New member - new house - big projects

[daddyflip]

Hello everyone. Just found and joined the site today... looks like a really good site with great information. My wife and I just bought an 18-yr old house and have been working on it for three weeks. My upcoming tile projects are: 12" granite tile countertops in the kitchen, 13" ceramic tile floors everywhere but the bedrooms, a custom tile shower (4'x8'), and some kind of tile counters in the bathrooms.

I've been looking at saws at Sears/HD/Lowes for about a week but couldn't make up my mind. I did a granite tile countertop I was pleased with about 10 years ago on a rented saw , but have no idea what that saw was (really didn't matter, I guess). There are no places to rent where I live, so based on most everyone's "biased" opinion here, I ordered an FTS-150 and a MK 415 blade through the site today. I am very happy with the purchase, especially since I don't have to think about it anymore. I'm trusting you guys to have lead me in the right direction.

I'll use the Felker blade that comes with the saw for ceramic, and I bought the MK415 blade for the granite, hoping that this was the right decision. I bought the JB book as well.

Really - this site has helped me more in the past two hours than any other resource I've found. Thanks to all for that, and in advance for help I might need as I tackle these projects. I'm glad I could support the site with my purchases today.

[jadnashua]

Granite is softer than most porcelain tiles, so if it will cut porcelain, then it will cut the granite. The stone, since it isn't as homogenous seems to work better with a continuous rim blade. Porcelains sometimes work better with a blade that has expansion joints.

[Trask]

I like that 415 blade. One of the few I have been able to run right down to the steel. I think you'll be pleased with that saw. For the price it's awful hard to beat.

Keep us posted on how the project goes..and we love pics

Good luck.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Welcome daddyflip,
Glad you are finding the site helpful. Thanks for supporting the site by getting your new saw through us!

Drop us a first name when ya get a chance and like Trask said...keep us posted with pics!

[daddyflip]

Thanks guys - the name's Field (like baseball field), by the way. I'm in Hamburg, Arkansas which is about as far southeast as you can be in the state.

I have a question about the granite tile countertop I'm about to do. Should the rearmost tile of the countertop be butted up against the wall, then the bottom tile of the backsplash rest on this tile? Or should the bottom backsplash tile rest on the substrate, then the rearmost countertop tile butt up against this tile? I am OmniGripin' to existing laminate. My tile cuts and grout lines will work out better if I can install the backsplash first then butt the countertop tiles up to the backsplash - backspacing 1/8" for grout, of course. Thanks!

[bbcamp]

If it makes your layout easier, set the backsplash first, leaving a 1/8" gap between the tile and the countertop. Caulk the joint between the countertop tile and the backsplash tile.

What's under the laminate? Plywood or, (gasp!) particleboard?

[daddyflip]

I searched the forum and found two older threads that didn't satisfy my question. Finished a countertop and half of backsplash with a relatively light colored 12x12 granite tile using white OmniGrip. Overnight, the tiles turned very dark (darker than when they were wet on the saw) and they have stayed that way for 72 hours. Is this normal? Will the original color come back? I'm assuming the moisture from the OG has to make its way through the tile. My wife is about to have a fit! Thanks!

[jadnashua]

My guess is that it will take as much as 2-weeks for that stuff to dry, if then. What surface is this attached to? If it was waterproofed, it could take much longer than that. It needs to be set on something that will allow the moisture to escape. Dont' seal the tile until the color is back to "normal". The stuff stays soft in a bucket for probably a year or more because it has a waterproof lid and bucket. It will take a long time to dry out under those large format tile.

Even using thinset, I've had stuff color because of the moisture in thinset for nearly that long, but then, it doesn't re-emulsify if it gets wet.

[cx]

Welcome, Field. Go up to the UserCP and put that first name in a signature line for us, wouldja?

I combined your thread with your first one. As you can see, there is already confusion and duplication on accounta Jim (jadnashua) couldn't see that you installed your natural stone tile over plastic laminate with your mastic.

Injineer Bob was tryin' to get more information outa you back there, but got no response. He was tryin' to save ya, he was.

Bad situation. We never ever woulda let you set that stone with that mastic, especially on that laminate top. Chances are Jim's estimate of drying time is very optomistic now that we know the substrate.

Your wife's gonna be a lot more upset before we get all done here, I'm afraid.

Pretty good marriage so far, is it?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[daddyflip]

Well, the guy I bought the tile from said I could OmniGrip right on top of our existing LAMINATE countertops, so that's what I did. I guess the benefit is that the base is waterproof, but the moisture has to escape through the granite. I'll wait as long as it takes.

Uh.. CX? How did you know it was me? That's kinda spooky that you knew about my original thread and could pull a Frankenstein! I like it better and will keep this thread running.

For future reference, what should I have done IF I wanted to keep the laminate top? I still have a butler's pantry and utility counter to do that is laminate. My island has one layer of BC plywood on it, but I think I should CBU this and add brackets under the bar overhang. Am I on the right track? Thanks!

[daddyflip]

Wife just read responses. Yeah, it's a good marriage... not gonna let a little rock & glue mess that up. But need a better method for the rest of the project. Thanks!

[bbcamp]

Field, most laminate countertops are built on a particleboard base. Particleboard is not a good idea under tile, since it will swell when it gets wet. The plastic laminate will protect the PB for the most part, but there are always seams and joints where water can get through.

If the laminate was installed over plywood, then you'd have no worries about swelling. You'd still have to use a thinset that will stick well to the plastic. Some of the really high dollar modified thinsets could work, but you'd have a better chance of success if you install a layer of 1/4" thick backerboard first.

When you consider how much higher the backerboard and tile makes your countertops, you may decide that building a new countertop with plywood and a membrane is a better idea.

[daddyflip]

Thanks bb. I did start from scratch on the island; right now it has a sheet of 3/4" BC plywood. The bar overhang flexes too much, so I was going to go with 1/4" CBU and brackets underneath. I figure the CBU will add anti-flexing support that a membrane won't (?). As for the other 'tops, they were built with 3/4" BC underlayment and I've already started on them with tile. The problem is the darkening of the tile, which I guess I'll just have to wait out. Wonder if I point my 500W work lights at the top if it will dry faster?

[cx]

The island with the overhang needs more plywood, Field. Another layer of 3/4-inch, preferably glued and screwed to the first. This I can tell you without even looking. And my cyber-vision also says you have likely oriented the existing plywood in the wrong direction.

How much overhang we talkin' here?

You got any pichers of the work in progress? We like pichers.

The quarter-inch CBU will add precious little to the rigidity of the surface. Indeed, it's benefit in that respect will be almost wholy theoretical. More wood.

My opinion; worth price charged.

Click on any user name and you'll see a drop-down list of options. One is to see more posts by that user. That will allow you to magically find other threads belonging to that user, just as I did. Even threads that are years old.

[daddyflip]

Here are a couple-a pichers of what's going on... a before and during. The overhang is about a foot (where the curves are in the laminate). I thought about putting the laminate top back on and adding a layer of BC ply. Then I would make filler pieces to make the curves into corners (under the BC ply). I want it to be right, so I will start over if someone gives me the right advice.

See my work progress here... at the ImageCave!