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Have you ever laid your own tiles?



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Twizzlers




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 04 2009, 9:08 pm
I (finally) picked out the tiles for our backsplash, and as it will cost upwards of $400 to install (not including the price of the tiles), I'd love to be able to do it myself.
Do you really have to know what you're doing? is it more complicated then shmearing some cement and putting down the tiles? (and measuring so they all lay out evenly, of course)
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OOTBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 04 2009, 9:15 pm
Assuming you're talking about ceramic tiles (which is what it sounds like) my understanding is that it can be quite complicated.

I know that my father a"h who was a contractor and did virtually everything himself wouldn't touch ceramic tiling and always called in a pro.
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ValleyMom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 04 2009, 9:18 pm
WARNING DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LAY TILE ON YOU OWN--- ESPECIALLY A BACKSPLASH...
I just had a tile backsplash installed and boyoboy did things go wrong... Naturally the tile installers ATE the loss of replacing tiles. Tiles can fall off if not layed properly.
Sorry, even GReenfire will have to admit laying a backsplash is not fo a novice... Invest the $400...
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 04 2009, 9:36 pm
you're kidding right ... greenfire can and will do anything ... you just need to do some research before ... now you've got me tempted ...

you do know I fixed my garage roof ... including replacing plywood, underlayment, tar and roll roofing, not to mention the shingles on the angled edge ...

"difficult = that which is hard; impossible = that which takes a little longer"
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shnitzel




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 04 2009, 9:53 pm
Go to a proper tile store (not home depot) and they should be able to show you what you need. For wall tall you generally use glue and not cement, you need to get something to apply the glue and ask how thick it should be. There are different types of glue with different strengths, you can ask which type works best for the tile you are using. You will need spacers (they look like little plus signs) that go in the corners of the tiles so they all end up evenly spaced. You should also buy a tile cutter so you can cut the edge pieces down to size. Depending on how/where you are putting the tile you need pieces that finish up the top (like a listello or the curved pieces). You then need to grout it once the tile has been laid and dried, you can chose grout in different colours. Laying tile on a wall is easier than the flour IMHO since it is less likely to crack since you don't have people walk on it.

My father works for a large tile place and I sold tile for 2 summers. A lot of people do it on their own. You just need proper guidance and probably a book. The people at the tile store should be able to help you figure out how much of everything you need. (If you are laying stone it is a bit more complicated). Taking off old tile is more difficult!
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Boys"R"Us




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 12:21 am
I did it myself this year!
I had never done it before. Got some books out of the library, and I did it!

It was challenging, but worth it, for sure!

If you want I can post some pics...


~Debbie
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Barbara




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 12:46 am
greenfire wrote:
you're kidding right ... greenfire can and will do anything ... you just need to do some research before ... now you've got me tempted ...

you do know I fixed my garage roof ... including replacing plywood, underlayment, tar and roll roofing, not to mention the shingles on the angled edge ...

"difficult = that which is hard; impossible = that which takes a little longer"


VERY impressive, Greenfire! I'd never try that. Hmmm, we have a few projects around our place that I don't have time to tackle, and haven't been able to find a handyperson. Wanna visit and fix?

Backsplash, OTOH, no problem at all. I did a lovely one at my old apartment, complete with a border design. IIRC, you can score and break the tile, or use a tile cutter. The tile store was willing to do the more difficult cuts for me. I'd be too nervous to do a shower, with constant water, but the backsplash was no problem.
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ValleyMom




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 1:31 am
Greenie you craaaaaazy girl I worship at your shrine
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mandksima




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 2:54 am
I've done a tile counter and mosaics. It can be done. If you want it done 100% properly, I'd say spend the extra $ and get professional help. In the long run, the investment is worth it.

I made a kitchen island and didn't mind if the tiles were a little off as it was my handiwork anyway but that's not the same as backsplash tiles that can fall off. I love doing things myself and actually hate hiring others to do it but some things just aren't worth the trouble of having to do it twice to get it right.
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lilacdreams




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 3:15 am
my mother did it for our kitchen and she had no training - she wa sjust that kind of person - she did painting and decorating , the garden and the tiles! They are still up 30 years on...still looking nice!
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alpidarkomama




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 4:17 am
I did a 4' x 3' mosaic wall in the kitchen. It has looked great for 7 years. Backsplash seems like it would be just as easy (?). I took a mosaic class years ago, but really there's not much to it. A book, or a helpful person at the tile store ought to tell you everything you need to know...
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ruth




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 4:55 am
make sure you apply sealant on the grout. As others have suggested, check out do-it-yourself sites/books so you know what tools you need (level, tile cutters, plumb line, ..) Sometimes libraries have videos -- check out your library's catalog.

I've assisted my dh when we put up tile in the kitchen & bathroom. Some places in the kitchen have developed gaps where the wall meets the counter. We live in a older building that shifts a lot -- I don't know if the gaps are due to this or that there was too much space between the wall tiles' edge and the counter.

Dh has done a lot of work on the property: tile on the walkway, refinished wood floors, repair windows installed a new sewer line shock . He is very handy and a real perfectionist and I'm all thumbs so most of what I know about repair/ remodeling is from observation

What ever you decide to do, I hope you have hatzlacha
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 9:40 am
ruth wrote:

I've assisted my dh when we put up tile in the kitchen & bathroom. Some places in the kitchen have developed gaps where the wall meets the counter. We live in a older building that shifts a lot -- I don't know if the gaps are due to this or that there was too much space between the wall tiles' edge and the counter.


fill the gaps with caulking ...
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 05 2009, 9:42 am
Barbara wrote:

VERY impressive, Greenfire! I'd never try that. Hmmm, we have a few projects around our place that I don't have time to tackle, and haven't been able to find a handyperson. Wanna visit and fix?


sure ... where and when ... and who will be my extra hands ... if it's a hot guy I'm coming ...
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