Yeah very useful. Mainers love chainsaws.

Yeah, out here on the west coast too.

Although I have to say in the interest of safety, those guys should have hearing protection.

I worked as a carpet fitter for about a year and a half. Fucking horrible work. Go to Home Depot and find a Mexican, any Mexican. I guarantee he'll know somebody that lays carpet. Pay him.

I'll still kick in a small room, but anything bigger than maybe 10x12 I'll pay someone else to ruin their back and knees. I put new carpet into a rental unit, it was about 900 sq ft total so I wasn't about to do it. Had a Mexican guy helping with general labor, he knew a guy who knew a guy. Got the whole place done in a reasonable commercial grade for $1500. Cheapest estimate I got from anyone else was $2500.

Mexicans rule. Just pay cash, don't ask where the carpet came from, and don't expect a receipt.

Boyle wrote:The most important thing about DIY home improvement is that you spend as much money doing it and repairing it and buying one-off tools as you would have to hire a good contractor to do it right the first time.

Tile saw: $40
Tile snips: $10
Grout float: $6
Trowel: $10
Tiles: $600 (on clearance- 22 cases of 18ft2 each)
Saw blades: $65
Thinset: $100
Grout: $30

Total cost for 390ft2: $861

I left off the spacers because they were cost-negligible, and the knee pads because they'll be useful for other tasks. The bucket I decided to waste because I was too tired to rinse it out at the end of the process cost maybe $3.

I'm seeing estimates online for over $1000 for a 32ft2 bathroom floor.

Yep, I totally wasted money doing it myself.

ETA: Home Despot allowed me to take in the unused case of tiles I bought for a refund, so I didn't count that one. Also, don't be an idiot like I was and buy only the square footage you need. I lucked out, cut judiciously, and managed to use the broken tiles for piece work. But you should seriously consider buying at least 10% more tile than you calculate you'll need for the task. So let's add $60 to my total just for kicks. DIY was $921 for 390ft2 versus over $1000 for a space a tenth as big.

Hey SS, did you rent the tile saw? Is it a wet saw? I picked up a decent Rigid 8 inch overhead wet saw for $75 at a pawn shop, they're around 300 new. Cheaper than renting multiple times if you're doing more tile work, and you can sell when you're finally finished.

Hardest part of floor tile is getting the mastic evenly spread so the tiles sit level. Takes practice and the right sized notched trowel, but once you get it down it's fast work. I use a 6 foot piece of good quality 2x10 to check the level across multiple rows and lay the mastic on a bit thick. Easier to clean up any excess that oozes out than pull up a tile to add more if it's sitting low. A heavy rubber mallet helps. It's very satisfying work.

Edit: that assumes your subfloor is level. If not that can be a bitch on wheels.

laklak wrote:Hey SS, did you rent the tile saw? Is it a wet saw? I picked up a decent Rigid 8 inch overhead wet saw for $75 at a pawn shop, they're around 300 new. Cheaper than renting multiple times if you're doing more tile work, and you can sell when you're finally finished.

I purchased mine on sale. It's got a shitty little ripping fence that only accommodates 6" so I had to do most of my cuts freehand as they're 18" tiles. Also, I suspect I had to do things with tile snips that most people could manage with a better saw. But it's a wet saw and I got surprisingly good at cutting straight lines freehand.

Hardest part of floor tile is getting the mastic evenly spread so the tiles sit level. Takes practice and the right sized notched trowel, but once you get it down it's fast work. I use a 6 foot piece of good quality 2x12 to check the level across multiple rows and lay the mastic on a bit thick. Easier to clean up any excess that oozes out than pull up a tile to add more if it's sitting low. A heavy rubber mallet helps. It's very satisfying work.

I'm waiting to see if any of the tiles wind up coming up, because I suspect I did a less-than-stellar job researching how to lay tile and I didn't do any leveling. I just pressed them down into the thinset until they made little fart noises and moved on. Lots of satisfying fart noises, though. Do they fart better with a mallet? I'll have to try that when I do the bathrooms.

Yeah they fart nicely when you use the mallet. If its sitting a bit high you can tap it down. Easy easy, though, they will crack, particularly large tiles. It's worth the extra time to make sure it's level, unless you are completely lacking in anything remotely resembling OCD. After a few weeks of walking on it and feeling that 1/32 inch difference with your toes it will drive you 'round the bend and you end up tearing out tiles. That way lies madness.

laklak wrote:It's worth the extra time to make sure it's level, unless you are completely lacking in anything remotely resembling OCD. After a few weeks of walking on it and feeling that 1/32 inch difference with your toes it will drive you 'round the bend and you end up tearing out tiles. That way lies madness.

Anyway, here are pics of my tiles:







The last one is my least favorite cutting job. I had the tiles to try again, but I was feeling so rushed to get things done before moving-in day that I stuck it down and decided to live with it. Ideally I would have cut under the vertical trim and allowed the overlap to conceal my tile cuts, but I didn't have a tool for that, or the time and/or budget to buy that tool.

I've purchased the new base boards, but haven't had a chance to install them yet. They will cover many of my sins.

Looks good! Yeah, getting around door frames can be a bitch, but you're right, baseboard is your friend. In a perfect world you'd pull all the molding and baseboards first. New construction is even more fun. I'm about to start a 3 room addition on a rental house, I can't wait. Big empty space. Nobody else's half assed work to repair. New electrical! New plumbing (I love cpvc pipe)! New tile, right up to the wall! New drywall! Rooms sized to fit the tile and drywall with minimal waste! I've got a GC, because I can't legally act as my own general contractor unless it's my primary residence, but the GC is a mate and I'll be doing 90% of the work.

Are you thinking of refacing the fireplace?

Edit - with that tile flagstone or a dark slate would look really nice.

Nice job!
I have the tool for that door frame!
Should of asked, lol.
You'll notice it, but your guests won't.
I always look in horror at my work, but then have to show everyone else why it sucks.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

laklak wrote:
Are you thinking of refacing the fireplace?

I'm thinking of doing such things to that ugly piece of shit! Terrible things! But I don't know how to do any of those things without damaging the room, so it'll probably sit and rot and be in the way. We'll be either tearing out or painting over the faux-wood paneling, though. That shit's awful. The stuff in our living room will just come down because it was poorly glued over finished wall and it's easy to be rid of. The stuff in the basement may be easier to conceal than to replace.

My wife's Mormon, so she believes in being prepared for the end of the world. So we'll probably keep the fireplace. You know, just in case.

Looking good mate. Yeah, I actually cut the jamb itself to get the tile under it as well as the trim, but I do own the tool. Although any crosscut saw held up off the rough floor with a tile scrap will work. The door is gonna hide most of it anyway.

It is always a good practice to occasionally pull up a tile while setting to see what the coverage of the thin set is. It should be around 80%.

Be aware that stone requires a structure with 1/2 the allowed deflection than ceramic when you choose your materials for future wooden floors.

Tiling is hard work but I really enjoy it. Practice basic skills in the basement, then check out that website and get a bit crazy in the bathrooms upstairs. You can do some really nice stuff.

Lak, is that glued pipe, the CPVC? Do you not have PEX down there?

Refacing isn't hard, particularly if you use an engineered stone. Flat on one side but natural on the other, it's like tiling a wall. Looks like an insert, if so you could bust out the raised hearth and lay some nice stone in front. Harder to do with a traditional masonry firebox. I've hated that 70s paneling for most of my life. Rip it the fuck out! By the time you're done with more tile you'll be a troweling fool, and can do a thick stucco. Very Southwesternish.

She's right, you know, best to be prepared. I'd keep a few pigs, and lots of ammo.

@Onyx yeah, glued, like PVC but for hot water. We have PEX, but I've never used it. Doesn't it use glueless connectors? I really enjoy working with glued pipe, it's like Tinkertoys.

Onyx8 wrote:
Be aware that stone requires a structure with 1/2 the allowed deflection than ceramic when you choose your materials for future wooden floors.

Could you expand on this idea for me? I think you've assumed I know more than I actually know. Which can be flattering, but also bewildering.

Lak; Try PEX buddy, you'll never go back. Ever tried to unglue CPVC? Or rotate it after the fact? You can do both with PEX. The pipe is more flexible too and easier to cut. And you can use shark-bites on it (not so much an issue in new construction) which I don't think you can with CPVC?

ScholasticSpastic wrote:

Boyle wrote:The most important thing about DIY home improvement is that you spend as much money doing it and repairing it and buying one-off tools as you would have to hire a good contractor to do it right the first time.

Tile saw: $40
Tile snips: $10
Grout float: $6
Trowel: $10
Tiles: $600 (on clearance- 22 cases of 18ft2 each)
Saw blades: $65
Thinset: $100
Grout: $30

Total cost for 390ft2: $861

I left off the spacers because they were cost-negligible, and the knee pads because they'll be useful for other tasks. The bucket I decided to waste because I was too tired to rinse it out at the end of the process cost maybe $3.

I'm seeing estimates online for over $1000 for a 32ft2 bathroom floor.

Yep, I totally wasted money doing it myself.

ETA: Home Despot allowed me to take in the unused case of tiles I bought for a refund, so I didn't count that one. Also, don't be an idiot like I was and buy only the square footage you need. I lucked out, cut judiciously, and managed to use the broken tiles for piece work. But you should seriously consider buying at least 10% more tile than you calculate you'll need for the task. So let's add $60 to my total just for kicks. DIY was $921 for 390ft2 versus over $1000 for a space a tenth as big.

Yah, no joke it is cheaper, but I notice every little fuck up I make along the way. Then again, I like collecting tools, nice ones, so that might be more of an issue. I made my counter top from concrete, though, and saved like 2 grand even with buying every tool I needed, like a 5 inch angle grinder and all the random shit that goes into building a counter top. My fiance is just lucky we don't have room for a table saw or I'd have gotten a fuckin' Jet table saw and made the cabinets too. Which means I'd need a fancy laser level kit.

Also, +1 for PEX. PEX is love, PEX is life.

Onyx8 wrote:Lak; Try PEX buddy, you'll never go back. Ever tried to unglue CPVC? Or rotate it after the fact? You can do both with PEX. The pipe is more flexible too and easier to cut. And you can use shark-bites on it (not so much an issue in new construction) which I don't think you can with CPVC?

You can, technically, use shark-bites, but results aren't quite as solid as using PEX. I've read a few stories about shark-bites coming loose in kitchens behind cabinetry but that's probably more due to people clowning around and not using it properly. Supposed to work on copper as well.

Boyle wrote:

ScholasticSpastic wrote:

Boyle wrote:The most important thing about DIY home improvement is that you spend as much money doing it and repairing it and buying one-off tools as you would have to hire a good contractor to do it right the first time.

Tile saw: $40
Tile snips: $10
Grout float: $6
Trowel: $10
Tiles: $600 (on clearance- 22 cases of 18ft2 each)
Saw blades: $65
Thinset: $100
Grout: $30

Total cost for 390ft2: $861

I left off the spacers because they were cost-negligible, and the knee pads because they'll be useful for other tasks. The bucket I decided to waste because I was too tired to rinse it out at the end of the process cost maybe $3.

I'm seeing estimates online for over $1000 for a 32ft2 bathroom floor.

Yep, I totally wasted money doing it myself.

ETA: Home Despot allowed me to take in the unused case of tiles I bought for a refund, so I didn't count that one. Also, don't be an idiot like I was and buy only the square footage you need. I lucked out, cut judiciously, and managed to use the broken tiles for piece work. But you should seriously consider buying at least 10% more tile than you calculate you'll need for the task. So let's add $60 to my total just for kicks. DIY was $921 for 390ft2 versus over $1000 for a space a tenth as big.

Yah, no joke it is cheaper, but I notice every little fuck up I make along the way. Then again, I like collecting tools, nice ones, so that might be more of an issue. I made my counter top from concrete, though, and saved like 2 grand even with buying every tool I needed, like a 5 inch angle grinder and all the random shit that goes into building a counter top. My fiance is just lucky we don't have room for a table saw or I'd have gotten a fuckin' Jet table saw and made the cabinets too. Which means I'd need a fancy laser level kit.

Also, +1 for PEX. PEX is love, PEX is life.

Lol at PEX love, I'm right there with you.

Ooh, ooh I want to see your concrete tops, pics, pics. I've done a couple although I am a long way from expert on them.

What sort of lifespan on the PEX? I was actually considering going to copper for the new addition, cuz that shit will last a looong time. All the plumbing will be in the walls, because I'm putting in a cathedral ceiling and there won't be an attic crawlspace. I used cpvc here at my house, it's up in the attic, so any issues in future are easily addressed without tearing out the walls.