Q:im going to tile the floor next weekend with 16x16 ceramic tile, and i could use some advice2 questions actually...1. when i lay my backerboard, and tape the staggered seams, do i keep that thinset over the tape very thin? im afraid of a hump in the floor when i go to lay tile.2. how much pressure do i apply when seting the tiles in the thinset? ive seen websites that show very little pressure..and some that show alot of pressure. does it need to float on the thinset or mash it down in the thinset. i just want this to turn out good...its my 1st time, and ive done alot of research, but the information varies from person to person. any added advice or tips on this project would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, you do need the tape, this like drywall will prevent you from seeing the cracks. When you put the thinset down, use between a 1/4 trowel and a 3/8 trowel. I would use the later with the size tile you are using. Also, when you put down the thinset, go over the seam with the trowel and this will fill in but not over fill the seam. When you lay the tile down, you will put it down and not only push down with a Little pressure, but you will also want to twist a little. to make sure your doing it right, take you first piece and pull it back up. You will want to have thinset on 90 to 100 percent of the back of the tile.

Q:How about a simple tiles? Good quality

"water". The water droplets on the back of the tiles, the water spread after the slow density of the tiles, as the top grade.

Q:My husband and I are thinking about putting tile on our front porch. It‘s 10 x 13 roughly size room. Would 6x6 size tiles look better or would 12x12? What do you think?

I personally think the 12x12 look better

Q:I‘m going to be putting in a tile floor in my kitchen (all cabinets and appliances removed). I have done my research and have a good idea of what I will be doing - beef up the subfloor with plywood and lots of screws for rigidity; use cement based self leveler to correct a mild slope; install backerboard or decoupling membrane (not sure which yet) followed by the tile.I have a plan, but plans tend to fall apart after their first run-in with reality. Has anyone run into types of problems they don‘t talk about on DIY network? The types of problems complete the following kinds of sentences: are you f***ing kidding me? You have to do ____ before ___? or dammit, why don‘t they tell you you need [insert name of specialized gadget] on a product that cures in 10 minutes? or boy was I an idiot for doing/not doing [insert critically important but not obvious tiling procedure here].?Much obliged, and thanks for the responses.

Just a couple...ideas make sure you use specialized backerboard screws and not drywall screws buy a medium tile saw...at the beginning you will be quite a newbie..and slower than a pro at making your cuts and you don't want to be under the rental by the hour gun... when you are done..you will feel like a champ and sell the saw on craigslist for about the same money, to another newbie like you..he will thank you!! buy the best mortar money can buy..high end laticrete..you will be happy you did..rookies tend to cheap out on materials..but good thin set has many advantages, like flexibility, pot time etc...adhesion... last but not least porcelain tile and not ceramic.

Q:What is better tiles or carpet in a living room considering I have 3 kids ( 4 , 3 and 2 ) ? what about the kitchen?

tiles or bamboo flooring - carpet is dreadful with small children and pets (if you have them) they can crack if they are not installed right tho carpet is hard to clean- hard to keep the smells out- frequently adds to the allergen problems Especially with small children= if you feel you must have a rug make it small throw rugs that can be easily cleaned. you will sooooo glad you did, and no i DONT think they keep a room warmer. did you know that a new carpet offgasses formaldehyde!! all the more reason to avoid it as for tile - depending on where you are and how good your installers are will determine if its right for you. avoid the marble/granite type floors (unless you LIKE ER visits) its way to slick - personally i prefer the mexican type large floor tiles- very easy maintanence and here in this hot climate they are very cooling. they also crack if not installed correctly now if you are not sure of tile look into the newer laminate floors - especially bamboo. its beautiful, easy care, and bamboo is a Very GREEN product (rather than many rare and scarce hardwoods) even if its not the least expensive to install, in the long run i think its the easiest and least expensive to care for and live with. rj

Q:I need either of two types of tile one was a sheet of multicolor mosaic tiles the other is a creamy colour with a beige sort or swirly thing going through it

Matching dis-continued tile can be a big problem..This is why whenever I do a tile job I leave extra or open boxes behind...The only thing i can say is check every tile store you can find.....Perhaps one has an odd lot left of leftovers...If you know who made the tiles that would help the search....If you E-mail me a photo to my profile I will take a look around my area when I am at the tile stores...Usually shipping can be arranged.

Q:Platinum crown tiles ok

You have not provided the brand we have not tested, to provide you with the choice of tiles under the method, I hope to help you. 1 election origin Almost tiles on the market come from two places: Guangdong and Shandong. Guangdong brick overall quality is better than Shandong brick, domestic brands of ceramic tile origin is also generally from Guangdong, so a simple choice of Guangdong brick. (Shandong bricks are also good quality, but more need to blink of an eye). 2 to see flatness Flatness is very critical, if the flatness is very poor, it is difficult to shop in the edge of each tile are not the edge of the gap, there is not only the impact of visual effects affected, serious and even cause Ge (gè) feet. Method one: the same paragraph of the two tiles on the face of the table, his hands pinching side, observe the other side of the tilt, tilt the smaller, the higher the flatness. (This method is suitable for fully flattened bricks that do not apply to antique tiles and bricks with special craftsmanship) Method 2: a brick vertical placed on the same piece of another flat brick surface, observe the gap between the two bricks, less light, the higher the flatness, the better the quality, in my tested tiles , Nobel's tile flatness is the best, almost no light, we can test their own time to try all four. (This method does not apply to antique tiles)

Q:THis will be done in the powder room. Also, I am planning not to use backerboard because the tiles will be 9 x 12

I recently tiled a room of approximately the same size. Not including the cost of the tile, it cost about $150.00. I used quick set, which costs about $40 per tub. One tub, if used properly, should be enough. If the floor on which you are installing the tile is not concrete, you should stronly consider using the backing board. This will help reduce the chances of the grout, and tile from cracking. If installed on a wooden (plywood) floor, the floor can flex, resulting in cracking of the tile and grout.

Q:The grout in my bathroom is cracking bad and i just had it installed a little over a year ago. I called a different tile guy to look at it and tell me why its cracking. So im trying to figure out who riped me off or whos trying to rip me off. this new tile guy said the grout is cracking because the other tile guy didnt pull the old vinyl up. I remember the other tile guy told me that the vinyl was my moisture barrier so i didnt need anything put on the floor other than the glue ( or whatever you call it) So this new tile guy is saying thats the reason why my grout is cracking because he needed to pull up the old vinyl and the grout would continue to crack until that was done. So that means i need my whole floor re-done with new tile.....so is this new tile guy telling me the truth. Can you install tile over vinyl?

Tile can be installed over vinyl, if the subfloor is rigid enough, but I don't recommend it. Thinset does not adhere well to vinyl. I have pulled up tile floors laid over vinyl, and they come up very easily, barely sticking at all. Your problem, most likely, is that your subfloor is not rigid enough. This may be caused by floor joist spacing being too wide, or subflooring being too thin. At a minimum, joist spacing should be 16 on center, subfloor should be 3/4 tongue and groove plywood with 1/2 cement backerboard screwed and glued to it with thinset. Older homes have 3/4 plank subfloors, and some newer homes have 5/8 plywood subfloors, neither of which is rigid enough. In either case, the fix would be to glue and staple 1/4 lauan over the subfloor. Staples should be 4 apart along the edges, and 8 apart in the field. Lots of glue. So, if it was me fixing your problem, I would pull up the tile and vinyl, do whatever is necessary to make the subfloor rigid, and relay the tile. And I highly recommend epoxy grout. It's costly, and a bit more difficult to work with, but the end result is vastly superior. It's super hard, keeps it's color, doesn't stain, and requires no sealer. Good Luck with your project, hope this helps...