any tile guys or fellow DIY'ers out there!!

[aldochina]

well if you know me, then you know i like to try to do things myself! even if i have no idea what i am doing:lol: i gutted this bathroom when my wife was pregnant, and on my case, figured it would quite her down for awhile!! it did, that was oh, about 2 1/2 years ago:lol: sat gutted for most of that time. got the tub installed this summer, and was gonna have someone tile it for me, done. Well the diy'er got the best of me, so i started reading about tile and everything that goes with it!! I read ALOT!! i probably spent a whole night just reading about thinset!! never imagined the amount of work it is!! especially when alone, and only have time for an hr here, 2 hrs there!! I spend more time cleaning tools and buckets than tiling! I am happy with the way its turning out. i could go on all day with the trials and tribulations of this project, but i wont bore you with that, lets just say i have learned a ton, and should have started with something alittle less ambitious, but thats just not me! I think i am on the home stretch now!!
floor had a significant dip in it, lots of time and effort to get it flat and ready for tile! which included a detour to the basement to frame up a few walls underneath!:lol: should have all the tile installed by sunday!! (i hope)
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv103/aldochina/DSCN1174.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv103/aldochina/DSCN1241.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv103/aldochina/DSCN1257.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv103/aldochina/DSCN1258.jpg

[Flyingw]

Very nice so far. Tiling isnt hard but it is hard on the knees. Be sure to grout the entire room at one time. It doesnt take long. Close the door and let it cure for a couple of days. It doesnt fully cure for 5-7 days so be careful.

[atc007]

Very nice Rory!! Heated floor,,nice setup,, That looks gorgeous to me,,love the payout!! Great work man. The satisfaction of DIY is one that nothing else can match..I just finished a 432 sq ft room addition,knocked out half of the existing wall.. Turned out really nice. But I'm NO tile guy! Currently doing old pine kitchen flooring and countertops.. I told you I was copying you Mickey!!

[aldochina]

have heavy 1/16th grout joints on the surround, so going with unsanded. the floor is supposed to be an 1/8, but the cheap rubber spacers seem to come out narrower! i have sanded grout for the floor, but not sure if i should switch it for unsanded also?? Not sure if i could do it all in one shot. i figured doing the shower one day, and the floor the next maybe!
there is no play in the toilet drain, and the finished floor would have wound up 3/4 above the fange, and i didnt want double rings, so i cut it off, as it was glued on the out side. the new flange goes on the inside, and just slides in with a rubber seal. lose a bit of diameter for those large ones, but better than the way it would have been.
Since i had to build up close to 1/4" across most of the floor to get it flat, why not put it inthe heat mat, which is about an 1/8. Just gonna wire it to a switch under the vanity to pop on at your convienience!
had a hell of a time laying the mosaic strips, first few were a disaster, thinset everywhere!! the floor is proving to be difficult as i found some of the 12x12's to vary a heavy1/8 " not easy to keep an 1/8 inch joint straight!! If i shave them i have found that if i hit the edge with a piece of 80 grit an kerf it over its almost impossible to tell it from factory!! Problem is i set up a jig and nipped the corners off 2 full boxes, then mixed them all up. Atleast its not very big!

[Jason125m]

I've done 100's of tile floors, I have to say, nice Job... Not very many people will take on tile if they have never done it. And the people that do, usually put it down crooked as hell, and it annoys me looking at it. Yours seems nice and straight, excellent job. Most people are also normally scared of laying on a 45. For grouting grab yourself a good grout float and a high quality sponge. Don't let the grout harden 100 % on the tile or you will regret it... before you grout make sure there is no mud (thinset.. ) built up in the edges, clean it all with a knife.

I'm unsure what you mean with your toilet flange, what we normally do in this situation is buy a double tall wax ring.... available at most home improvement stores, and longer bolts ( usually included in the kit )

If you have any questions, just ask! I'm sure there is tons of other tile guys on the forums too...

Now that i look again it looks like you took your toilet flange right off, so now I understand... Haha. Usually we tile around it and just buy what i said above.

Again, Nice job.

[WisconsinJohn]

Stick with the sanded grout, it's stronger.

[just ben]

Stick with the sanded grout, it's stronger.not that it is stronger but it doesnt shrink as much as unsanded, that why 1/16th is the max with it. nice job aldo,the last do it yourself tile job I seen they started with a staggered pattern and mid way decided to line up the joints lol.