The problem you had grouting was those sponges just have a low absorption but like all sponges the more you use them the better they get, just before they are ready for the bin is when they are 100% effective. Also using polymer glues and grouts you should use a hoop paddle not a screw type paddle, a lot of manufactures are advising that due to excess air being incorporated into compound it can potential compromise the mix color and curing times. BTW 1+ for leaving the external joint open for movement a lot of people don't.
nicko198718 the problem with the sponge is that it is a rounded sponge... it just pushes around the grout. Try using s square edge sponge and you will see a big difference. It scrapes it off the tile. 100x better!
@@mikeo6525 Yeah sort of agree but some tile/stone like tumbled trav or slate or even rough texture rounded can be good when you want to agitate the joints or divets more, just being rounded doesn't rule it out. We tend to use hydros or DTA waterboys but in my 14yr tiling experience always found cheap big box store sponges or ones designed for washing cars or windows have terrible absorption.
Paul Soul nope you are wrong.... you need to read it again. They recommend using their mortar.. schluter - all-set which is actually a modified thin set.
We literally used this as a step by step guide for our tile project and it was so helpful (along with the product links, loved those!!) - thank you!! **Note to future folks - a different trowel is needed for under the Ditra vs the tile. He mentions this in passing, but I didn't catch it the first time, so wanted to make sure I shared!**
I am a single mom and will be using your video for guidance!! I'm going to home depot tomorrow to buy the equipment and I thank you so much for this video. It was so humble and helpful! God bless you!!
I watched the entire video from start to finish twice, made several notes, and was finally feeling confident that I could adequately tile a room... Then I realised I don't even have a house! FML!
Forget everything you saw in this video and start from scratch he didn't even send her the room that's why the tile is all different sizes on both sides and those tiles are going to pop up because the mortar was too dry I've been a town Cellar for 30 years anybody got any questions I'll answer them I ain't got s*** to do a retired
mario garcia I imagine you meant “center the room”? I’m a little clueless and redoing a bathroom with only my dad’s help (plumber) but I guess it my job to figure out the tile work. Do I dry tile and measure the size of tile starting from the center of the room? And how do I mix the mortar if that was too dry?
I did this project... step by simple step. I can't thank you enough for this video. My laundry flooring is beautiful and my wife was very impressed with my work.
As a long time contractor I have to say you did a good job with the tips for homeowners. Seeing the mistakes that can happen and compound quickly will help a lot of folks. The Mapei (pronounced Ma'Pay) flex cq grout is great. 3 things. It dries aggressively so dampen the floor two rows in front of you (in small spaces) with the sponge and leave the water haze there. Apply grout to those two rows, squeegee with float as you showed (use a rubber float-foam will not remove cleanly. This is a game changer for grouting) and then wring out the sponge and begin cleaning within 5 min in a circular pattern and dressing the joints; while cleaning the sponge and wringing often. Wait five mins and wipe lightly with a barely damp sponge again. Haze is gone and no more wiping like old grout. It will dry rock hard in a day. Again, this is for the Flexcolor CQ shown in the video. This grout will stick to natural stone if it is not sealed well before application. Typically, only factory edges of tile are placed together. Cuts go to the wall. The last tile that had too much thinset under... It is perfectly ok to scrape off that thinset, reapply and make new notches. Keeping the tile lower. It's also ok to apply some body weight to the tile to get it to go down if need be. Esp if the thinset is getting stiff or maybe mixed a little too dry. Also a single large "egg beater" type mixer is best for thinset. Spiral mixers entrain too much air in the mix which causes problems later on. Enjoy your channel and hope these tips help. Keep up the great vids and voice overs.
Yup. Just ever so lightly. No standing water just a gloss. This gives you a few extra mins to work with the grout and makes it easier to clean up. The CQ grout is an acrylic product and starts setting up in few mins after hitting the air. The manufacturer has videos to follow as well.
I did the same when putting down Fusion Pro grout. A lot of people hate it but if you follow the directions, its not that bad! His mistake is also mixing an entire bag of mortar at once. That's overkill for a beginner! Mix half a bag or less at first, if you make any mistakes and need to re-do you wont waste the rest of the bucket. I usually mix 10-15 lbs at a time, but I'm a DIYer and lay tile slower. I'd rather toss 3-5 lbs of hardened mortar than 30 lbs. Always backbutter your tiles, especially on large format. My tiler didnt and so many tiles were hollow or not attached and had to be redone by me after he was fired. I finished the rest the right way and its rock solid.
As a pro tiler you would never catch me cleaning grout off a floor with a sponge and bucket of water.. Absolute waste of time. I take it you guys are from the US but in England us proper tilers use a washboy. Take notes and up your game lads
Being a DIYer myself, whilst execution is far from perfect its actually more helpful than most other videos as it shows you where to expect snags as someone who doesn't do it for a living. Great job!
As a professional tiler for over 16 years this video reminds me of when I first learned my trade. Good end product but a lot of mistakes and a lot of room for improvement. BUT this guy is the kind of apprentice I would take on any day of the week. Willing to learn. Game to get stuck in, and most importantly a genuine interest in tiling. Good job mate 👍
As an aspiring apprentice. I would like to know what exactly. Besides the ones he pointed out, backbuttering and laying the transition. I honestly didn’t like the first set of cuts at the top.! But it looked good.! No use of slippage devices..? I am respectful long asking..!
What mistakes did he make that you would have pointed out? I have installed a brick-web backsplash with good results but am about to tile a bathroom floor of about the same size and a shower. Would love any pointers
Clip/wedge system to prevent lippage. Didnt check for level or setting them level. Wrong grout sponge action, usually good to wipe in circles flat first to even out grout lines. Thinset for underlayment was way too dry. All I can think of right now
This turned out fantastic! I love that you kept the mistakes in the video as most people who do a tiling project for the first time will most likely encounter the same problems.
Yes, the mistakes in the video are the main key element here. Your asking yourself why he is doing this and that and then he shows the mistakes and its a real "Ah ha" moment. Good video and thank you, please keep the mistakes in there. It really helps us all out.
I love this video because you're not hiding your mistakes and that can happen to all of us. It really makes this video much more relatable and I appreciate that. Thumbs up
I appreciate how to made this film and didn’t edit out the mistakes. It makes it way more “real” and ensures I avoid making the same mistakes. Great work!
Quick grout tip: that first wipe you did with a sponge is great, but if you add a couple drops of dawn dish soap, it allows so slip across the tiles and it makes clean up much easier
Not only was this video informative, but you present these topics with a surprising wholesomeness and I definitely appreciate that! Thanks for this one!
Appreciate you talking about your mishaps and mistakes cause most video tutorials do not tell you things that may go wrong. I’m definitely not going to attempt to try. You got skills X
i applaud you for your 1st tiling job...we live & we learn...you did an excellent job with teaching and talking about your mishaps...that was very humble of you whereas a lot of other folk would simply make excuses...that said, i’m ready to tackle my 1st tiling job...and, because of you, i’m starting with my laundry room, lol...thanks so much!!!
Watched this some years ago, wasn’t planning on doing tile back then, fast forward a couple years and here I am doing a full bathroom renovation 😂 I needed to see the 1/4 tile overlap as I’m also using large 12x24 tiles. Good job and thanks for making this.
This video is perfect for someone who is a non professional and wants to do-it-themselves. Thanks for posting, and also sharing your mistakes. Well done!
Coming from the tile industry, I really appreciated calling out things that were done incorrectly or things you should have done differently. Tile is not easy to install, but your end product looked nice. By the way, I’m not an installer, just a manager.
"A pretty stressful moment" Having done Tiling years ago I can honestly say, I remember pretty much every moment of every job was a pretty stressful moment lol. You did a good job on that, I don't think you will ever get any trouble from it.
Thank you! I particularly appreciated you mentioning how you’d do something different/alter a step. Your mistakes shed light on questions I didn’t know I had for this!
This is a great project for learning a new DIY skill. The project is small, tucked away where no one will ever see it. This allows you to be confident and ok with making and learning from mistakes. As a DIYer, myself, it irritates me when people only focus on what you're doing wrong. I thought your finished product was perfectly adequate for its purpose and now you can take the learning points and critiques and do a better job on a larger project.
Saved money, learned valuable info for later, and every time he steps on that floor he'll feel pride and accomplishment as he remembers the process of installing it himself. DIY is very rewarding. The most important thing though, is knowing when to draw the line. :( Some things are just out of my realm of possibility, and that's ok. It'll sometimes cost a lot of money just to buy the tools (that I'll use once), and then I'll have to learn how to do something that will likely turn out mediocre in the end and leave me unhappy. Checking one's ego is difficult sometimes, but it's important. Sometimes it's good to just cough up the dough and hire a pro to help. I DIY every single thing that I can though, out of the desire for cost savings and a deep lack of trust in others who call themselves "professionals."
@@mannys9130 your comment is the best and it is 💯 % true. I love being able to get things done myself. But just also have to understand I cant do everything, sometimes someone has to take the wheel. 😂
Beloved i live in an area full of cowboy workmen and i have decided to do my tiling myself so glad to find your video. I have tiled before my friend showed me how to do my kitchen floor and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Man you're so professional for your first time working in this matter! Thank you so much for your video! I have all carpet in my 3 bathrooms for 18 years, since this freezing 2021 weater. I had a lots of damaged in my house because of the frozen pipes, now I don't have no choice. I have to install tile in all my bathrooms. Thank you so much for this very useful an excellent video explaining. God bless you!
So many haters! Laying tile for the first time is tough and he ended with a nice looking result. Thanks for taking the time to document your process and help others. Cheers!
So great to watch. Loved he acknowledged some missed steps but showed how to rectify them. Put me at ease as a first timer. Most of all, keeping it real for your audience. No video bells & whistles to overshadow your tutorial.
I would recommend removing the molding and then reinstalling it once the floors laid down so the molding is over top of the tile and you don’t have to grout to the wood to fill the gap
You wouldn’t grout along the edges anyways you never do. You caulk along the edges so the floor can actually move and the uncoupling membrane can do it’s job.
Brad Tanner you have a handyman business and don’t even know how to perform the work besides watching a RUclips video? Not to be rude but people like you is what gives the rest of us tradesmen bad names when we have years of experience and you have people watching videos thinking it’s ok to start charging people. Get a job as a maintenance worker at some shitty appts to get ur experience up.
Your dryer is going to love you for that. I cleaned out our vent last year and a large load of laundry seems to dry in about half the time it used to. Nice job on the video.
What I enjoy about your channel and this video is that you went into details about every little mistake that you made and how you managed to fix them. It gives people a perfect picture of what to expect and how to prevent those mistakes from happening.
Awesome!! Thanks! I really liked the fact that you didn't make it feel easy or tried to cover mistakes. You included all the hard moments and it gives a great feeling that it happens for everybody
Same comment as a few others have dropped here: Emphasizing (and not hiding) your mistakes is what makes this content more valuable than most. Even the most seasoned professionals make mistakes. Telling everyone about those mistakes doesn't diminish your skill or value. It helps us all avoid repeating some of those mistakes. Great video! Thank you
For the vinyl floor demo, vinyl needs to be installed over a smooth underlayment or any imperfections with telegraph through. That is why you had the particle board there. A floor scraper is great for removing staples without pulling them by hand with pliers! (Sorry if already answered...but too many comments to go through.)
That's not particle board, it's OSB...HUGE difference. Particle board turns to shite forever, once it gets wet a few times in any way so that's why installers stopped using it in the late 70s. Usually, I find it in older houses in carpeted bedrooms here and there. And yes, gotta love a flooring scraper!
I have been trying more DIY projects around the house but have never done any tile work. I have to tile our front entrance way and after watching several videos, yours is the one that I will watch over and over as my go to. Thanks a million for explaining everything from all the products you used, to the techniques and as well the mistakes you made. Awesome video.
Learning how things are done and how things work is never wasted time. I love this about RUclips. As a kid, I stood to the side and watched professionals do their work out of a pure, burning curiosity. Now with some of these pros making videos of their work, I can see everything that way. You can literally watch a glioblastoma or melanoma metastasis being removed from a patient's brain here on RUclips. You can also watch videos on how to braze copper tubing, how to paint, how to sew, etc. I love it so much. The day I stop feeling this curiosity and will to learn new stuff is the day I die.
Nice job, I really like that staggered pattern instead of the typical brick look. Bummer about the broken tile but you made me feel a lot better about how my jobs usually go! Keep up the great work. DC
Love this video! Your step-by-step guide on installing tile flooring for beginners is incredibly helpful. The tips on preparation and layout are particularly insightful. Thanks for making it seem achievable for first-timers like me!
To avoid having to level the subfloor you could have just started laying the tile at the high spot. Further along all you will have to do is mud the tile thicker to match on the lower spots. Ex tile guy.
This is where “buttering” the thin set mortar on the tile backs saves time versus leveling the floor via sanding. Very simple technique (former Tile Council of America lab technician).
Lots of great tips peppered in during the install process. My recommendation is to remove the base molding next time. It’s inexpensive enough and allows for an easier and neater looking install. Thanks for uploading the video.
hey a tip with the grout step; just work with an area the size of the knife youre spreading with. 1 swipe to put as much grout as you need, 2nd swipe to remove the excess & 1 space at a time. obv takes longer the larger the room, but it's the way to do it
Great job! Thanks for leaving the mistakes and giving instructions on what to do on some of them. Your video makes it ok for the project to have slight flaws and still turn out great! Thanks again
I’m getting ready to tile my hot water heater closet and this helped me a lot. Thanks for taking the time to edit and put this video together. Greatly appreciated!
I once installed a small tile backsplash at my WC sink. When I was finished I realized I'd used tile grout to stick the tiles to the wall LOL They stayed on there...I wonder if they ever fell off .... I don't live there any more
Going to tile my bathroom tomorrow. This was super helpful and I love that you straight up didn’t know everything and explained how you would have done it differently as you went. Super informative!
Best tool i have found to remove staples in wood flooring or subfloor is a pair of channel locks. You grab the staple head with the plies facing down and then rock back along the curved edge of the channel locks.
Great job I am about to start a new tile job and have not done one in 3 to 4 yrs. It was a great review and reminder. One thing I noticed is that you used Modified mortar. Last week when I was reading the instructions for the underlay, it was very explicate NOT to use modified mortar unless is was the manufactures brand. There is a really good explanation in the instructions on why to use unmodified mortar (has to due with how they cure) . Also the instructions call for taping the seams of the underlay for water proofing. Which would be important for bathrooms or laundry rooms. Just thought I would mention this as I did not see it in any comments. But loved your video especially the tile layout.
Tip: DON’T mix a full bucket. Mix a half a bucket at a time. Besides being heavy, it will probably start getting hard on you before you can use it all. Also you can usually get away with using thin set without additives. Just powder and water is good. Edit: pretty good, especially for your first try!
Muhammad Farhan Brohan the mortar? Once u mix a bucket u either use it or loose it. If it sits out it will harden in the bucket. You can try and put a lid on it from a painters 5gal to buy a lil more time but not much.
Dry-fitting the first row would have been fine but I wouldn't do a whole room, nor would I walk on tiles that have not been laid on mortar as anything (e.g., wood splinter) is enough to cause a tile to crack. I also measure the room accurately and decide where to put the cut tiles, ideally looking for no tile to be less than a half. With an offset pattern or running bond it doesn't always work out but you need to know where you want your whole tiles so it looks visually best. I also use circular patterns when wiping off the grout to ensure both sides of the channel are filled to the same point. Ditra also requires unmodified thinset between the membrane and the tile. I also use the Peygran tile levelling system to avoid lippage issues. Great result though, much better than the first time I laid tile.
I was reading through the comments to see if anyone else caught that Ditra requires UNMODIFIED thinset for the layer that attaches to the tiles. Glad that you pointed it out!
Who the well would thumbs down this video? It was excellent! All new homeowners and weekend warriors need to see process, success and mistakes to weigh with the consequences of not doing the right thing! Great vid
I tiled my floor recently with rectified porcelain tiles. It's easier than people think. One tip I would give when mixing in a bucket is to start the mixing just stiring your whisk for a minute until all the powder has been wetted. Then switch on the whisk to do a thorough mix. It really cuts down on the dust and splats. Maybe I missed something in the video but the spacing is unusual. Normally, you would place your first tile in the middle of the wall or place the side edge of the first tile in the middle line of the wall. But you started at the side with a short tile. It's always better to have your tiles balanced either side.
Great video. I have done enough around the house to appreciate how well you did as a first timer. Doesn’t matter how easy it seems from other pros, or RUclips videos, everyone will 100% make mistakes when start to do it yourself. But nonetheless, I think you did an excellent job there.
I found large channel locks worked best. Most pulled out easy but for the real stubborn ones, I could leverage the large head of the channel locks against the floor to pry them out.
@@majorhellrazor4054 for starters a level. Then I'd give him a second trowel to use with the flooring trowel. Towards the end I'd give him a 3/8" trowel to help with the grouting
That's the biggest issue with the condo we bought. Nice tile job, nice tile (previous owners went diagonal, which is a pain to do, throughout the entire place), but they didn't level it, or they walked on it before it cured. It's an awful DIY job, probably their 1st time laying tile.
I’m getting ready to remodel my daughter’s bathroom before she starts school and this part of the remodel is the one that’s been making me nervous. Thank you for this video this is exactly what I needed 🙏🙏🙏.
What’s great about this is that you did it so horribly but still got the job done , that it gives people like me (first timer) total confidence. Superb work
The only thing I would advise is to make smaller batches of thin set. Although you’re doing a small area already so it doesn’t really matter but it doesn’t take long for thin set to settle and thicken
Great video! We've watched this twice now and we appreciate seeing your process. Knowing that this was your first time tiling but it still turned out so nicely make this project really approachable for beginners.
Pro tip (ask me how I know) - when dry-fitting, try to avoid walking on the tiles, if a tiny rock or staple etc happens to be under the tile it will snap very easily.
This video is great. I am going to install my first tile floor soon. Watching a video of another first timer was way more helpful than hearing a professional because sometimes pros explain things in a way that is meant for people who already know what they are doing. Thanks again.
So one major problem i see as a newbie reno guy myself.. he ran the tile from the back wall. If you're butting up to a hallway floor then you want a clean factory edge of the tile to butt up to the wood or laminate hallway. Then work back. because you can cut the tile and have scratches, notches etc.. and have them hidden by the baseboard.
Check out my bathroom shower tile floor installation video for more tile how-to! ruclips.net/video/qUj4s8GSWFE/видео.html
The problem you had grouting was those sponges just have a low absorption but like all sponges the more you use them the better they get, just before they are ready for the bin is when they are 100% effective. Also using polymer glues and grouts you should use a hoop paddle not a screw type paddle, a lot of manufactures are advising that due to excess air being incorporated into compound it can potential compromise the mix color and curing times. BTW 1+ for leaving the external joint open for movement a lot of people don't.
nicko198718 the problem with the sponge is that it is a rounded sponge... it just pushes around the grout. Try using s square edge sponge and you will see a big difference. It scrapes it off the tile. 100x better!
@@mikeo6525 Yeah sort of agree but some tile/stone like tumbled trav or slate or even rough texture rounded can be good when you want to agitate the joints or divets more, just being rounded doesn't rule it out. We tend to use hydros or DTA waterboys but in my 14yr tiling experience always found cheap big box store sponges or ones designed for washing cars or windows have terrible absorption.
I would recommend reading the ditra installation specifications. It says not to use a modified thinset mortar. FYI not hating.
Paul Soul nope you are wrong.... you need to read it again. They recommend using their mortar.. schluter - all-set which is actually a modified thin set.
I like that he emphasized his mistakes so we don't replicate them. Most would not do this.
Exactly!!!!
agreed!
This is great, here’s what I did and why I did it, and it was wrong
Exactly. I learn more from mistakes than perfection. Excellent Comment!
1000 times this
We literally used this as a step by step guide for our tile project and it was so helpful (along with the product links, loved those!!) - thank you!! **Note to future folks - a different trowel is needed for under the Ditra vs the tile. He mentions this in passing, but I didn't catch it the first time, so wanted to make sure I shared!**
What trowel do you need please
Thanks. I am doing a Tiling course. I need to do my bathroom and verandah....I will save this video❤
I am a single mom and will be using your video for guidance!! I'm going to home depot tomorrow to buy the equipment and I thank you so much for this video. It was so humble and helpful! God bless you!!
I watched the entire video from start to finish twice, made several notes, and was finally feeling confident that I could adequately tile a room... Then I realised I don't even have a house! FML!
hilarious 😂
Forget everything you saw in this video and start from scratch he didn't even send her the room that's why the tile is all different sizes on both sides and those tiles are going to pop up because the mortar was too dry I've been a town Cellar for 30 years anybody got any questions I'll answer them I ain't got s*** to do a retired
mario garcia I imagine you meant “center the room”? I’m a little clueless and redoing a bathroom with only my dad’s help (plumber) but I guess it my job to figure out the tile work. Do I dry tile and measure the size of tile starting from the center of the room? And how do I mix the mortar if that was too dry?
Hena Hamzic just keep watching different RUclips videos on tile installation and you should do fine! Practice and help goes a long way 👍🏼
Lol 😂
I did this project... step by simple step. I can't thank you enough for this video. My laundry flooring is beautiful and my wife was very impressed with my work.
I bet she already left u love don’t exist
@@rustamakhumdov7373 are you ok? Who hurt you?
@@rustamakhumdov7373social reject..
Great job, @Ty Clark! That's encouraging to see someone tried his advice and succeeded! 👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾
@@rustamakhumdov7373 looks like someone got rejected
The fact that there was an endearing audience to see the dryer dust bunnies blow is just wholesome.
I'm so happy he showed that too😂😂
As a long time contractor I have to say you did a good job with the tips for homeowners. Seeing the mistakes that can happen and compound quickly will help a lot of folks. The Mapei (pronounced Ma'Pay) flex cq grout is great. 3 things. It dries aggressively so dampen the floor two rows in front of you (in small spaces) with the sponge and leave the water haze there. Apply grout to those two rows, squeegee with float as you showed (use a rubber float-foam will not remove cleanly. This is a game changer for grouting) and then wring out the sponge and begin cleaning within 5 min in a circular pattern and dressing the joints; while cleaning the sponge and wringing often. Wait five mins and wipe lightly with a barely damp sponge again. Haze is gone and no more wiping like old grout. It will dry rock hard in a day. Again, this is for the Flexcolor CQ shown in the video. This grout will stick to natural stone if it is not sealed well before application.
Typically, only factory edges of tile are placed together. Cuts go to the wall. The last tile that had too much thinset under... It is perfectly ok to scrape off that thinset, reapply and make new notches. Keeping the tile lower. It's also ok to apply some body weight to the tile to get it to go down if need be. Esp if the thinset is getting stiff or maybe mixed a little too dry. Also a single large "egg beater" type mixer is best for thinset. Spiral mixers entrain too much air in the mix which causes problems later on. Enjoy your channel and hope these tips help. Keep up the great vids and voice overs.
Yup. Just ever so lightly. No standing water just a gloss. This gives you a few extra mins to work with the grout and makes it easier to clean up. The CQ grout is an acrylic product and starts setting up in few mins after hitting the air. The manufacturer has videos to follow as well.
I did the same when putting down Fusion Pro grout. A lot of people hate it but if you follow the directions, its not that bad!
His mistake is also mixing an entire bag of mortar at once. That's overkill for a beginner! Mix half a bag or less at first, if you make any mistakes and need to re-do you wont waste the rest of the bucket. I usually mix 10-15 lbs at a time, but I'm a DIYer and lay tile slower. I'd rather toss 3-5 lbs of hardened mortar than 30 lbs.
Always backbutter your tiles, especially on large format. My tiler didnt and so many tiles were hollow or not attached and had to be redone by me after he was fired. I finished the rest the right way and its rock solid.
@@mikez4132 thanks for the helpful pro tips!
Very welcome!
As a pro tiler you would never catch me cleaning grout off a floor with a sponge and bucket of water.. Absolute waste of time. I take it you guys are from the US but in England us proper tilers use a washboy. Take notes and up your game lads
Being a DIYer myself, whilst execution is far from perfect its actually more helpful than most other videos as it shows you where to expect snags as someone who doesn't do it for a living. Great job!
Thanks!
Thank you for including your comments on what you wish you'd done differently, that's so much more helpful than watching an over-edited "perfect" job!
As a professional tiler for over 16 years this video reminds me of when I first learned my trade. Good end product but a lot of mistakes and a lot of room for improvement. BUT this guy is the kind of apprentice I would take on any day of the week. Willing to learn. Game to get stuck in, and most importantly a genuine interest in tiling. Good job mate 👍
As an aspiring apprentice. I would like to know what exactly. Besides the ones he pointed out, backbuttering and laying the transition. I honestly didn’t like the first set of cuts at the top.! But it looked good.! No use of slippage devices..? I am respectful long asking..!
What mistakes did he make that you would have pointed out? I have installed a brick-web backsplash with good results but am about to tile a bathroom floor of about the same size and a shower. Would love any pointers
Am a professional tiler and am ready to learn from you sir
If you are willing to teach me
I can show you some of my works sir
Clip/wedge system to prevent lippage. Didnt check for level or setting them level. Wrong grout sponge action, usually good to wipe in circles flat first to even out grout lines. Thinset for underlayment was way too dry. All I can think of right now
@@OtheaDND sounds good. Thank.! Agreed..!
This turned out fantastic! I love that you kept the mistakes in the video as most people who do a tiling project for the first time will most likely encounter the same problems.
Thanks, that was definitely one of the main goals for me, to make an accessible video from a beginner’s perspective.
Yes, the mistakes in the video are the main key element here. Your asking yourself why he is doing this and that and then he shows the mistakes and its a real "Ah ha" moment. Good video and thank you, please keep the mistakes in there. It really helps us all out.
@@craftedworkshop On a space this small that will see no foot traffic, back-buttering the tiles would have been overkill. Great video as always.
Thanks man!
@@plasmac9 Disagree
I love this video because you're not hiding your mistakes and that can happen to all of us. It really makes this video much more relatable and I appreciate that. Thumbs up
I appreciate how to made this film and didn’t edit out the mistakes. It makes it way more “real” and ensures I avoid making the same mistakes. Great work!
Quick grout tip: that first wipe you did with a sponge is great, but if you add a couple drops of dawn dish soap, it allows so slip across the tiles and it makes clean up much easier
Not only was this video informative, but you present these topics with a surprising wholesomeness and I definitely appreciate that! Thanks for this one!
love that you're not perfect and you do retrospective commentary. Huge fan, well done
Thanks a lot Jeremy!
I agree, A well done DIY video. Great job taking them time to point out mistakes, ( That most DIY's will make).
He’s perfect to me. ❤️
@@craftedworkshop do you also take corrections or commentary from professionals on this?
@@ChadRex1 hello sir i am tile fixer visit my channal and subscribe
Appreciate you talking about your mishaps and mistakes cause most video tutorials do not tell you things that may go wrong. I’m definitely not going to attempt to try. You got skills X
By far the best DIY video I've seen. It's real, not intimidating and not run by an experienced pro demonstrating a DIY.. Thank you
i applaud you for your 1st tiling job...we live & we learn...you did an excellent job with teaching and talking about your mishaps...that was very humble of you whereas a lot of other folk would simply make excuses...that said, i’m ready to tackle my 1st tiling job...and, because of you, i’m starting with my laundry room, lol...thanks so much!!!
Watched this some years ago, wasn’t planning on doing tile back then, fast forward a couple years and here I am doing a full bathroom renovation 😂 I needed to see the 1/4 tile overlap as I’m also using large 12x24 tiles. Good job and thanks for making this.
This video is perfect for someone who is a non professional and wants to do-it-themselves. Thanks for posting, and also sharing your mistakes. Well done!
Coming from the tile industry, I really appreciated calling out things that were done incorrectly or things you should have done differently. Tile is not easy to install, but your end product looked nice. By the way, I’m not an installer, just a manager.
"A pretty stressful moment" Having done Tiling years ago I can honestly say, I remember pretty much every moment of every job was a pretty stressful moment lol. You did a good job on that, I don't think you will ever get any trouble from it.
Johnny, I just came across your channel and love that you're willing to dive in and learn from your mistakes.
Disregard the snarkmeisters.
Thanks! Welcome aboard!
Thank you! I particularly appreciated you mentioning how you’d do something different/alter a step. Your mistakes shed light on questions I didn’t know I had for this!
This is a great project for learning a new DIY skill. The project is small, tucked away where no one will ever see it. This allows you to be confident and ok with making and learning from mistakes. As a DIYer, myself, it irritates me when people only focus on what you're doing wrong. I thought your finished product was perfectly adequate for its purpose and now you can take the learning points and critiques and do a better job on a larger project.
Saved money, learned valuable info for later, and every time he steps on that floor he'll feel pride and accomplishment as he remembers the process of installing it himself. DIY is very rewarding. The most important thing though, is knowing when to draw the line. :( Some things are just out of my realm of possibility, and that's ok. It'll sometimes cost a lot of money just to buy the tools (that I'll use once), and then I'll have to learn how to do something that will likely turn out mediocre in the end and leave me unhappy. Checking one's ego is difficult sometimes, but it's important. Sometimes it's good to just cough up the dough and hire a pro to help. I DIY every single thing that I can though, out of the desire for cost savings and a deep lack of trust in others who call themselves "professionals."
@@mannys9130 your comment is the best and it is 💯 % true. I love being able to get things done myself. But just also have to understand I cant do everything, sometimes someone has to take the wheel. 😂
Beloved i live in an area full of cowboy workmen and i have decided to do my tiling myself so glad to find your video. I have tiled before my friend showed me how to do my kitchen floor and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Man you're so professional for your first time working in this matter! Thank you so much for your video! I have all carpet in my 3 bathrooms for 18 years, since this freezing 2021 weater. I had a lots of damaged in my house because of the frozen pipes, now I don't have no choice. I have to install tile in all my bathrooms. Thank you so much for this very useful an excellent video explaining. God bless you!
So many haters! Laying tile for the first time is tough and he ended with a nice looking result. Thanks for taking the time to document your process and help others. Cheers!
So great to watch. Loved he acknowledged some missed steps but showed how to rectify them. Put me at ease as a first timer.
Most of all, keeping it real for your audience. No video bells & whistles to overshadow your tutorial.
I would recommend removing the molding and then reinstalling it once the floors laid down so the molding is over top of the tile and you don’t have to grout to the wood to fill the gap
He didnt grout to the wood to fill the gap. He used shoe molding after it was all installed. No point in pulling the base off.
The job would look alot cleaner without shoe , as small as that area is he could have undercut the base .
You wouldn’t grout along the edges anyways you never do. You caulk along the edges so the floor can actually move and the uncoupling membrane can do it’s job.
Of u leave the base...u raise the floor and makes the base smaller. Remove the base and reinstall on top of tile
@@robblack2741 You can see the gap at the bottom. Its not even a noticeable amount that he lost. No reason to create more work for yourself.
Love this video. He put in the good and kept the flaws. Very honest. The floor looked Gr8. And that Price is Right sound was Priceless. ❤️
I really enjoy how he made mistakes and said it’s not perfect. Awesome video!!
I have a handyman business and I had my first tiling job in a laundry room. I followed your video step by step and got great results. Thanks!
Brad Tanner you have a handyman business and don’t even know how to perform the work besides watching a RUclips video? Not to be rude but people like you is what gives the rest of us tradesmen bad names when we have years of experience and you have people watching videos thinking it’s ok to start charging people. Get a job as a maintenance worker at some shitty appts to get ur experience up.
Your dryer is going to love you for that. I cleaned out our vent last year and a large load of laundry seems to dry in about half the time it used to. Nice job on the video.
I thought you were going to say a load of laundry blew out the vent! 😂😂
What I enjoy about your channel and this video is that you went into details about every little mistake that you made and how you managed to fix them. It gives people a perfect picture of what to expect and how to prevent those mistakes from happening.
Thanks
I found the clarity of explaining was exceptional. I intend to watch more on this lad well done 👍
Awesome!! Thanks! I really liked the fact that you didn't make it feel easy or tried to cover mistakes. You included all the hard moments and it gives a great feeling that it happens for everybody
After watching this well-put-together teaching video, I feel like I can do my laundry room. Thank you so much for putting forth the effort to share.
Same comment as a few others have dropped here: Emphasizing (and not hiding) your mistakes is what makes this content more valuable than most. Even the most seasoned professionals make mistakes. Telling everyone about those mistakes doesn't diminish your skill or value. It helps us all avoid repeating some of those mistakes. Great video! Thank you
For the vinyl floor demo, vinyl needs to be installed over a smooth underlayment or any imperfections with telegraph through. That is why you had the particle board there. A floor scraper is great for removing staples without pulling them by hand with pliers! (Sorry if already answered...but too many comments to go through.)
That's not particle board, it's OSB...HUGE difference. Particle board turns to shite forever, once it gets wet a few times in any way so that's why installers stopped using it in the late 70s. Usually, I find it in older houses in carpeted bedrooms here and there. And yes, gotta love a flooring scraper!
Thank you, a proffesional video and professional work.
(No memes, loud sounds or distractions of no relevance for the work.)
I own a tile saw n trust me this small space can still suck.. good job bro you just showed everyone why were expensive
Thats the easiest job in the world.
I have been trying more DIY projects around the house but have never done any tile work. I have to tile our front entrance way and after watching several videos, yours is the one that I will watch over and over as my go to. Thanks a million for explaining everything from all the products you used, to the techniques and as well the mistakes you made. Awesome video.
Best tile floor video ever. Its the first time I honestly have no unanswered questions.
Great job with detailing this whole process, mistakes and all. Makes it more real for what people might encounter. Doing mine this weekend!
I like pulling the molding, it gives you a way to deal with imperfections or walls not being straight.
Thank you, you are a true DIY channel. All mistakes done are shown and explained.
Im 150% sure that i would never even do this in my life so why am i watching ??? It’s so satisfying to watch idk why lol
Learning how things are done and how things work is never wasted time. I love this about RUclips. As a kid, I stood to the side and watched professionals do their work out of a pure, burning curiosity. Now with some of these pros making videos of their work, I can see everything that way. You can literally watch a glioblastoma or melanoma metastasis being removed from a patient's brain here on RUclips. You can also watch videos on how to braze copper tubing, how to paint, how to sew, etc. I love it so much. The day I stop feeling this curiosity and will to learn new stuff is the day I die.
Nice job, I really like that staggered pattern instead of the typical brick look. Bummer about the broken tile but you made me feel a lot better about how my jobs usually go! Keep up the great work.
DC
Hah, thanks Dan! Really dig the final look, too bad it’ll be mostly covered up 😂
Love this video! Your step-by-step guide on installing tile flooring for beginners is incredibly helpful. The tips on preparation and layout are particularly insightful. Thanks for making it seem achievable for first-timers like me!
To avoid having to level the subfloor you could have just started laying the tile at the high spot. Further along all you will have to do is mud the tile thicker to match on the lower spots. Ex tile guy.
This is where “buttering” the thin set mortar on the tile backs saves time versus leveling the floor via sanding. Very simple technique (former Tile Council of America lab technician).
Lots of great tips peppered in during the install process. My recommendation is to remove the base molding next time. It’s inexpensive enough and allows for an easier and neater looking install. Thanks for uploading the video.
But how thick can you go with that technique?
@@eizzle78 thats where your level comes in, you put just enough to keep you level balanced
@@wtcashel alog y I I on j
hey a tip with the grout step; just work with an area the size of the knife youre spreading with. 1 swipe to put as much grout as you need, 2nd swipe to remove the excess & 1 space at a time. obv takes longer the larger the room, but it's the way to do it
You’re actually pretty good man. You know what you’re doing for sure. Thanks for the advice
I appreciate that! Definitely lots to learn for this first time.
I appreciate the video. It makes me feel a bit more comfortable about starting my bathrooms next week. Thanks for sharing
Great job! Thanks for leaving the mistakes and giving instructions on what to do on some of them. Your video makes it ok for the project to have slight flaws and still turn out great! Thanks again
I’m getting ready to tile my hot water heater closet and this helped me a lot. Thanks for taking the time to edit and put this video together. Greatly appreciated!
I once installed a small tile backsplash at my WC sink. When I was finished I realized I'd used tile grout to stick the tiles to the wall LOL They stayed on there...I wonder if they ever fell off .... I don't live there any more
They will eventually 🤣🤣
Should be ok, you can actually set small mosaic tile with grout so you don’t have to clean the joints as much before you grout.
@@woohunter1 yea ok buddy 👍👍👍
Grout is actually cement with added color
lmaooooo
For your first time you’ve done an amazing job, positive video with someone who obviously wants and like to learn, well done man well done 👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻
Respect to anyone, who gives this a go. The thought of it is daunting, but so rewarding when completed ✅
I just finished a small bathroom.
You did a Fine Job !!
Going to tile my bathroom tomorrow. This was super helpful and I love that you straight up didn’t know everything and explained how you would have done it differently as you went. Super informative!
Bravo man. For a beginner you did better then most so call pro tile setters videos I seen.
Best tool i have found to remove staples in wood flooring or subfloor is a pair of channel locks.
You grab the staple head with the plies facing down and then rock back along the curved edge of the channel locks.
@@jacobspringer1929 I mean for his purposes that would have worked, this is true
This is a good video for learning - learning that I need to get a professional tiler in ;)
Great job I am about to start a new tile job and have not done one in 3 to 4 yrs. It was a great review and reminder. One thing I noticed is that you used Modified mortar. Last week when I was reading the instructions for the underlay, it was very explicate NOT to use modified mortar unless is was the manufactures brand. There is a really good explanation in the instructions on why to use unmodified mortar (has to due with how they cure) . Also the instructions call for taping the seams of the underlay for water proofing. Which would be important for bathrooms or laundry rooms. Just thought I would mention this as I did not see it in any comments. But loved your video especially the tile layout.
Tip: DON’T mix a full bucket. Mix a half a bucket at a time. Besides being heavy, it will probably start getting hard on you before you can use it all. Also you can usually get away with using thin set without additives. Just powder and water is good.
Edit: pretty good, especially for your first try!
agreed, but he did just fine for his first try, the small space helped him.
No doubt seemed obvious doesn’t it
He is shilling the Lowes products
You sound experienced and I was wondering, if I have excess of it (even after only having used half a bucket) what do I do with them?
Muhammad Farhan Brohan the mortar? Once u mix a bucket u either use it or loose it. If it sits out it will harden in the bucket. You can try and put a lid on it from a painters 5gal to buy a lil more time but not much.
I watched this video while my wife re-tiled our bathroom. You guys both did a great job.
Thank you for being honest with your challenges and errors
I didn't realize untill the end he was saying "Damp", I thought he was just mad at that sponge - "Now i'll wipe them off using the damn sponge"
LOL
I want to see a video like this that gets more and more angry and profane as the project goes on-- to give it that really authentic DIY experience.
Damn damp sponge
😂😂
Lmao
I saw that my house was .1 degree off level, so I tore the whole house down. Welcome to my rebuild my home series
Nicely done. Great instructional video and you admit, which is what all us DIYers go through, you don't get your first attempts perfect!
I’ve watched a lot of DIY videos and this one is GREAT! Easy explanations, great visuals, etc. I enjoyed this video so much!
Awesome! Thank you!
Dry-fitting the first row would have been fine but I wouldn't do a whole room, nor would I walk on tiles that have not been laid on mortar as anything (e.g., wood splinter) is enough to cause a tile to crack. I also measure the room accurately and decide where to put the cut tiles, ideally looking for no tile to be less than a half. With an offset pattern or running bond it doesn't always work out but you need to know where you want your whole tiles so it looks visually best. I also use circular patterns when wiping off the grout to ensure both sides of the channel are filled to the same point.
Ditra also requires unmodified thinset between the membrane and the tile. I also use the Peygran tile levelling system to avoid lippage issues.
Great result though, much better than the first time I laid tile.
What you didn't see what the dry fitting process for the whole area for the wife to see. 👍
I was reading through the comments to see if anyone else caught that Ditra requires UNMODIFIED thinset for the layer that attaches to the tiles. Glad that you pointed it out!
Who the well would thumbs down this video? It was excellent! All new homeowners and weekend warriors need to see process, success and mistakes to weigh with the consequences of not doing the right thing! Great vid
I appreciate that!
I tiled my floor recently with rectified porcelain tiles. It's easier than people think. One tip I would give when mixing in a bucket is to start the mixing just stiring your whisk for a minute until all the powder has been wetted. Then switch on the whisk to do a thorough mix. It really cuts down on the dust and splats. Maybe I missed something in the video but the spacing is unusual. Normally, you would place your first tile in the middle of the wall or place the side edge of the first tile in the middle line of the wall. But you started at the side with a short tile. It's always better to have your tiles balanced either side.
Yeah, I didn't like the soacing he used. It looks weird.
You balance it as best you can with the layout you’re given by the customer, he liked a 6” offset so he did it how he liked it.
I really sat on the toilet and watched the whole 18 minutes and 58 seconds.. 😐
Almost 19 minutes? Wow, your bowels must be as empty as they've ever been before...
Probably needed a wet sponge to wipe when the video was done lol
@@98270360 Haha! Probably needed a couple of showers too...
What is your life dude 😅
who said I was taking a shit ? lmao
Awesome vid. Gives me the confidence to try. I like that you include your problems/hiccups along the way. Helps a guy know what to look out for!
Tip for removing all those staples... Grab em with a pair of channel locks, push toward the rounded edge and "roll" them out.
or use needle nose
Great video. I have done enough around the house to appreciate how well you did as a first timer. Doesn’t matter how easy it seems from other pros, or RUclips videos, everyone will 100% make mistakes when start to do it yourself. But nonetheless, I think you did an excellent job there.
Used the leaf blower trick. HUGE amount of lint came out. So satisfying
For anyone struggling to remove stubborn staples use end cutter pliers. They work really well.
I found large channel locks worked best. Most pulled out easy but for the real stubborn ones, I could leverage the large head of the channel locks against the floor to pry them out.
Tip: make sure all your tiles are leveled when installing
That's the most important thing to remember. He was also missing a few tools I would've used
@@TheMastergabe which tools you'd use that he's missing?
@@majorhellrazor4054 for starters a level. Then I'd give him a second trowel to use with the flooring trowel. Towards the end I'd give him a 3/8" trowel to help with the grouting
That's the biggest issue with the condo we bought. Nice tile job, nice tile (previous owners went diagonal, which is a pain to do, throughout the entire place), but they didn't level it, or they walked on it before it cured. It's an awful DIY job, probably their 1st time laying tile.
@Freedom Toast have you ever seen a level tool?
I’m getting ready to remodel my daughter’s bathroom before she starts school and this part of the remodel is the one that’s been making me nervous. Thank you for this video this is exactly what I needed 🙏🙏🙏.
"I never did this before"
He owns a tile saw.
its sponsored by lowes. he probably got to rent one for free.
Or he simply rented one
he obviously bought it for the project.
they are cheap at harbor freight, the diamond back 10" is really nice for just over 400
Made a comment.
Didn't realize it can be rented.
What’s great about this is that you did it so horribly but still got the job done , that it gives people like me (first timer) total confidence.
Superb work
Thank you for sharing your experiences as a first time tile installer. God bless you!
The only thing I would advise is to make smaller batches of thin set. Although you’re doing a small area already so it doesn’t really matter but it doesn’t take long for thin set to settle and thicken
After watching this, I might just go ahead and pay a handyman to do mine. Hey, you did a good job, pal!
Same here, why buy all the cutting tools which are not cheap and just pay someone who does.
@@Shape415 you can rent them
@@KashUsryJohnson Wished I could. But living in South America. No Homedepot nearby 😆
By far, one of the best how to videos I’ve ever seen. Thank you! 🙏🏼
This was super helpful! Thank you for showing us the process and discussing ways you would improve the project if you were to do it again
Great video! We've watched this twice now and we appreciate seeing your process. Knowing that this was your first time tiling but it still turned out so nicely make this project really approachable for beginners.
Very helpful video. It's the first I hear that thinset ridges should run perpendicular to the long edge of the tile. Thank you !
Removing the molding around the wall then installing the tile and then the molding would look nicer. Overall good job 👍
Ian Charters that’s what the quarter round is for
Pro tip (ask me how I know) - when dry-fitting, try to avoid walking on the tiles, if a tiny rock or staple etc happens to be under the tile it will snap very easily.
I noticed the same thing, I was waiting for the "I broke a tile here" comment but he was lucky.
So how would u get to the other part of the floor if u can’t walk on it
@@estheriyilw6890 pick up a tile or few so you can walk on the subfloor to get to the other side/part.
@@bryanw4582 \x\ b. ☺
@@estheriyilw6890 float
This video is great. I am going to install my first tile floor soon. Watching a video of another first timer was way more helpful than hearing a professional because sometimes pros explain things in a way that is meant for people who already know what they are doing. Thanks again.
RUclips algorithm:
wanna learn how to do tile flooring??
From someone that's never layed tile before.
I searched this, I’m 13, yeet
Clip: "Looks like you're going to be in quarantine for another 2 months. Would you like some tiles?"
@@Tysonography the fact he showed stuff ups makes all more relatable
So one major problem i see as a newbie reno guy myself.. he ran the tile from the back wall. If you're butting up to a hallway floor then you want a clean factory edge of the tile to butt up to the wood or laminate hallway. Then work back. because you can cut the tile and have scratches, notches etc.. and have them hidden by the baseboard.
Mitch Thompson yep, now you can see his transition has moved 5-6 inches and is almost out in the hallway
What are talking about Tony? The transition strip is fairly square in the doorway per visual to the jamb. What am I missing?
If it's the first time you've put a floor, it really turned out great. I was shocked. I make floors for a company and it really turned out amazing.