tiling a floor, can a novice realistically do it?

artful_codger

hi there, i'm thinking about tiling the floors of a small kitchen and utility room. Before i go out and buying a tiling kit, could someone who has done floor tiling tell me whether it can realistically be done by an absolute DIY novice? I'd like to give it a shot, but i don't want to ruin my floor or tiles because i'd have to get it right the first time. If anyone has tried this before, can you tell me how you got on, what mistakes you made, or anything you may have done differently if you were to do it again?

thanks a bunch.

Joey the lips

No is the official answer but go to a library and get a good book to explain it.

A couple of things I would do as a diyer

buy an expensive flexible white adhesive one that is polymer based

Larsen Flex rapid white (Orange bag with a blue strip) is doing the rounds at the moment and it looks quite well.

Use a flexible grout.(Its better to buy the more expensive grout

Hire/buy a tile cutter.

Its been my experience that anything under 15 meters it would have been better in the long run to get a professional anything over 15 meters is not worth the rish of a total fcuk up.

If you catch my drift.;)

jasperok

Well what degree of finish are you willing to risk?

At the end of the day you will have a rough idea of your general ability -

I had never tiled before and i am after tiling the kitchen with large heavy terracota tiles - the shower - the bathroom and the study with acrylic/rubber lego finish type tiles.

If you really look at it its not perfect - that doesnt bother me in the least but thats why proffessionals get the wong as you pay for the perfect finish (or should)

from one novice to another i would get the old level out and see how level the floors are - if they are not and you are unsure of your diy ability then definately don't do it.

also measure up and plan where the cuts will be - is it perfectly square? if there are a load of cuts to be done , again go for the pro. unless you are feeling confident

its not the hardest job in the world and i certainly wouldnt discourage diy in the home but from learning from my mistakes - having someone experienced doing the work certianly would have its value when you come to the finsihed article.

artful_codger

thanks for your input lads, i think i'll air on the side of caution and get a pro to do the work, i'd like to learn how to do a bit of tiling to be able to point at something and say i did that, but i don't even have a spirit level so there's no point going out and buying all that just for one job. Before i bite off more than i can chew, i'll learn how to hang some picture frames first

Joey the lips

artful_codger wrote: »

, i'll learn how to hang some picture frames first

looks like you will need that spirit level after all

Stevie Dakota

I would do some research and give the utility a go, it does not have to be 100% and you will get an idea of what's involved in a larger area like a kitchen. This is what I did recently. I actually feel I did a better job in some areas than a pro (cuts and edges as I could really take my time) but fell down in others like the height levels between some tiles, 1mm does not sound like much but with a 3mm gap and porcelain you would be surprised.

Go for it, tiling is VERY satisfying and easier than you would expect (if you are a reasonble DIY'er).

This site was a great help.

www.tilersforums.co.uk

Kashkai

I'm pretty useful at DIY but our new build had a lot of tiling work to be done (very large kitchen, utility, big bathroom and two ensuites) and I had a lot of painting and wooden flooring to lay so I got in a recommended tiling "pro" (notice the inverted commas and you'll guess that what comes next is not good :D).

He was a complete muppet and the tiles are as level as the Dublin Mountains. I'm the first to admit that I'm a perfectionist and while most people wouldn't notice his mistakes, I spot them all the time and it p1sses me off as we paid this guy over €3 grand. If you are going to hire a tiler, ask to see his previous work if possible and speak to his other customers.

johnjoe86

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

If you are going to hire a tiler, ask to see his previous work if possible and speak to his other customers.

This is good advice when dealing with any tradesmen especially the final fix tradesmen!

Joey the lips

johnjoe86 wrote: »

This is good advice when dealing with any tradesmen especially the final fix tradesmen!

Not as easy as you think. He might be giving you family as references, I have seen it all. If your looking for references wait till you neighbour gets work done ask if you can see it then take it from there

Better still PM me I know 3 very good tilers because I used them all the time. One is beyond a perfectionist the other a bit slow but perfect when teams are on site and the last well he is normal. just a good normal tiler.

Webbs

jasperok wrote: »

I had never tiled before and i am after tiling the kitchen with large heavy terracota tiles - the shower - the bathroom and the study with acrylic/rubber lego finish type tiles.

Hi sorry to hijack the thread a bit, but Jasperok where did you get the rubber lego finish tiles from? Were you happy with them and were they easy to lay?

Thanks