Working with Tile (Taunton's Build Like a Pro).pdf

8/19/2019 Working with Tile (Taunton's Build Like a Pro).pdf

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COMPLETELY REVISED & UPDATED

WORKING WITH TILE

TOM & LANE MEEHAN

DESIGN • SELECT • INSTALL • REPAIR

Taunton’s BUILD LIKE A PRO®


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Workingwith Tile

BUILD LIKE A PRO ® EXPERT ADVICE FROM START TO FINISH

Taunton’s


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Workingwith TileTom and Lane Meehan

t

BUILD LIKE A PRO ® EXPE RT ADVICE FROM START TO FIN ISH

Taunton’s


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Text © 2011 by Tom and Lane MeehanPhotographs © 2011 Tom and Lane Meehan except where noted

Illustrations © 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc.All rights reserved.

PThe Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, P.O. Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506e-mail: [email protected] : Alex GianniniC OPY E DITOR : Candace B. LevyINDEXER : Lynne Lipkind

JACKET /C OVER DESIGN : Kimberly AdisINTERIOR DESIGN : Kimberly AdisLAYOUT : Cathy CassidyPHOTOGRAPHER :Tom Meehan, Lane Meehan, and Dave PowersILLUSTRATOR : Chuck LockhartBuild Like a Pro ® is a trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.Fine Homebuilding ® is a trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Meehan, Tom. Working with tile / Tom Meehan and Lane Meehan. -- Rev. ed. p. cm. -- (Taunton's build like a pro) E-Book ISBN 978-1-60085-966-3 1. Ti le laying. I. Meehan, Lane. II. Title. TH8531.M44 2011 698'.9--dc23 2011027905

Printed in the United States of America10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The following names/manufacturers appearing in Working with Tile are trademarks: 3M®, AKDO®, Alpha ProfessionalTools®, American Olean®, Aqua Mix®, Better Bench®, Bonsal®, Bosch®, Bounty®, C-Cure®, Chloraloy®, Corian®,Custom Building Products®, DensShield®, DeWALT®, Ditra®, Durock®, EasyHeat®, Fein®, Felker®, FLEX®,Formica®, Georgia-Pacific®, Granirapid®, Grout Boost®, HardiBacker®, HMK®, Hydro Ban™, James Hardie®,Keralastic™, Kerdi®, Kevlar®, Laticrete®, Mapei®, Marshalltown®, Microban®, Miracle Sealants Porous Plus™, MK®,MultiMaster®, Noble Company®, NobleSeal®, NuHeat®, Oceanside Glasstile®, OptiCure™, Pittsburgh Corning™,Racatac™, Rodia®, Schluter® Systems, Sharpie®, SpectraLOCK®, Stabila®, Stone Art™, Stone Care International®,Styrofoam®, Super Flex™, Superior Tile Cutter®, Target®, TEC™, Tuscan Leveling System™, Ultraflex™, Velcro®,Villi®, Wedi®, WonderBoard®

Construction is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring safety practices can lead topermanent injury or even death. Don’t try to perform operations you learn about here (or elsewhere) unless you’re cer-tain they are safe for you. If something about an operation doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Look for another way. We want

you to enjoy working on your home, so please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever you’re in the shop.


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To write a revision of a book seemsto be as much work, if not more, than writing theoriginal, which is hard to believe. Although theoriginal content is still correct, we just had so manynew things that we wanted to show in this edition.

Thanks to our editors Peter Chapman and AlexGiannini for great guidance and patience puttingthis project together.

Once again, thanks to our four boys, Christo-pher, Tyler, Connor, and Ryan, who were there

to help us out when needed. There were manytimes when I said, “Hey, guys, I need help on a

job,” and they would jump in and bail me outwhen things got too busy. Even their big sister,Lindsay, and her husband, Drew, would come outto help me on a big project when I was over-whelmed with work.

A special thanks to Dave Powers, our goodfriend of many years who works with us in thestore and out in the field. He was always thereat any time of day either to work late or to grabthe camera to get an in-progress shot for a FineHomebuilding article or for the book.

Few companies have employees like Linda

Dunne and James Mahony, who have been withus since we started Cape Cod Tileworks 16 yearsago. More than employees or friends, Linda and

James, like Dave, are part of our family.Over the years we have asked manufacturers to

help on projects we are writing about for articlesor for the book. Thank you to companies likeLaticrete (installation products), Alpha Professional

Tools ®, Stabila ®, and Oceanside Glasstile ®. Every

time we reached out to these companies, theyresponded and helped us without a moment’shesitation.

Thank you to Bart Bettiga and the NationalTile Contractors Association (NTCA) for thesupport and approval of the original book. Havingthe vote of confidence from such an importantorganization in the tile industry assured us that wehad done a good job.

Another special thanks to everyone who has

bought Working with Tile over the years and sharedits ideas with others.

—LM & TM

Thanks to my dad, Don Meehan, an old mastertilesetter who taught me skills rarely developedby contemporary tilesetters. Not only did he give

me the knowledge of Old World methods but healso encouraged me to explore and incorporatemodern-day techniques, which have made mewhat I am today.

I’d like to make special acknowledgment ofmy co-author, business partner, best friend, andwife, Lane Meehan. Without her, this book would

not have been possible—or as beautiful. All sec-tions on tile design are exclusively her doing. Also,while I took care of the installation work, Lanewas more often than not behind the camera orworking on the manuscript long into the night.Lane is a talented design professional with whom

I count myself lucky to share my business, thisbook, and my life. Thank you, Lane.

—TM

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


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CONTENTSIntroduction to the Revised Edition 1Introduction 2

Getting Started 4Living in Style 6Look to the Future 6Translating Ideas into Tile 8Materials Are Better, More Versatile 10

Tiling a Floor 26

Maintain a Familiar Style 28Tiling a Floor 29Installing an Uncoupling Membrane 30Layout Is Next 31Installing Tile Is the Fun Part 38Finishing Up 43

Tile Wainscot 48Wainscoting Is a Practical Choice 50Layout Is Key 52Checking for Obstructions 53Now Check the Horizontal 54Installing the Tile 56

Tiling a Fireplace 62Design for the Whole Room 64Planning a Hearth and Mantel 64Tiling over the Firebox 65Building a Mantel 69

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Tiling a Backsplash 76Color, Patterns, and Accents 78 Installing a Tumbled Marble

Backsplash 80Sealing and Grouting 84

Tiling a Countertop 90Keeping It Clean 92Getting Started 93Cut the Tiles First 97

Adding Edge Trim and Grout 98

Tiling a Tub Surround 102Before You Start 104Check for Plumb and Level 105Use a Story Pole for Layout 105Planning the Installation 107

Now for the Installation 109Finishing Up Corners and Edges 110Finishing Up 113

Tiling Showers 116Reviving a Bathroom with Tile 118Out with the Old 119

Installing a Pan and Backer Board 121Story Poles Guide Layout 123Cutting Tiles to Fit 129Installing a Glass-BlockShower Wall 129


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viii

Installing a Shower Pan 136Getting It Right 138Start with the Subfloor 138Installing the Waterproof Membrane 142Attaching the Drain and Liner 144Installing Backer Board and Tile 149Building a Curbless Shower 151Comparing Installation Methods 156

Tiling with Stone 168Choosing the Stone and the Look 170Choosing Thinset and Trowels 172Cutting Stone Tile 173 Drilling through Porcelain andGlass Tile 174Installing Stone Tile 179Stone Should Be Sealed 184

Glass Tile 188Glass Tile Installation Is Different 190Glass Tile in a Tub Surround 191Getting the Thinset Right 193 Have Patience with Cuttingand Grouting 195

Repairs 200Planning a Repair 202 Replacing Tile around

a Shower Valve 202

Replacing a Large Areaof Tub Surround 207Replacing Floor Tile 209Replacing a Shower Pan 211

Resources 214Appendix A: A World of Tile 218Appendix B: Tools and Materials 221Appendix C: Trowels for Tiling 222

Appendix D: Preventing Cracked Tile and Grout 223Credits 226Index 227


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11

INTRODUCTION TO THE

REVISED EDITION

better products that will do more and, at thesame time, make our work easier. This is not justwith new thinset cements and grouts but alsowith all types of new tools. If installers don’t

keep up with the products that become available,they are really missing out.

Another breakthrough is the amount of edu-cation now available for installers and home-owners. It is the goal of many manufacturers andtile organizations to put all of the proper infor-mation out there for the general public to avoid

disasters that simply should not happen. Theinformation is there and it is not complicated. It

just has to be used.

When we mentioned to some installers thatwe were doing a book revision, the first responsewas, “Don’t tell me that what we’ve been doingwas all wrong and now we have to change ourmethods of installing tile.” No, that is not thecase (thank goodness). But today there are evenbetter ways to get the job done, which shouldmean more profit for professional installers and

fewer headaches for all.

Who would think that, seven years afterwriting this book, we would be at it again, writ-ing the revision? Then again, who would havethought that over 100,000 copies of Working with

Tile would have been sold? Certainly not us, buthere we are with more than 200 different photosand lots of new information on design, installa-tion methods, and materials.

Like everything else in this world, so manythings are chang ing around us. The tile industryis no different. With every year that passes, new

and exciting products are being introduced. Indesign, creative new trends and styles are alwaysbeing taken to the next level. At the same time,

classic looks like stone and glass tile keep provid-ing an elegance that will stand the test of time.Mixing these two products together provides anever-changing look.

Sometimes it seems like a race among tilemanufacturers to see who can come out withsomething different that will outsell the rest. Thisis the kind of competition that keeps the build-

ing industry interesting and exciting.It is the same way with installation products.

There is a constant dr ive to come out with


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wainscot partway up, and once you do, you canturn the tiles diagonally to create different visualtextures.

Ceramic fixtures are on the decline. Today’s

toothbrushes just don’t fit into the holders oncecommon over the sink. Standard toilet paperholders don’t accommodate the larger rolls oftoilet paper sold today. Old-fashioned tub soapdishes with the handle across the top are a thingof the past, too. They’ve been replaced by grabbars. Given the tendency of soap dishes to pop

out of the wall when you grab them, it’s prob-ably just as well. Shampoos, conditioners, bodywashes, and other common beauty products

would overwhelm an old-fashioned showerstall. Now, we cut shampoo niches into the wall,sizing them to meet the customer’s needs andtiling them to match the shower.

Floor tiles are becoming larger, too. In thepast, a floor tile commonly would have been8 in. or 10 in. square. Now we tend to use tiles12 in. by 12 in. or even larger. They reduce the

number of grout lines, making the room lookbigger and less busy. On the other hand, we arealso seeing a great deal of small stone mosaicpatterns. Mosaic patterns can make a big impres-sion in a small powder room.

W hen Tom worked with hisfather 30 years ago, installers went to thecustomer’s home and helped pick the tile. Theywould show up with 10 or 12 sample boards and

walk out an hour later with all the choices made.Not that it was easy: There were 40 or so pos-

sible colors for bathroom tile alone. The lower4 ft. of the wall was usually tiled, forming awainscot. There was a trim tile, called a covebase, where the wainscot met the floor, andanother trim tile, called a cap or a tile chair rail,

that could be used at the top. Customers couldpick a matching, contrasting, or complemen-tary color. Most bathrooms also got a full set

of ceramic fixtures—towel bar, soap dish, andtoothbrush and toilet paper holders.

Those relatively simple days are gone. Wehave a wider variety of tile shapes and sizestoday than we did back then. Probably the mostpopular is 6-in. by 6-in. tile, which gives wallsa clean look and a minimum number of groutlines. Rhomboids, or diamond shapes, and 3-in.

by 6-in. subway tile have been making a strongimpact in the past few years. They’re most popu-lar on backsplashes, but they add a wonderfultexture to any wall. New decorative bordersand trim pieces make it easy to interrupt the

INTRODUCTION

2


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33

is usually slightly more expensive than ceramictile but is a nice compromise if you want all thewonderful colors and textures of real stone with-out paying for a more expensive material such astumbled marble or limestone.

Tile still a smart choice

People we meet at our tile store on Cape Cod orthrough Tom’s tile-setting business often assume

we have fantastic tile in our own home. And thefact is that we do. But we also have four activeboys in the house, and tile makes a lot of sensefor us from both a practical and an aestheticpoint of view. Like many other parents, we’d liketo keep our house spotlessly clean and well orga-nized, but the reality is that if we’re not working,we're probably racing to a karate class or a base-

ball game or some other activity. Tile is not only

durable and good looking but also hides ourhousekeeping shortcomings as no other materialcould do.

A lot has changed since Tom began work-ing with his father a generation ago. It’s not justthat there are many more colors, sizes, and typesof tile to choose from. There also are better and

more varied materials used to install tile—everything from grout and thinset cement tospecial floor membranes and sealers. All of ithelps ensure that the beauty and practicality oftile remains as compelling as it’s ever been.

In the old days, a high percentage of foyers

would have been red, gray, or green slate in oneof a number of random block patterns. Today,the possibilities are endless. You can create aformal marble entry or a more rustic entry usingtumbled marble. Borders and patterns can becombined to imitate rugs, making wonderfulwelcome mats, especially inside sliding or Frenchdoors. We have even filled entryways with what

look like ponds of water made with fish- andshell-shaped tiles surrounded by tumbled stone.

What’s new in the kitchen

When Tom was doing kitchens with his father,the floors were usually either quarry tile, 8-in.-sq.Italian tile, or Mexican terra-cotta tile. Today, thecombination of tile technology and our fast-paced lives has changed how we design kitchen

floors. The most popular contemporary kitchenfloors are ceramic or porcelain 12-in. squaresmade to look like stone.

The varied texture hides a multitude of sins,such as juice spills, sand, dirt, and pet hair. Thematte finish keeps footing reliable even whenthe surface is wet. Porcelain and ceramic tiles

come in many patterns and variations. The trendis to make tile that looks like tumbled marble orlimestone, and it’s amazing how the tiles look

so much like the real thing. Both porcelain andceramic tiles are reasonably priced and verydurable—a great way to update a kitchen with-out breaking the budget.

Slate also has become increasingly popular forkitchens. Unlike the flat slate of the 1970s, avail-able in three colors, slates today come in a widevariety of tones and textures. Surfaces are more

forgiving than the flat, chalkboard finish thatshowed scratches and was very difficult to main-tain. Many slate tiles have a beautiful cleft tex-ture that helps prevent slipping but still lets youmove your kitchen chairs across the floor. Slate


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4


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5

Livingin Stylep. 6

1

Look tothe Futurep. 6

2

TranslatingIdeas intoTilep. 8

3

MaterialsAre Better,More Versatilep. 10

4Faced with a new design project, most people are

overwhelmed. Breaking the project into manageable

sections will make it easier, and a good first step is to

set a budget. Don’t be embarrassed to let your designer or the

salesperson know what you’re willing to spend. It won’t help any-

one if you fall in love with something you can’t afford. There’s no

reason you can’t get the look you want without overspending.

Next, decide which areas are a priority. Want to dress up the

first-floor powder room that all your guests will see? You can

afford to splurge here because a little money goes a long way

in a small room. The kitchen backsplash is another highly vis-

ible area where small expenditures yield big results. But watch

your expenses in large areas where costs can really pile up.

Once you’ve chosen the rooms in which you want to use tile,

focus on what’s important in each of them. For a bathroom,

think about the first thing you see when you walk in. If it’s a

tub, go all out in tiling it. But if the shower is hidden behind a

door, invest money elsewhere, such as the floor.

GETTING

STARTED


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G E T T I N G S T A R T E D6

Adding one simple,

unexpected tile to thefield can make an other-wise inexpensive floorlook like a million bucks.

DESIGNMATTERS

Living in StyleThe style of your house is another factor. There

are plenty of appealing tiles to choose frombut not all of them will look appropriate in allhouses. We live in a 230-year-old house on CapeCod. We see thousands of beautiful tiles in ourshop, and most of them would look great . . . insomeone else’s house. Many just aren’t suitablefor the architectural style of our house.

Lifestyle plays a role, too. For example, wehave four active boys, a dog, and a cat. We alsowork crazy hours and enjoy entertaining. Sofor us, high-relief handmade Mexican tiles areout of the question. We don’t want our tile toemphasize every bit of dust and animal hair, andit has to stand up to heavy foot traffic. As a result,

we’ve gone with stone and ceramic tile, both ofwhich are durable and forgiving.

If you are designing a tile installation for onlyone room, think about how you’ve used color inthe rest of the house and the atmosphere you’dlike to create. If your house is contemporary,then continue that same clean, simple look fromroom to room. Change the color, if you like, butnot your style.

Q: I’ve been told that the best place to start afloor is in the middle ofthe room and then youwork your way out.Is this so?

A: In a perfect world, yes. If the room is squareor rectangular, thatapproach often works.But most floors have jogsor hallways. Try look-ing at a room as peoplewill live in it. The eye is

drawn to windows or anentrance. Always think ofthe area that is seen firstand most frequently. Usefull or larger pieces there.Make sure you don’t endup with small pieces oftile in any areas that

have visible importance.

Q& A

Remember the flowIf you are designing tile for a whole house, take

each room one at a time. Look at the blueprintsrepeatedly, and take mental walks from oneroom to the next. Think of the floors as theyflow from room to room—wood followed bycarpet and then tile, for example—and designthem so they blend. For instance, if the kitchenopens into a great room, choose a kitchen tile

of the same tone as the great room, even if thefloor there is carpet. The point is not to have any

jarring contrasts in color from one floor surfaceto the next. Matching tones creates a visual flowand makes the room look larger and more open.When two tiled floors run into each other, usethe same tile on both, but consider changing the

size in one area or adding a decorative border tomake it a little special.

Look to the FutureIf you know you’re going to be reselling yourhome in a few years, go ahead and buy that

wonderful tile you’ve got your eye on, but keepthe colors basic. You can still be imaginative. Just

A special accent tilecan be used to set offa floor. By addingjust one crab into thefield, an inexpensiveceramic floor lookslike a custom, high-end design.


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7L O O K T O T H E F U T U R E

Choosing tile for a flooris not unlike decidingwhat kind of wood to usethroughout the house.You should choose a tilethat will be comfortableunderfoot, withstand traf-fic, and not be a concern

when you’re painting anddecorating. Keep the floorrelatively simple so theplacement of furniturecan be changed or anarea rug added withoutdisrupting borders andother decorative touches.

DESIGNMATTERS

turning a tile on the diagonal or creating a pin-wheel pattern on the floor gives the tile a greattexture without introducing a color that a pro-

spective buyer may hate. In the same vein, thinkabout who uses the room. If you are tiling yourchildren’s bathroom, remember that they grow

up. Make sure that the bathroom scheme isn’ttoo juvenile.

On Cape Cod, as in many areas where sea-sonal homes are common, we have to considerwhether a home is used year-round or as a vaca-tion retreat before recommending a tile design.

Replace a Cabinet with a Tiled Mirror

A hot trend for homes with adequate stor-age is to forego the medicine cabinet andreplace it with tiled mirrors. What you lose:a spot to store your mouthwash. What yougain: an elegant (or simple) custom focal

point. Plus, tiled mirrors do double-duty:Mirrors make rooms appear larger, and byrepeating tile elements from the showerand floor, the frame pulls the whole roomtogether.

The nice thingabout makingyour own mirrorframes is that

not only can youchoose the colorsyou like but youcan also make thefinish openingto your exactspecifications.

The use ofhandmade,hand-paintedtile makesthese mirrorsa focal pointof the room.


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look, whereas a 12-in. tile produces fewer grout

lines. This cleaner look can make the room looklarger. Using small mosaics can give a floor anoverall pattern that opens it up and makes itlook larger. Tile can even be used as borders forbathroom mirrors as a way of uniting colors inthe room as well as adding an unusual decorativeelement.

With these basics in mind, you’re ready to goto the tile store. You know your budget. You’veidentified high-priority rooms and the focalpoints within them. You’ve thought about yourhouse style and lifestyle. You have a good ideawhat the tone of the floor will be; what patterns

you’d like, if any; and what makes a room look

large and what makes it look small.Take your magazine clips to the tile store and

talk with the salesperson or designer, but do afinal bit of research before you make any com-mitments. Borrow all the samples you can andtake them home. Look at them in the daylightand at night under artificial light. What lookssandy and neutral in the store may come acrosswith a strong pink hue when you get it home.

In a second home, tile can be more whimsicaland more fun. It’s not as important to make

rooms formal. You may have a theme goingthrough the house—paw prints in a mountain

house or seashells at the shore.

Choose what you can live withDon’t deny yourself what you love or what it isthat draws you to the home. On the other hand,if this is a second home that you will be movingto permanently, choose something you’ll enjoy12 months of the year. Looking at shells andsailboats on cold days in January and February

might become a bit depressing.

Translating Ideas into TileOnce you have a basic plan of what you wantto do, the real fun begins. Look through maga-zines, choose 10 or so pictures of rooms that

you like, and lay them out to see what theyhave in common. You may find that all of themhave diagonal floors or that they all have naturalwood cabinets. There may be details you like in

colors you hate, so look at them a second time,ignoring the colors.

If the room is long and narrow, turning thetile on a diagonal will make it seem wider andless like a bowling alley. A pinwheel patterncombining two sizes of tile (80 percent of thelarger tile and 20 percent of the smaller tile)

accomplishes the same thing. Using a borderaround the room will do just the opposite,

drawing your eye inward and giving the rooma cozy, smaller look.

Small or large, tile has impactThe size of the tile also has an impact on how

the room looks. In a smaller room, using8-in.-sq. or 10-in.-sq. tile gives a cobblestone

Q: I have a dark room I want to make looklighter; should I use alight tile on the floor?

A: Wall color has much more of an impact on thebrightness of a room thandoes the color of the floortile. Maintaining the flowof the floor’s style andcolor from one room toanother is more impor-tant. If you are transition-ing from an oak floor to atile floor, make sure thecolor tone of the tile issimilar to the oak. Thatwill help ensure a seam-less transition from floor

to floor.

Q& A

The addition of a decorative tile in the floorgives this otherwise predictable surface oftumbled limestone a whimsical centerpiece.


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9T R A N S L A T I N G I D E A S I N T O T I L E

Tile material and design possibilities are end-less. With specialty tiles in metal, glass, stone,and slate, you are no longer limited to therun-of-the-mill porcelain variety. So if yourproject and budget allow, be creative in yourtile choices.

Can You Seethe Difference?Setting tile on the diagonal workswonders in a narrow room by givingthe illusion of width; parallel grout linesmake the room feel like a bowlingalley. When the tile is set on a diagonal,your eye subconsciously completesthe triangle, giving the impression thatthe room is wider than it actually is.An otherwise long, narrow room nowlooks wider—and more interesting.

Q: We are thinking of using a softer surfacelike linoleum or wood onthe kitchen floor becausewe’re afraid if we drop

something like a tea-cup on tile, the cup willbreak. Isn’t tile too hard?

A: I hear this question all the time. Yes, if youdrop something break-able, it will break. If youdrop a glass on any floor,

unless it is carpeted witha thick pad under it, itwill break. The differenceis that if you drop yourhammer on a tile floor,you won’t have dingsor cuts permanentlyimbedded. And on the off

chance you chip a floortile, the repair is a do-it-yourself fix. Linoleumand wood don’t have thatgoing for them.

Q& A

Mixing plain ceramic tile with stone tile canachieve good design results. The floor ofthis shower is stone, and the baseboard is aceramic tile capped with a molded tile profile.


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When choosing grout, remember you want tofocus on the tile, not thegrout. If you are using astone or stone look-alike,it is best to use a mortarin a gray or white tonethat complements thetile without detractingfrom it. Note that a green,terra-cotta, or blue

grout will draw the eyeaway from the stoneinstead of letting it takecenter stage.

DESIGNMATTERS

inside the tile substrate. Modern backer board,available in three types, changed that (for more

detailed information, see “Tools and Materials”on p. 221).Today, there are even more improvements

being made to backer board. Durock ®, prob-ably the most popular cement backer board(cementitious backer unit, or CBU) is now25 percent lighter and cuts almost like drywall.This is great for installers with bad backs. It cer-tainly makes me happy.

There are also lightweight boards out there,such as Kerdi ® board (from Schluter ® Systems)and Wedi ® Tilebacker Board. These two prod-ucts have a lot in common. Kerdi board is madeof polystyrene and has a reinforced fleece fabriccovering. It comes in thicknesses ranging from3 ⁄ 16 in. to 2 in., is waterproof, and can be tiled onall sides. Both Kerdi board and Wedi board canbe used to make benches, round walls, and what-ever else one can think up.

Thinset cementThinset is the adhesive in which tile is bedded.

Many companies make a variety of types fordifferent applications (for more, see p. 221).Most manufacturers offer a few different grades.Don’t buy the cheapest product if the projectwarrants special attention. Each grade has acertain proportion of chemicals or polymersthat make the cement work with differenttypes of tile. For instance, glass tile should beinstalled with thinset that has flexible, adhesivequalities. Using another type will lead to failure.With any type of installation, it’s worth yourwhile to do your homework and choose theright type.

Much has changed over the last 10 yearswhen it comes to thinset, and many productsstill work well on a variety of different projects.

Now find a good tile store

Then, at last, it’s time to pick tile. Work with

the tile store to get a balanced look. That is, youdon’t want people to come into a room and say,“Oh, what a great backsplash.” You want themto say, “I love what you did with this room.”A good tile store has a good designer who willhelp you balance the needs you’ve identifiedwith your budget. It’s a free service. Take advan-tage of it.

What you’ll find is an enormous variety oftile, everything from natural stone to handmadeceramics in many colors, textures, and priceranges. Whether you’re looking to tile a singleshower or use tiled surfaces extensively, thereshould be plenty to choose from. For details, see“A World of Tile” on p. 218.

Materials Are Better,More VersatileForty years ago, tile was set only over a wire andmortar base (called a mud job) or over water-resistant gypsum drywall. Special membranes,

cement backer board, and latex-modifiedthinsets had yet to be introduced. Grouts weresimply colored cement without additives, andsealers were basic silicon (and not very effec-tive). It took a lot more skill to do a good jobthen. Working with installation materials today iseasier than it was, and more productive.

Cement backer boardCement backer board was invented in the mid-1970s to replace gypsum drywall in tile instal-lations. This development alone saved the tileindustry from the onslaught of fiberglass tub andshower units. It was almost too late because dry-wall jobs were breaking down. Grout was turn-ing black from mold and mildew that thrived


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11M A T E R I A L S A R E B E T T E R , M O R E V E R S A T I L E

As projects become more involved with newtypes of tile, design, and regulations, manufactur-

ers have had to come up with different thinsetproducts.Laticrete ® 125 Sound & Crack Adhesive

is the thinset adhesive used to install tile overmost surfaces including plywood. It also acts asa soundproofing barrier below the tile floor andas a stress crack membrane to reduce movementand cracking of the tiles in the floor.

Quick-setting thinsets have become verypopular because they allow you to install the tilein the morning and grout and walk on the floorsin the afternoon, about 4 hours later. This reallyhelps when there is only one bath in the house.Mapei ® Granirapid ®, Laticrete 254R PlatinumRapid, and Custom Building Products ®

OptiCure ™ are three good examples.Another type of thinset that we did not have

years ago is non-sag medium bed mortar forlarge wall and floor tiles. Now, before we go anyfurther, let me say that in plain English. Non-sagmedium bed mortar is thinset you can build upto 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick that will not slump with floor tile.

Also, using non-sag mortar, you can install largetiles on walls and not have to worry about themslipping without support from the bottom. Thetwo products that I’ve used are Laticrete Lataflex4 XLT and Mapei Ultraflex ™ LFT.

In general, thinsets should be mixed slowly,allowed to set (or “slake”) for a couple of min-utes, and then quickly mixed again. If the thinsetstarts to harden during the job, throw it out andmake a new batch. Do not add more water torevive old thinset.

Mastics are used when you’re tiling over dry-wall and sometimes over cement backer board intub surrounds, but not in shower stalls where thewater spray is more concentrated. We use masticon wainscot walls and backsplashes. Use only

There are different kinds of adhesives for dif-ferent applications. Here I am using Laticrete125 Sound & Crack Adhesive to install the tile.


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all-purpose nonstaining or non-yellowingmastic. When installing very light colored stonetile on a backsplash, switch to white thinset.

GroutA good grout job is almost as important asthe tile installation itself. It is the final step thateither makes or breaks the job. Portland cementgrouts of years ago have been replaced by groutscontaining latex additives. These products aremore flexible and more water resistant. Latexadditives also make colors more consistent. Inaddition, there are epoxy grouts (for more, seepp. 221 and 223).

It’s very important not to add too much waterwhen you’re mixing grout. Overwatering thinsout the latex, weakens the grout, and also makes

the color inconsistent.At least two companies, Laticrete and Mapei,

offer antimicrobial products that inhibit thegrowth of stain-causing bacteria, mold, andmildew in grout. Many companies are nowmaking grouts with Microban ® antibacte-rial protection to resist stain-causing mold and

mildew, and Kevlar ® for strength and durability.We’re also seeing more resin-based grout forstain resistance.

Most good-quality grouts that have beenproperly sealed will provide a lot of this protec-tion, but in some extremely damp areas, specialtyproducts are a good idea.

Membranes and heat matsLike cement backer board, membranes havebeen saviors of the tile industry. There are avariety of types for different applications, but ingeneral they are useful for either waterproofingor protecting tile from changes in the substratebelow. The three main types are stress crack iso-lation membranes, waterproofing membranes,

Thinset cement is used almost 100 percent ofthe time in floor installation. When I installtile in a shower stall or tub area (wet areas), Ialso use thinset cement instead of mastic. I usedifferent types of spreading trowels with dif-ferent size notches, depending on the type and

size of the tile. The larger the tile, the largerthe notches in the trowel.

Whether it is floor grout (with a joint of 1 ⁄ 8 in.or more) or wall grout ( 1 ⁄ 8 in. or less), grout isspread with a rubberized grout float trowel.The grout is spread over the complete surfaceof the tile and then allowed to set for 15 min-utes or so before it is washed off and toweleddry or to a shine.


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13

Q: We are tiling a room that does not have itsown heat source. If weput an electric heatingsystem under the tilefloor, will that adequately

heat the room?A: No, most electric heat systems today arecomfort heat systems.These systems feel greatunder your feet and willhelp take a bit of the chillout of the area, but they

will not provide an even,comfortable temperaturethroughout the room.

Q& A

M A T E R I A L S A R E B E T T E R , M O R E V E R S A T I L E

and uncoupling membranes (see p. 221). Today,many glass tile manufacturers require that a stresscrack membrane be applied to a wall beforetheir tiles are installed. In most cases, a liquidmembrane is recommended.

Electric heat mats that go under the tile arenot designed for heating an entire room, butthey make the floor more comfortable under-foot. Most operate on 120v household current.In one type, wires are sandwiched between twolayers of fabric that is put down with latex-modified thinset and pressed flat into the floor.Tile is then installed over the mat. It is the easiestsystem we know of, and it’s reliable.

Another system, made by a few companies, isa roll of webbed wires. The wires are rolled outon the floor to make sure they all will fit in placebefore thinset cement is spread. Some of thewebbing is cut back (taking care not to cut thewires) so the roll can go up the room one wayand then double back down the other way. Rolls

come in two different widths (12 in. or 24 in.). Ittakes a little more effort to install this type, whichuses thermostat probes. Always read and followthe manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

A third type is a line of wires that is looped

back and forth on the floor and then screwedor stapled in place. Thinset is troweled over thewires and tile is then set in place.

Great care must be taken with all these mats,and all should be checked with a voltage meterfor continuity along the way.

SealersA sealer is the best investment available to pro-tect many types of stone tile, and there are a

number of good products on the market. Sealersalso are important for sealing grout—nothing

is worse than grout that has become stained or just plain looks dirty. If a good sealer is used, thegrout will still get dirty, but you will be able toclean it up without too much trouble. If it is notsealed, the grout may stain and will never look asgood as it did when it was new.

Sealers today are impregnator sealers, which

go into the pores of the grout or stone and sealfrom the inside out. These sealers allow thesurface to breathe, unlike topcoat sealers ofthe past, which trapped moisture and couldproduce a cloudy haze or worse on the surfaceof the tile.

Sealers are either water based or solvent or

oil based. We rely on what old-timers used tosay, “If it doesn’t stink, it doesn’t work.” Oil- orsolvent-based sealers are very strong and get the

job done. We’ve found that overall, the perfor-mance of water-based sealers is limited. The bestsealers will protect stone from hot grease andother damaging products like ketchup and wine.However, if you spill red wine on your granitecountertop, clean it up before you go to bed.

Whether they are built

into the floors of a newhouse or added during arenovation, electric heat-ing elements beneaththe tile in selected areasare an affordable luxury.Most heating elementsare designed to run onordinary householdcurrent and are availablein several types. Theycan be connected to auto-matic timers so they pro-vide added warmth onlywhen it’s really needed—in the early morningand evening hours, forexample.

DESIGNMATTERS

An electrical heat mat under tile flooring actsas a comfort heat system. The tile is installedover the heat mat using thinset cement. Thethermostat is linked to a sensor probe locatedin the middle of the mat.


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there. Always read the label and don’t hesitate tocall the manufacturer’s toll-free hotline for helpif necessary.

Tools for installing tileNot too long ago, $1,500 would buy youall the tools you needed to get into the tilebusiness—an electric wet saw, a snap cutter, nip-pers, trowels, and a few other hand tools. I canstill do many jobs with just those basic tools, buta variety of new tools have made jobs that wereseemingly impossible almost routine. New tile-cutting machines and layout tools have openedmany doors, and even something as simple as thetrowel has changed dramatically for the better.

Today, when I go to a tile show, the first thingI do is head for the (inevitably gigantic) section

featuring the latest tools. There are so many newand different tools being made every day, and thequality of the products is simply amazing.

Don’t just look for the cheapest tools avail-able because, as they say, you get what you pay

We have not found any sealer that will preventa red wine stain on stone after the liquid sits for12 hours.

An impregnator sealer does the job withoutmaking the tile look wet. It does not darken thetile or give it a shine. If you want a shine or youwant to bring out some color in the stone, use anenhancer to establish the desired finish on the tile.

Grout Boost ® is a new additive that can bemixed with standard cement grout in place ofa sealer. It is now sold in most tile stores and isspec’d by architects as a better way to protectgrout. One very practical benefit is that, if I haveto drive a long distance to a job, this product cansave me from making a trip back—and all thatentails—to seal the grout.

Grout Boost is a good product, but I don’t

think it should replace sealers applied after thefloor is grouted. Also note that it is expensive,which is always a factor to consider.

It’s important to use the correct cleaning andcare products. There is a variety of products out

Many of the tools

used for setting tileare still relativelysimple and afford-

able. A variety ofnew tools, includ-

ing lasers and moresophisticated tilesaws, have made

complicated installa-tions easier and less

time-consuming.


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for. The best example of that old adage comes

when choosing which diamond tile sawbladeto purchase. If a sales pitch includes buying sixdiamond blades for the price of, say, two . . . hangup the phone. Or walk away. It’s a good bet thatthose six blades won’t last as long as one, goodblade. Even though the cheaper blades maylook the same as the better and more expensivemodels, there is a very small amount of diamond

in those blades.Other than such knockoff blades and a few

other lesser-quality machines, there are plenty ofnew and exciting products available. The skyis the limit as far as what an installer can do

with modern tools. Here’s a sampling of what’sout there.

Levels and lasersLevels are among the most important toolsin my truck. I don’t look for a bargain brandbecause quality really counts (I prefer levelsmade by Stabila). I have a number of sizes:16 in. for backsplashes, 32 in. and 58 in. for tubsurrounds, and 6 ft. and 8 ft. for large installations

or detailed door jambs.Lasers offer some great advantages. Being able

to shoot accurate lines around a room for a tilewainscot or to level or square off a floor saves

Finding LevelThe levels shown here are standard

levels made by Stabila that I use onan everyday basis. From top to bottomare the 16-in. and 24-in. standardlevels and the 32-in. and 58-in. combolevels, which were made just for tileinstallers. These sizes work in mosttub surrounds as opposed to the36-in. and the 60-in. levels, which

would be too big to fit in a typical

5-ft. tub.The distance laser (shown on the

left) is great for estimating big jobs.I simply point and shoot and thenpress “multiply.” The laser calculatesthe square footage of big rooms, andI don’t have to worry about measuringtapes and calculators.

On the right is the Bosch ® GTL3

Wall/Floor Covering Laser square, agreat tool to have when tiling floors orwhen you need to go from one roomto another carrying a perfectly straightand square line. If a room is out ofsquare, I just adjust the laser. It workswell in almost any kind of light and is agood time saver.


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Q: I have done some tiling over the years. Inow would like to go astep further and get anumber of tools that willhelp me step up to thenext level and tackle themore complicated jobs.Where would I look forgood tools?

A: Any good ceramic tile store that sells tocontractors would be agood source. Anotheris the National TileContractors Association(NTCA) trade publica-tion, which is called theTileLetter . The very best

tile-setting tool compa-nies advertise in it. Go towww.tileletter.com.

Q& A

the biggest change in the tile industry in many years—and it made quite a difference.

Before the rubber float, on every single job I

worked on, we spread grout with a steel floatingtrowel and then cleaned it off with a squeegee.Boy, am I showing my age! But it was anothercase of, “If it works, why change it?”

Using a trowel correctly takes practice. TheNational Tile Contractors Association has pro-duced a great video called Trowel and Error thatexplains working techniques.

Water saws and snap cuttersMany companies make electric tile-cutting saws.Most of them have a 6-in., 7-in., or 10-in. dia-

mond blade cooled by water. Blades work by

a tremendous amount of time and keeps laborcosts down. Lines that I shoot with a laser are

marked with a pencil and recorded all arounda room. If I’m laying out a floor and find theroom is out of square, I just shift the laser slightlyand don’t have to resnap any chalklines. The laseralso can be used for finding highsand lows in an existing floor. Once you haveone, you’ll wonder how you ever got alongwithout it.

I’d asked the folks at Stabila for a while ifthey could come out with a level that lit up, andthey did. You don’t know how great this tool isuntil you try it, especially if you’re working a jobwith minimal lighting or if you require readingglasses. It comes with 2-ft. and 4-ft. levels, andreplacement lights are available in case you leave

the lights on overnight.

Trowels for spreadingcement and groutGood-quality steel trowels make a big differencein performance, and they tend to last longer thancheap ones. I stick with name brands. When I’ve

bought bargain trowels in the past, the handlesoften broke under pressure, and the thinsetcement does not apply as smoothly after a shortperiod of use.

There are different trowels for different jobs,including steel and wood floating trowels forspreading cement, notched trowels for spreadingthinset or mastic, and rubber trowels for grout-ing (for a complete explanation, see “Trowels forTiling” on p. 222).

The tools I used when I started out with mydad remained the same for 25 years. The onlything that changed was the “grout master,” anew tool with a rubber float that replaced theold grouting trowel. Believe it or not, this was

A fish or shell can be cut into the tile toadd unexpected interest to a backsplash, ashower, or even a floor.


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Modern tiling tools allow installers to createmore varied designs intile than ever before. Newtile-cutting tools can cre-ate intricate designs by

cutting heretofore impos-sible curves. This tech-nology allows us to cutdecorative tile into a fieldof tile in minutes. Modernlasers shoot a continuouslevel line around a roomfor laying out bordertile. We can also cut abullnose profile into theedge of porcelain fieldtile when bullnose trimpieces are unavailable.

DESIGNMATTERS

friction, not with cutting teeth, and are muchsafer than wood-cutting sawblades. In 30 years oftiling, I have never known anyone to get cut by atile saw. But that does not mean it can’t happen.

Most of these saws have a rolling table that’spushed toward the sawblade. I feel that these arethe strongest, most accurate, and easiest to use.Saws come in different sizes. The smaller onesare great for backsplashes and small floors, butthey are limited in the size of tile they are able tocut (especially on the diagonal). Larger machineshave bigger motors so they can cut throughlarger and harder tile. Some of the cutting tablescan accommodate an 18-in. tile on the diagonal.

The Gemini Revolution saw can make radiuscuts that no other saw can (except for a water

jet). In my opinion, the new and improved ver-

sion is the cutting saw of the decade. Becausethe blade doesn’t vibrate or chatter, it allows

you the most delicate cuts. Its 10-in. rim bladeis table mounted, so that radius cuts are made bypivoting the tile, but it also has a slide table thatcan be used for straight cuts. Its only drawbackis that on the radius cuts the blade has a 10-in.

working area, so it takes a little creative maneu-vering to make some larger cuts.

Score-and-snap cutters are less expensive thanelectric saws and work well with ceramic tile. Touse one, you score a line in the face of the tile,then push down on the tile to snap it along theline—much like cutting a piece of glass. Nowthat most floor tile is made of porcelain, thesecutters are not as popular because the surfacesometimes cuts inconsistently. The Superior TileCutter ® was the one that I grew up with, and Istill like it today. There are other score-and-snapcutters with a double glide bar that are verypopular, and many installers swear by them. Theyseem to work very well on larger tiles.

Nippers and hole cutters

Tile nippers are really companion tools to thesnap cutter. When I tiled bathrooms with myfather 30-some years ago, we cut all the wall tilewith a snap cutter and tile nippers. L-cuts andU-cuts (called a “pair of pants”) were scoredwith a snap cutter and finished with nippers.Back in those days, a real tile man did not usea tile saw for bathroom walls. Boy, have thingschanged.

Hole cutters are mounted in a drill, and thediamond or carbide core cuts very nicely (exceptwith porcelain, which is difficult no matter what

you use). I frequently cut a hole from the backside with the water saw (for more, see “Punchinga Hole in Stone” on p. 185).

Layout toolsA measuring tape and chalkline are two essentialtools. A chalkline is not needed every day, butit is invaluable on any large floor and on manyother projects. A measuring tape is used all daylong—it’s just as important as a level.

The 3-4-5 A-Square (Hanson Tool Company) is the best layout tool to comeon the market in years. It allows you to lay out a floor quickly and withconfidence that everything is dead-on accurate. This three-sided tool folds

up into one piece for easy storage.


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since there is typically not a bullnose made forglass as there is for ceramic tile.

Most basic ceramic tiles are available with afactory-made bullnose. Many porcelain tiles arealso made with a bullnose, but some are not.

Glass and stone tiles are rarely fashioned witha bullnose made by the manufacturer. So withstone, I shape, cut, or grind to create a rounded,finished edge and then either sand or use dia-mond pads to smooth and finish the bullnose.Limestone and soft marble can be shaped withsandpaper and a sander or polisher. For harder

stones, such as granite and certain marbles, Ineed to use diamond gr it pads (kept wet) to getthe job done, and the same goes for glass.

Most often, glass tile can be left with the fac-tory edge instead of a bullnose. However, someglass is rustic, and when two tiles meet in acorner, the edge can be rough or ragged. If theedge is rough enough to be dangerous to bareskin, be sure to smooth it.

The pads start at 70 grit, which is aggressiveenough to grind off the rough edge of a pieceof marble. By using higher grits, it’s possible towork toward a smooth surface and eventually apolish, if that’s the goal.

You can purchase the pads in a complete set,

or you can buy just the gr it pad that you want

The collapsible 3-4-5 A-Square ® is the besttool for doing quick layouts on large or smallfloors (it gets its name from the fact that a tr i-angle with legs of 3 ft., 4 ft., and 5 ft. forms aright angle at one corner). With an A-Square, Ican use either lines or straightedges and quicklycheck and adjust my layout lines so they aresquare. It is great for dropping into place to startthe next section of tile. These squares comein different sizes, and there’s also one with a45-degree angle, which is handy for doing afloor on the diagonal.

Edge-forming toolsThere are several ways to put a bullnose edge onmarble, limestone, or porcelain tile. I have useddiamond profile wheels on a tile saw, although

the results can be inconsistent if the machine hasseen a lot of use and is not perfectly set up. Moreoften, I cut a 1 ⁄ 8-in. chamfer on the edge of alimestone or marble tile with a tile saw and thenuse a polishing grinder with different grits ofsandpaper to for m the edge. With harder graniteand porcelain tile, I use 4-in. diamond pads with

a water feed instead.I also have a water-fed router-profiling

machine with a small automatic conveyer table.It was expensive ($2,700), but I had three largelimestone jobs in a row, and the machine paidfor itself in the first month. It makes a consis-tently perfect bullnose edge.

Diamond hand pads are great tools for finish-ing off the edges of natural stone or glass. WhenI make a bullnose or rounded edge on a pieceof stone, I use the pads to even out the stoneand finish the eased edge so it looks as if thetile were made with a factory bullnose. Thereare different grits that even enable me to put apolish on the edge of a piece of marble. The pads

work on glass as well, which comes in handy

Q: I’m looking into purchasing a water-fedrouter, but the toolsare expensive. How dothese machines hold up

over time?A: I’ve had my router for six years now, andover that time it’s madethousands of bullnoseedges. It may look like it’sbeen through a war, but agood machine can last a

long time.

Q& A

A set of seven diamond pads from Alpha

Professional Tools.


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Q: How do I make a bullnose or roundededge on a stone tile?

A: There are a few different ways to makea bullnose. If I am usingan uneven slate tile, Iround it with the sanderafter I ease the edgewith the tile saw. If I amdoing a lot of limestoneor marble pieces, thenI use the bullnose edg-

ing machine. Thesemachines, which youcan rent, make consis-tently perfect bullnoseprofiles every time. If Iam using marble, I haveto follow up by hand withdiamond-coated polish-

ing pads to bring theedge to a finished shine.Many marble shops willdo that for you.

Q& A

tile that needs modification. With practice, thistool can be used with pinpoint accuracy. Use avacuum and a helping hand to hold the nozzleclose to the gr inder to catch all the dust when

you’re working inside.The most widely used tool for cutting

cement backer board is a carbide-tipped scorer,which costs $10 or less. It works like a util-ity knife with drywall, although it takes a littlemore effort. Special shears are good for cuttingHardiBacker ®, a type of tile substrate. Theseshears are absolutely amazing. They offer pin-point accuracy in cutting with the greatest ofease, and they create no dust. A grinder or a cir-cular saw with a diamond blade also cuts cement

backer board, but these tools create a lot of dust

from Alpha Professional Tools. The completeset includes seven pads, which allow you to gofrom smoothing a tile’s edge to creating a pol-ished finish. To get a good polish, you have towork the pads in a full progression without skip-ping a pad.

Other specialty toolsAn undercut jamb saw is used to cut door casingso floor tile can be slipped underneath. Thatpresents a very clean look, and it’s much easierand better looking then cutting tile to fit aroundthe casing.

Another miracle tool is the right-anglegrinder with an aggressive diamond-abraded

blade. The gr inder is used to cut out in place any

Using a diamond padto take off the roughedges of glass tileswhere two walls come

together providesa smooth finish thatlooks good whileeliminating a poten-tially dangeroussharp glass edge.


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If you can wait until

your kitchen is all setup before designing the

backsplash, you’ll beable to see the negativespace created by yoursmall appliances andcreate a good balance.Installing a backsplashis not a disruptive job,but the backsplash is in a

very visible area.

DESIGNMATTERS

which you really need it. The time you’ll save onthat job and the precision with which the jobwill be done will pay for most of the machine.

The DeWALT ® 10-in. compound-miter wet

saw is the saw that tile installers have been wait-

and should only be used outside (and with adust mask).

I never thought that I would buy a rail sawand bring it to jobs, but now that I have one(the Rodia ® tile saw 2512RS), my crew and Ikeep asking what we would do without it. Manyof the tiles we install are 18 in. by 18 in. andlarger, and it became difficult to cut them withaccuracy. This machine has dead-on accuracy,cuts a variety of angles, and even does perfect45-degree cuts and miters.

The legs pop off and it has wheels on oneend. If I have to, I can load it up on the truckand get it on the job by myself (unless it has togo up a flight of stairs). I paid less than $2,000for my saw and I recouped my investmentwithin two months. One tip on investing in a

machine like this: Wait until you have a job for

The DeWALT DW2000 tile saw cuts perfectcompound miters and is an all-around saw,that weighs only 69 lb.

The Rodia saw takes up a lot of room, but it cuts large tile and slabs perfectly, every time.


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Four Favorite Power Tools

Let’s look at four power tools that I use

all the time (the photo reveals all thewear and tear on them).

At bottom is my undercut saw byBosch. It is dead-on accurate everytime. This is the best all-aroundundercut saw for cutting off doorwaycasings so the tile can slip under thecasing instead of being cut around it.This saw is safe for DIYers. While there

are more aggressive undercut sawsout there, they take a good deal ofexperience to use.

Next up is my FLEX ® grinder, whichcan be used as a sander and polisherthanks to interchangeable heads thatthread on to a 5 ⁄ 8-in. arbor. In sandingmode, I use it to make bullnose edges

on the job site; its Velcro ® sanding

pad accessory allows me to changesandpaper or pads quickly. In polish-ing mode, I use the grinder to polishmarble edges, putting on a finishshine that matches the surfaceof the tile. Other companies makesimilar models.

Next is my Bosch grinder, anaggressive cutting tool that I mostly

use to cut out existing tile for repairsand detail work. Whenever I need toremove a tile, scarify a floor, or cut aline through tile and grout to removethe lower half of a shower stall, I cancount on this grinder to do the job. Be sure to wear goggles and a dustmask when working with the grinder,

and operate with care. It has a lot of

torque and can be aggressive. Mosttool companies make a grinder, and alltile installers have at least one modelin their kit.

At the top of the photo is my Fein ® MultiMaster ®, which is available as amulticomponent set that is so com-plete it can do almost everything butlay tile. It works as an oscillating tool

so it is safer than the grinder. TheMultiMaster has many tool fittingsthat allow it to do many tasks, fromremoving grout to cutting trim in hard-to-reach places. Other companies arenow making similar tools.


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ing for. It does just about everything and makesperfect miter cuts on any kind of raised-trimpieces. Not only does it cut miters but it alsomakes heavy-duty straight cuts. It weighs only69 lb. and has such good spray guards that youcan almost eliminate drop cloths while running

it. It is noisier than the other machines and takesup more space with its spray guards. Rememberto clean it thoroughly at the end of the day.

If I had to do a full day of cutting porcelaintile, I would use my old standard tile saw, whichis belt-driven and considered a bulldog amongtile saws. But after using the DeWALT miter saw,I could not work with my old saw when doingdetailed miter work, which has become almost

an everyday task in the industry. (For more oncutting porcelain tile, see p. 174.)

Tile nippers are oneof the most impor-tant tools for a tileinstaller. They per-

form the delicatejob of nipping awaymaterial to makea cut fit around apipe or corner of awindow. Nippers arelike a light pair ofpliers, and if you usea downward motionas you squeeze theywill break off little

pieces of tile untilthe cut is complete.It takes time to masterthis tool.

The right-angle grinder is great for demoli-tion or pinpoint cutting. It is used to remove

tiles and to cut out detailed corners.


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23

Safety glassesor goggles offer eyeprotection againstflying tile chips andchemical sealers orcleaners. Earmuffsor foam plugs protectyour hearing whenworking with tilesaws, grinders,and other powerequipment.

M A T E R I A L S A R E B E T T E R , M O R E V E R S A T I L E

Safety toolsGood safety glasses can be bought almost any-where, and they should be with you at all times.

When you’re using dangerous chemicals orworking with tools that cause tile chips to flyeverywhere, safety glasses are your best friend.When using chemicals such as cleaners and seal-ers, it may be even better to wear goggles, whichprevent splashes from the side. Always wear adust mask when gr inding or sanding.

Ear protection is also needed because of thecontinuous use of loud tile saws and grinders.

There are a couple of different options, includ-ing soft foam plugs and earmuffs. When I’m cut-ting for an extended length of time, I use a set ofearmuffs with a built-in radio.

Tile educational courses and seminars arealso important tools. You can have the best set oftools in the world, but if you don’t know whatto do with them, you may become the master of

disaster. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundationand the National Tile Contractors Association

offer the best courses I know of (for more, see“Resources” on p. 214).


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3 The stone and hand-painted tile in this loghome’s bathroom givethe room an earthy,rustic feel.

OPTIONSDESIGNTile offers a world of design possibilities. It’s easy to feeloverwhelmed at the start of a project, especially if you’re planningto use tile extensively. Staying true to the design of your houseand attacking one section at a time will help keep the job inperspective.

5 Classic black-and-whitetiles will never dateyour home, and you can

easily coordinate themwith most color schemes.


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25D E S I G N O P T I O N S

3 Take advantageof advice anddesign services

that a tile storehas to offer. Anexpert’s sugges-tions on colorsand textures andwhere to best usedifferent typesof tile can beinvaluable.


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T I L I N G A F L O O R28

Always keep the size

of the room you’re tilingin mind when planning.If you’re tiling a largefloor, plan the room asif the floor were madeof oak. In other words,floors should be neutralenough that they go witheverything. If you’re til-ing a small powder room,however, you can addcolors or patterns withoutlimiting yourself. But forlarger spaces, keep itneutral.

DESIGNMATTERS

Q: I have a small

bathroom. What size tileshould I use to make itlook larger?

A: Either a 12-in. by 12-in. tile or a small

mosaic will do. A12-in.-sq. tile will givethe room a clean, openlook with fewer groutjoints to distract the eye.Or use a small mosaic tocreate a wallpaper-likepattern, which will alsoopen the room up.

Q& A

Natural stone tends to have more variation thanceramic tile, although this isn’t always the case.

Keep the flow, too. If you bring tile from the

back entrance down the hall and right into thekitchen and powder room, keep tile the samecolor so there is a nice transition. You can stilluse the same tile to define different rooms—creating a smaller rug pattern in the powderroom, for instance, or clipping the corners oftile in the kitchen and adding a contrasting dot

every 4 ft. This maintains the flow but eliminatesthresholds and prevents the floor from lookinglike a patchwork quilt.

In bathrooms, remember the slip factor.Whether I’m thinking about my children’sbathroom and the way the kids splash in the tuband then jump out onto the floor or just about

myself getting out of the shower, I want thefloor to be something that will be both visually

appealing and safe. There are some wonderfulstone look-alikes that are neutral in color buthave a matte texture that helps prevent slips.

Natural stone is also a terrific choice for justthose same reasons. With natural stone you neverhave to get fancy either. Every piece of stone isunique and therefore creates its own pattern; youdon’t have to fuss it up and make it somethingit isn’t.

Always ask to see several pieces of the tile that you’ll be installing. Once it’s been installed, thereis nothing that can be done if it’s not the look

you wanted, except to rip it out or learn to livewith it. Keep the amount of variation in mind aswell when you are deciding on a pattern.

The way a pattern looks when drawn outwith a pencil and what it looks like in reality are

somewhat different. Also, when you are look-ing at a rendition of the layout, it’s in black andwhite. Color changes everything.

Maintain a Familiar StyleIn choosing floor tile, stay true to the style of thehouse. Tile evokes a feeling. When tile has rustic,

chiseled edges, for example, it may go betterin a bungalow than in a contemporary house.

We embellished our own tile floor with pol-ished stones and seashells from a Cape Codbeach, but you don’t need to be a professionalinstaller or designer to incorporate a personaltouch in your tile job.

Even though I installed this floor 15 years ago,there isn’t even one crack in the grout. It is agreat pattern for a large floor. I did two fullcourses around the perimeter of the room,then a decorative border, and then the fieldtile on the diagonal. I made sure I had fulldiagonal pieces at all edges where the field

met the border.


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29T I L I N G A F L O O R

Tiling a FloorWhy is it that some tile floors in Europe areperfectly intact after 1,000 years, while othersfail in less than one tenth of that time? Layinga large tile floor can be one of the most chal-lenging of all tile installations. Cracks cantelegraph upward from floor framing. Use thewrong cement or even the wrong trowel, andtiles may break or work loose. I frequently gettelephone calls from people who report loose

grout in the middle of the floor, and when Iinspect one of those problem floors I can tellby rapping on a tile with my knuckles that ithas worked loose.

There actually is an answer to this puzzle.It’s not the tile that goes bad but the substrateon which it sits. It seems that many years ago,

European tile craftsmen developed a methodof uncoupling the tile from its substrate. Thelayering process went something like this: Abottom layer of mortar for med the base, fol-lowed by 1 ⁄ 4 in. of sand, another layer of mortar,and finally the tile. The sand absorbed any move-ment in the substrate and allowed the top levelto float, unaffected by expansion, contraction,and settling.

This same approach, although with modernmaterials, is the secret to installing trouble-freetile floors today. The uncoupling membraneI’m using on the floor shown at right is calleda Ditra ® mat, made by Schluter Systems (see“Resources” on p. 214). On one side is a fleecebacking bonded to the subfloor. The top ofthe mat is a plastic grid to which tile is bonded.When there is movement in the subfloor—thekind of gyrations that would normally cause atile floor to crack—the fleece acts as a kind ofshock absorber and stabilizer. Uncouplingmembranes can also be useful for smaller floors,

Get Rid of the BounceAdding a membrane to a floor is a great way to ensure a long-lastinginstallation, but if the floor is not structurally sound, the membrane isnot going to do a lot of good. For most tile applications, the standardL/360 formula (the span divided by 360) gives you the maximumallowable deflection, or sag, at the center of the floor to provide a firmenough foundation for tile. At least that’s the old standard. There arenow recommendations within the industry calling for new guidelineson the spacing of edge and end joints in the plywood subfloor andunderlayment, designed to minimize the risk of too much deflection(for more, see “Preventing Cracked Tile and Grout” on p. 223).

An exception to the current L/360 rule is when setting naturalstone, which may be more susceptible to breakage than ceramic tile.Some types of stone, although not all, are softer than today’s veryhard porcelain tile. Thus when working with these materials, addanother layer of plywood, bringing the total thickness of the subfloorand underlayment to 1 1 ⁄ 8 in. The Marble Institute of America recom-mends cutting the maximum deflection in half, to L/720 (both theMarble Institute and the Tile Council of North America maintain tele-phone hotlines for advice on this and other subjects). When I starta job, I check the floor to see if there is any bounce and, if possible,look at the floor framing from the basement. The bottom line is this:If the floor is not structurally sound, do not install tile on it, no matterwhat anyone says.

Instead of using plywood or cement backer board as the under-layment over the subfloor in this installation, I used an uncou-pling membrane (made by Schluter Systems) to help preventmovement in the subfloor from affecting the tile.


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I use a latex-modified thinset when goingover any wood base. It’s spread with a V-notchtrowel (notches are 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide and 3 ⁄ 16 in. deep).First, I skim-coat a section of floor with the back(straight) side of the trowel to push a tight, flat

coat of cement into the pores of the wood. Then

I immediately spread more thinset over the

especially bathroom floors, because they add anextra measure of water resistance.

Many residential tiling installations will be

smaller than the one described in this chapter,but whether the floor is large or small, the tech-niques of laying out the pattern and installingthe tile are the same.

Installing anUncoupling MembraneInstalling a membrane on a wood subfloor iseasy. I usually cut out all the pieces I’ll need tocover the floor, lay them out, and then numberthem. Chalklines snapped on the subfloor willhelp me install the pieces cor rectly after I’ve

spread thinset cement. The lines also prevent mefrom spreading too much thinset.

Stone mosaic tile can have a classic feel or astark, contemporary look, as is the case withthis bathroom floor.

Q: If the room is really

out of square, where doI start my full tile?

A: You don’t start with

a full tile. You cut off alittle bit of the first courseof tile to give the illusionthat the room is squarerthan it actually is. Thiswill give you room toplay with, and the prob-lematic walls will be lessobvious. I start from alayout line three courses

from the wall and workinward, making up anyinconsistencies in thisfirst section. After that,laying tile is straight-forward.

Q& A

The progression for installing the Ditra matgoes like this: First, snap a chalkline. Next,spread the thinset with a 3 ⁄ 16 -in. by 1 ⁄ 2 -in.V-notch trowel. Then unroll the membraneover the thinset.

I use a 75-lb. roller to flatten and bond themembrane to the subfloor. This also pushesout air pockets and excess thinset so the mem-brane sits perfectly flat.


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31

Q: The grout is coming

out in different places

in the middle of my floor.Can I just regrout?

A: Probably not.

Usually when groutcomes loose in the mid-dle of a room, it meansthe tiles are loose. Tapon tiles and listen for a

clacking sound, whichindicates that the bondbetween the tile andthe subfloor has beenbroken. If it’s an isolatedproblem, repairs mightbe possible, otherwisethe floor may have to bereplaced.

Q& A

L A Y O U T I S N E X T

floor and use the V-notch grooves of the trowelto spread the cement, keeping the trowel linesall going in one direction. This helps eliminate

pockets or voids. Then, right away, I roll out themembrane over the fresh cement and push itout nice and flat. I use either a 75-lb. linoleumroller or a wooden float to press the mat into thecement and establish the bond. I push out anyexcess cement that may make the floor uneven.Tile can be installed over this uncoupling mem-

brane right away, although other types of mem-branes may require 24 hours to cure.

Spread only as much thinset as you cancover in about 20 minutes. If it’s a hot, dry daythe thinset will harden more rapidly, so workaccordingly.

Layout Is NextIt may take 10 minutes or 2 hours to lay out thefloor, but take whatever time you need. Oncethe first tile goes down, there is no turning back.The tile on the floor shown in this chapter is a12-in. by 12-in. bamboo green slate from Turkey.It varies in size and thickness and has a shale/

cleft facet.The layout has to be perfect, and all focal

points in the room must be taken into consider-ation. Some installers start in the middle of thefloor and work out from there so the roomlooks balanced. That’s fine if the room is a per-fect square or rectangle. In the house shown

here, the focal points are the two large windowsand the sliding door (see the photos on p. 38).This is the area where the eye is drawn first and,at least in my opinion, most frequently. I mea-sured out three courses from the wall andsnapped a chalkline to mark the span of tile thatwould be in front of the door. Then I laid out a

row of tiles to see what cuts I would have to

Tiling aStair RiserThese days, your imagination is youronly limitation when it comes to tileand what you can do with it. In thepast, tile came in only two sizes, buttoday it’s available in a multitude ofdifferent shapes and sizes and canbe used to add decorative touchesthroughout your home.

A great example of this can befound along your stairs. Tiling yourstair risers can set the mood of a roomand can eliminate scuff marks on therisers. You don’t have to break thebank with the cost, either, especiallybecause the total square footageis minimal.

Adding such a decorative accentcan be fun, but remember that eachtile is a little piece of artwork, and you’llwant to be selective in where to addthese flourishes.

Tile on stair risers not only adds awonderful decorative element butalso eliminates scuff marks.

Q: Can I tile over particleboard oroak flooring?

A: Neither is a suitable substrate for

tile. If it’s a large floor,I would remove the floor-ing and go down to thesubfloor and start fromscratch. If it’s a smallfloor, I would go over itwith a crack-isolationmembrane, but check

with the membranemanufacturer.

Q& A


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A Heat Mat to Warm the Floor

On a recent large slate floor installation, the homeowners(who love to cook) asked me whether it was possible to heatthe floor in the kitchen area. I sent a floor plan to the NuHeat ® Company, which made a custom mat to fit the space (see

“Resources” on p. 214).Installing the mat was easy. I just put it in place, traced

the outside edge on the subfloor, and then put the mat aside.I spread latex-modified thinset with a slightly worn 1 ⁄ 4-in.square-notch trowel, keeping the trowel lines going in onedirection for a better bond. Then I rolled out the mat to theoutline I’d traced on the floor.

When I put in these mats, I use my hands and fingers

to really work the fabric into the floor. I used my fingers toembed the area between the wires and then a wooden floatto flatten out the mat and push out any excess cement and fillin any air pockets.

After the mat was in place, I installed the heat sensorprobe close to the middle of the mat but did not let it crossover any of the heat wires. I just ran it up the channels andused a little duct tape to keep it in place. A Ditra mat mem-brane went directly over the heat mat and, in this case, on

the rest of the floor. It has been proven that the heat actu-ally comes to the surface of the tile more efficiently when anuncoupling membrane is placed between the heat mat andthe tile. If the tile ever has to be replaced, the membrane pro-tects the heat mat from hammers and chisels.

I always use a voltage meter to make sure the heat mathas electrical continuity (meaning that it will work later). Icheck the mat before I start, after it’s installed, and then againafter the membrane is in. The wires go through a hole drilled

in the floor so the electrician can make the connection. Themat comes with complete instructions and the number to agood help line in case you need more information. The manu-facturer now sells an electric fault meter (a warning sensor)that is clipped on to the lead wires throughout the installation.If a wire is damaged, an alarm will go off.

ANOTHER TYPE OF FLOOR HEAT

While I find the NuHeat mat to be the quickest and easiest

heating mat to install, there are a couple of drawbacks thatyou might want to keep in mind. NuHeat mats cost a littlemore than other models, and once purchased and on the jobsite, the one-piece mat’s size cannot be altered.

There is another commonly used option when it comes toheating your floors. Roll-out heat mats are more readily avail-able than NuHeat mats and are sold at tile stores and big-boxretailers. They’re less expensive than NuHeat mats and canbe adjusted during installation.

Roll-out mats can be customized to fit in any size room.Once you’ve purchased the correct amount of square foot-age, they are completely adjustable, left to right and back andforth. Note that it is better to order a little less square footage,since you will not need to cover every inch of your floor withthe mat. If you order too much, you can never cut out a sec-tion because you cannot puncture the wires contained within.

When installing a NuHeat mat, keep the wires separated.The heat sensor should be installed as close as possibleto the middle of the floor. When running the wire towardthe perimeter of the floor, try not to allow it to cross otherwires in the mat. A bit of tape helps.

It’s essential to check the continuity of wires in the matbefore the area is tiled. Or use a device called an elec-tric fault meter, which sounds an alarm if any wires aredamaged during installation.


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33L A Y O U T I S N E X T

On the downside, roll-out mats require a more labor-

intensive installation, and the mats do not sit as flat and astight as the NuHeat. Still, they both do the same job, and theydo it equally well.

1. The first section of the roll-out mat has to start next toa power source. The tiler will usually put the mat down butonly after the electrician decides where the power source is.The electrician will then (or after the floor is done) run thelead wires and the heat sensor probe up into the wall to a boxwhere a control unit will be located A .

2. After the first leg of wires runs down the room to thewall, it has to change direction. I carefully cut the webbing(not the wire) so I can then reverse the direction of the mat.This is usually done right at the loop B . Remember, the heatmat does not have to cover the floor completely.

3. The turn is relatively simple. After you’ve made the cut,just lift up the roll, turn it over, and reverse the direction. Then

just keep going back and forth and fill in the main part of the

room. If I have to go around a corner or turn a different anglein the room, I can cut the webbing in a couple of areas to makemy own path. The turns do not have to be 90 degrees C .

4. Here, my assistant, Dave, has rolled the mat out into themain area of the room D . This mat, by Laticrete, has a tacki-ness to the webbing, and the white band helps the mat clingto the floor and lay somewhat flat. Notice that the mat goesright up to the base of the vanity, so bare feet will always bewarm. There will be no heat mats where the washer and dryer

will be set up. Any area like that or under a vanity should nothave heat wires installed. The wires can throw off the balanceof heat in a room, and the thermostat will be affected.

5. The wires will not lay perfectly flat, so it helps to stapledown the netting between the wires. A hammer stapler canwork, but it is very easy to hit a wire instead of the netting. Theproper tool to use here is an upholstery stapler, which uses

A B

C D

h l


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A Heat Mat to Warm the Floor continued

1 ⁄ 4-in. staples and can be purchased at any hardware store.

Stapling down the web helps keep the mat in place when youspread cement later on E .6. Don’t forget to put down the heat sensor probe before

laying the tile! The wire goes right back up to the thermo-stat with the lead wires. It is important to make sure that thesensor wire does not overlap a heat wire, because this wouldaffect the thermostat’s reading F .

7. The mats can be tiled over right away, but keep in mindthat it is tedious work because the notched trowel can get

caught up in the wires while spreading. In many cases, it’sbetter to pour a floor leveler over the heat mat to fill in thespace around the wires. Floor levelers differ, and manufactur-ers’ instructions should always be followed. If you use a lev-eler, the floor is tiled the next day.

Many installers—me included—spread thinset with a flattrowel to cover all of the wires. I’ll then use a 3 ⁄ 8-in. notched

trowel for a little definition, and I’ll install a stress crack mem-

brane. Once again, I go back the next day to set the tileG

.8. I install Schluter Ditra mat uncoupling membrane toprotect the wires and to give me a great substrate to tile over.This is definitely worth the expense and time, no matter whattype of heat mat is being used. If at any time a tile has to bechanged, the membrane serves as a buffer, and I will neverhave to worry about damaging the wires below H .

Remember to always test the mats with an ohm testerto make sure the current is working in the heat mat. Do this

before you install the mat, then again before you install thetile, and then a third time when the installation is complete.It’ll only take a few seconds, and most mat suppliers sell alittle tester.

E

G

F

H

make at the two side walls I found that if I cen 3 4 5 rule: a triangle with legs of 3 ft 4 ft and


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35

To begin laying out the tile, I start by identi-fying the focal point of the room. Here, it’s asliding door on a wall with a great view of themountains, so tile will be centered on the door.

Once the position of the first tile is determined,a layout line can be drawn on the substratewith the help of a large square. This tool,which folds up for storage, has legs of 3 ft.,

4 ft., and 5 ft.

L A Y O U T I S N E X T

make at the two side walls. I found that if I cen-tered the grout joint of the tiles, rather than themiddle of the tile, on the sliding door (which

was centered on the wall), I would have an11-in. piece of tile left on each side of the room.

Compensating for irregularitiesThe next step is to create a line perpendicular tothe first, which I draw with the help of an 8-ft.straightedge and an oversize square based on the

3-4-5 rule: a triangle with legs of 3 ft., 4 ft., and5 ft. called an A-Square (see p. 18). The perpen-

dicular line down the middle of the room starts

with a felt-tipped marker and is completed allthe way across the floor with a chalkline. Eventhough I know the lines are square, I take a fewmeasurements from the line to the wall to makesure that the walls are parallel to the centerline.If not, it’s reason enough to double-check every-thing and reevaluate the layout befor

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