Tile Labor/Installation Cost

[IHaveAMustang]

$2-2.50/ft is what I had seen previously. Definitely worth paying for. I wont tile again...ever

I've got a tentative bid right now through Thumbtack.com for $2.00/sqft and an agreement that they will install just the MBR first (after removing the hump) and if we don't like how it looks we pay them for just that room and terminate the rest of the project

[bcoop]

I can do a lot of things, but tile isn't one of them. I will say, a good saw makes all the difference in the world.

I've also seen these in use. Seems a good saw and this system makes it almost idiot proof. I've got a tile job coming up soon and I'm going to give it a shot again using these.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/QEP-LASH-Tile-Leveling-Aligning-and-Spacer-Clips-Part-A-96-Pack-99720Q/100645280

[Baron Von Crowder]

I'm about to do a bunch of tile.

[8mpg]

I can do a lot of things, but tile isn't one of them. I will say, a good saw makes all the difference in the world.

I've also seen these in use. Seems a good saw and this system makes it almost idiot proof. I've got a tile job coming up soon and I'm going to give it a shot again using these.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/QEP-LASH-Ti...720Q/100645280

make sure you get the pliers tool to install tighten them or your hands will hate you. I tried the "tornado" system and wasnt impressed. The simple wedges with tool looks like a simple and cheap system

[mustang1200]

Screw doing tile work. I did this somewhat small area. These pictures are before I grouted. I guess I don't have any after pictures.

[GeorgeG.]

I would be concerned at $2/ft with oblong tiles. They almost always have a slight bow in them and if the installer doesn't know what they are doing, it will show. $3/ft sounds about right.

Buying all of the tile at once will save you from having tile shade variance if you do part now and part later. If its possible, I woyld split the job up, get done what you can now, do the rest later.

As for selling the old stuff, I'm sure you can find someone to buy it. Dark floors are popular right now, you should be able to find a flipper that will give you some $$ for it

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Help me understand something...

If the long tile has a bow, what can you do to eliminate it? You can use a taller trowel to eliminate hollow spots but if the ceramic tile has a bow, you can't take that out.

I'm asking cause we plan on going with the faux wood tile (most likely) and I'm curious to know ahead of time.

[black2002ls]

Help me understand something...

If the long tile has a bow, what can you do to eliminate it? You can use a taller trowel to eliminate hollow spots but if the ceramic tile has a bow, you can't take that out.

I'm asking cause we plan on going with the faux wood tile (most likely) and I'm curious to know ahead of time.

The more expensive the tile, the less it is bowed, generally.

The bow is most apparent when you have the highest part of one tile directly in line with the lowest part of the tiles on either side of it. (think a true 50% off set or brick pattern.) If you move the tiles on either side of it away from the bow, any difference in the high spots becomes less apparent. You can also use a thicker grout joint so that the tile edges aren't, what seems like, directly next to each other when you use something like 1/8" grout joints. However, with wood tiles, most people want the thinnest grout joint you can get so that it doesn't completely take away from the wood floor look.

You can't eliminate the bow in the tile, but you can minimize and sometimes eliminate the visual effects as well as any perceived difference in the height of the tile while walking on them.

The way wood plank tiles are laid, should be a random offset to mimic the look of wood flooring. With this method of laying the tile, you will inevitably end up with a few pieces of tile that you just can't remedy, you don't want any cut tiles in the field due to the cast edges of the tiles. Your cut pieces should be placed at the ends of a row so that they are hidden by the baseboards or quarter round, however you choose to finish out the trim work.

My installer went with something close to a 1/3 offset no the 12x24 tiles that we used in our kitchen and any bowing or difference in tile edge height was minimized.

As you mentioned, in addition to offsetting the tiles properly, getting enough thin set underneath the tile is important too. Not only can you adjust the height of the ends of the tile, you also need to make sure that you have enough under the bowed section of the tile so that you get a good bond and don't have any hollow spots underneath the tile. I would lay a 1/4 -1/2 bed of thin set and then butter the backs of the tiles before laying them. this should ensure that you get a good bond and minimize any hollow spots.

The way to test for bowing is to hold 2 tiles back to back, this will give you an idea of how bad that particular brand/style of tile is. Be sure to check tiles from a few random boxes if possible. Also, if buying from a big box store, make sure to purchase boxes of tile from the same dye lot to help ensure minimal variance in the color. In addition to 10% for overage to make sure you have enough to lay them with the cut pieces, be sure to leave a case or so in the attic so that if you have to make any repairs in the future, you have some tile from the same dye lot!

[GeorgeG.]

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense about less expensive tile.

In the past I've gotten great results with a 1/4"w x 3/8"h (I think) trowel. 1/4" x 1/2" plus buttering the backs must go through a bunch of thinset. So do y'all go for complete coverage on the backs? I always spot check a few from time to time and have always gotten good contact on the ridges only. I've never had any issues but I make sure I wet scrub and wet vac the entire floor. Everyone that sees me do it think I'm over killing it but with the pain that's involved with laying tile, I want to make sure I do it once and only once.

[black2002ls]

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense about less expensive tile.

In the past I've gotten great results with a 1/4"w x 3/8"h (I think) trowel. 1/4" x 1/2" plus buttering the backs must go through a bunch of thinset. So do y'all go for complete coverage on the backs? I always spot check a few from time to time and have always gotten good contact on the ridges only. I've never had any issues but I make sure I wet scrub and wet vac the entire floor. Everyone that sees me do it think I'm over killing it but with the pain that's involved with laying tile, I want to make sure I do it once and only once.

When I laid mine, i buttered with a notched trowel. If the bowing is minimal, a shallower notch will suffice.

When we had our kitchen re-done, my installer went at the floor with a razor scraper to make sure it was good and clean. I don't expect to have any issues!

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