New house! New Projects!

[VW_Freak]

We'll it's been a while since i last posted but I'm back! My wife and I are buying a house in Dayton OH and with that comes a slew of new projects one of them being new kitchen tile. So on to the questions.... What is the best way to break up tile over concrete slab?

Yummmm 6 inch pink/beige goodness



I have a hammer drill with a 3-inch blade that i used to bust up a broken tile but that would be very time consuming for the whole kitchen.

Off topic: Anyone here ever refinished 5/16th solid wood floors before? Can i or do i have to replace them (they don't match the trim cherry wood floors and medium oak throughout the house)


Thanks
Nick and V

[TileArt1]

Hi Nick,

Whattsa matter with that tile?

The easiest way would be with an air chisel. You can rent one at Homer's for a reasonable price. I think that would be the quickest way to go and less effort as well.

Sorry, can't help you out on the wood.

[VW_Freak]

Thanks I will go check out the HD and see what they have. We should close on the house here real soon. I will let you know how it comes.

[ih8caulk]

Here's what's really funny..........

Your "before" pics could be somebody else's "after" pics.

(Imagine a avocado-green tile on the floor, or a 1960's linoleum, or some tan berber carpet that got so trashed, it turned grey)

"What's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken the vase if i hadn't said anything?"

[VW_Freak]

Update Oct 09

So after about 5 days worth off work we are here:
1 Day cabinet demo/remove everything fro the kitchen
1 Day chipping tile
2 Days trying to rent a tool to scrap off all the thinset
1 Day chipping/grinding all the thinset after i read here to buy a Bosch 7in with a diamond cup disc



The tools resting well after a day of hard work! And don't let those HF chipping hammers fool you at 60 bucks a piece they were awesome!


All the tile and cabinets are in the garage just waiting. Hopefully we will have all the tile set buy Monday night!

Quick question: What is the rule with diagonal tiles? Does it make a space look bigger/smaller? Would it look good in a long rectangle kitchen?

[Deckert]

I think the diagonals look great in a room like that. You're on the right track in that photo--> lay a bunch out and see how you and your wife like the looks of it.

[VW_Freak]

Q: So what do you do with a 1000$ vacuum when you buy a house that has no carpet?



A: What any reasonable man would do, use it as a shop vac! This is the wife prepping the floor with a Kirby. The Lowe's 30$ special just doesn't suck enough.

[VW_Freak]

Quick question:
We are starting to lay tile the line that I am most concerned about is the transition from kitchen to the family room as seen in the pic above. I have started from the center of the room and laid out some tile to get a rough idea it looks like i will be left with some small pieces. Is it ok to start laying fro this line and work my way to the other side of the room?

The rest of the room has cabinets or small wall space and i really don't care if i have some small ones near the cabinets, i think this line is the most important.

Thanks!

[tileguynky]

It is fine to start at the transition. I like to start this way, people are more likely to notice the transition from one room to another.

[VW_Freak]

Murphy's law is in full affect/effect (I never can get those right). We just moved in like 2 months ago and I still have not unpacked the garage. So this morning I couldn't find my chalk line so i hit the HD for one. Then when i got back home I realized i only had a 1/4 trowel i couldn't find the other one. So back to the HD for 1/2 trowels. Now we are getting set up and i was setting my tile saw (MK 101) up to cut the 18inch tiles and i realized i can't cut then on a diagonal!!!!!! After my other tool renting experiences i refuse to rent anything else so we are now switching to an off set pattern oye!

[opiethetileman]

VW freak what kind of wood is that on the staircase. It looks very very yummy from here kinda like pecan. yes you can refinish it dont have to replace it. I like stairs with wood threads and with white risers. or you could kick it up a notch and tile the risers..


btw what kinda of vw freak are ya. I have had a few sand rails have to try and get a pic of the last one

[Rob The Glass Man]

Now we are getting set up and i was setting my tile saw (MK 101) up to cut the 18inch tiles and i realized i can't cut then on a diagonal!!!!!!

HORSEFEATHERS! You can cut 18" diagonal with an MK-101, you just have to be creative. This technique works, I have done both 16" and 18" on a MK-101. I opted for the single cut down the middle and it worked for me. Make sure you read the entire thread! Good luck!

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/...ad.php?t=28371

[VW_Freak]

We decided not to do the edges until tomorrow because it was getting late and i didn't want to annoy the new neighbors. Either way the tile should be done tomorrow and maybe we'll start grouting tomorrow night after dinner.

And a preview of the new cabinets (had to put this one up before tiling because there is only a 1/2 space between the top and the the ceiling


Sidenote: we were talking about concrete counter tops. Anyone had good luck with them?

opiethetileman: I currently only have an Mk4 1.8t Golf (that is on loan to the brother in-law) but have also had a 74 super beetle and an R32. Now i would say i am more of a BMW freak maybe i should change my name.

[opiethetileman]

hahaaa. are you guys snapping lines while doing the tile?? doesnt look it. also why not put the cuts in as you go makes life alot easier. Yes i have done concrete counter tops. there is I do belive the largest distrubitor here in jacksonville florida for it. If you search it on the web i think it pulls up as the first link. good and bad things. If you spend the time and money and get the kits it does come out nice. The neat thing with crete tops is you can put glass in them and wet polish them out and make a top that looks like travertine. I think without looking it all up again its all about the concrete that is used for psi strength. I did a large top in a sports bar.

[VW_Freak]

also why not put the cuts in as you go makes life alot easier.

we stopped doing the edges last night because it was around 8ish before we set our first tile (everything that could go wrong yesterday did) so we didn't want to have the saw going that late on a Sunday night.