couple of friends that have the ceramic tile placed on their floor told me if they had a choice they would prefer the floor tile placed diagonally instead of straight on.

 

[SamSam]

I say go for it! I have laid ceramic tile in 3 bathrooms, kitchen/dining room and I also did a broken-mosaic tile backsplash in my kitchen. As someone said before, so your homework and if possible go to a demonstration at a local Lowe's (or similar) store. I also rent a wet saw at approximately $40 a day, well worth the money in my opinion. It does take patience, attention to detail and probably more time than most people realize but if you enjoy home projects, it may be worth a try.

 

[Uuaww]

I noticed that no one yet has mentioned undelayment. This is an extremely important material with any tile job.

The smaller the job, the more you may be able to do without it, but honestly, every tile job should start with Hardibacker/underlayment. Also, if the tile is over a crawlspace you need supports depending on the weight of the tile. There are lots of things to consider when deciding to do this yourself.

Secondly, it is very important to pick out a sturdy tile. There are really cheap tiles for sale that will last barely a few years.

I would absolutely not do it yourself IMHO. The work, preparation, materials and expertise are worth what the tile layers charge you.

Believe me, it is VERY hard work, and if you want it to look professional, you really should hire a professional.

A professional tile setter usually charges around 2X the cost of the tile or more. Yes, it is a high price, but you cannot put a price on knowledge and experience (not to mention it is very hard work...did I say that before )

Good luck whatever you decide!

we aren't all as inept as you at handywork, amateurs can do a good job, and not everything has the money to spend. Well my parents do, but why spend it when they had me to do it.