Any tilers amongst us??!!

[Zeussy]

Hey guys, I know theres a few plasterers, and sparkies out there, but as the thread name suggests, just wondering if there is any tilers out there on J/C??!!


I will soon have the pleasure of dealing with some 'jet black' polished porcelain 400 x 400mm floor tiles, for my parents downstairs bathroom,

I got a few tips off some of our plasterers on here for the sheeting/plastering of it, (thanks guys, came up a treat, sanded it off today - borrowed my old bosses vacucm sander = best thing ever that thing!)


So basically just wondering if you can cut the porcelain tiles just like ordinary tiles, with a diamond tip disc on a grinder? or will it splinter/split/crack??? could I prevent this by taping the edge im going to cut?

And can you use diamond tip hole saws on them too? I only really need to drill two holes, one for the floor waste, out of the basin 40-50mm, and one for the toilet ballcock valve about 25-30mm...

The toilet can just be cut out, doesnt have to look pretty, gets hidden anyway! And that just leaves the floor waste, hoping I can get a clean/snug cut with the grinder! lol, hoping...


Thanks guys for taking the time to read this jibberish,
And yesss I googled it, only really came up with suppliers and such, one site said something about laser cutting them?? pfft...

[Julie]

I'm no tiler but have done plenty of home reno tiling work before, my advice for making difficult cuts is to just go to the tile shop and pay a few bucks to get it cut professionally, looks much better than you will achieve with a grinder and its usually only a couple of tiles so it won't break the bank

[Zeussy]

Ahh ok, sounds like a good idea Julie... never thought of that, its only really a couple that need the holes in them, so it couldn't be that much hey?!

Im hoping ill be able to do some straight cuts, need to do half a tile high on the walls all the way around,

Do you think a normal tile cutter would work with them??

[gopher]

i've done plenty of tiling with ceramic tiles but never worked with porcelain tiles before.
when i drill the holes in ceramic i use a diamond hole saw in a cordless drill with a hose keeping the tile wet, can't see why this wouldn't work on porcelain.
i'd imagine the porcelain would chip with a normal tile cutter but i would try cutting a tile with one anyway and see what happens (there'd be a tile somewhere with a big enough offcut to try this).
if that doesn't work you may need a wet saw or take them in and get them cut

[AirStrike]

Porcelain tiles are just ceramic tiles with a lower absorbency which means they are a lot tuffer and a bitch to drill
Use a diamond tipped drill bit as the ones to suit porcelain are very expensive, do not use a standard ceramic bit it will just get chewed out.
Best is to use a small (4.5") angle grinder with a good diamond disc if your not keen on a manual cutter, which I would recommend.

[Zeussy]

Ahh cool, that sounds like the plan AirStrike, I've got the grinder ready and waiting! I bought a disc today, (only got one, wasnt sure how fast they wear?) Thats the way I was originally thinking, smooth diamond disc, bit of water maybe?

But after reading something about laser cut, it sort of had me thinking... lol,


gopher - I've got 11.2 square meters of tiles to work with (the odd number because of the amount in the boxes) and only really need 7-8 meters, so if the diamond disc splinters it or anything ill try one on a tile cutter to see how it turns out... And I've only got two holes to drill, with the hole saws, so I might try like you said, cordless, bit of water, and take it easy through them,


And could any one reccommend a grout size for this size tile?? Im thinking that something like 1.5mm would be nice - try and keep it as smooth and flat as possible, can you go a smaller gap? like a 1mm, or do you need room for expansion or something?
And black grout? - anything special with that stuff? or just the normal gear???!!


Thanks guys and girls!! for your input/advice, turns out J/C is more than just a website to find helpful information for all your commodore needs!!!
With all this onboard I see it turning out quite nice..
Thanks again..

Josh.

[AirStrike]

Ahh cool, that sounds like the plan AirStrike, I've got the grinder ready and waiting! I bought a disc today, (only got one, wasnt sure how fast they wear?) Thats the way I was originally thinking, smooth diamond disc, bit of water maybe?

But after reading something about laser cut, it sort of had me thinking... lol,


gopher - I've got 11.2 square meters of tiles to work with (the odd number because of the amount in the boxes) and only really need 7-8 meters, so if the diamond disc splinters it or anything ill try one on a tile cutter to see how it turns out... And I've only got two holes to drill, with the hole saws, so I might try like you said, cordless, bit of water, and take it easy through them,


And could any one reccommend a grout size for this size tile?? Im thinking that something like 1.5mm would be nice - try and keep it as smooth and flat as possible, can you go a smaller gap? like a 1mm, or do you need room for expansion or something?
And black grout? - anything special with that stuff? or just the normal gear???!!


Thanks guys and girls!! for your input/advice, turns out J/C is more than just a website to find helpful information for all your commodore needs!!!
With all this onboard I see it turning out quite nice..
Thanks again..

Josh.

On a floor you can use any size space you want, personally 1.5's are too small, I would use at least a 3mm.
Black grout is no different than others except its a prick to work with getting nice and level and getting all the haze off the face of the tiles.

[Zeussy]

Mmm, too small you rekon? might be?

Its just the tiles have rectified edges (thats what the tile rep called them - square edges) and I was kinda going to go for the no grout lines look, just a smooth 'sheet' of uniform tiles, does that make sense?!
Now im unsure on the grout size.. mmmm?

And the grout haze will be a bitch, they're polished, like a mirror just about (I rekon when you walk on them it will leave footprints?!)

[AirStrike]

Mmm, too small you rekon? might be?

Its just the tiles have rectified edges (thats what the tile rep called them - square edges) and I was kinda going to go for the no grout lines look, just a smooth 'sheet' of uniform tiles, does that make sense?!
Now im unsure on the grout size.. mmmm?

And the grout haze will be a bitch, they're polished, like a mirror just about (I rekon when you walk on them it will leave footprints?!)

Grout is basically coloured sand, so get as much off as you can wet so you don't scratch the glaze.
If thats the look you are going for then yes use a smaller spacer.

[Zeussy]

Ahh ok, will do, would hate to lay them all then ruin the glaze with fine scratches..
I might do the grout carefully, try and keep it off the tiles as much as possible, just around the joins? and wipe most of it off wet, like you said..

Sweet, small grout lines, when I mentioned that to my parents they were all like "yeah that sounds nice!! sort of like one big sheet" lol,
(hope it looks the goods with the smaller lines, havent had that much experience doing fancy modern type stuff? so im basically guessing! haha)


Thanks again for your help AirStrike,

One last thing, lol! Just use normal tile adhesive for them, or do I need to get a special porcelain tile adhesive??

[slappa.]

double post VV

[slappa.]

keep the smallest joint possible (1.5mm) with rectified edges, looks shmick. just make sure your tiles are perfectly flush at the joints, otherwise it stands out really bad, ruins a good job.

They will be a real **** to cut, being like 10mm thick, get yourself a tile wet saw for the day. Much, much easier, just add a little dish washing liquid to the water (helps with cooling blade)

you wanna use a either 8mm or 12mm trowel with that size tile.

when grouting use a water spay bottle and give the joints a light spray before u start, make sure your pushing the grout right in there, moist sponge, wipe off excess, then with a 2nd clean sponge go over it again.

keep it out of the floor to wall joint and internal wall corners (run a bead of coloured flexible sealant instead, due to movement grout will crack and fall out)

btw i could be talking shit im not a tiler, only a carpenter, seems to work though. goodluck.

that's a 1.5mm joint used on my last attempt V V V V

[URL=http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00236y.jpg]

[AirStrike]

keep the smallest joint possible (1.5mm) with rectified edges, looks shmick. just make sure your tiles are perfectly flush at the joints, otherwise it stands out really bad, ruins a good job.

They will be a real **** to cut, being like 10mm thick, get yourself a tile wet saw for the day. Much, much easier, just add a little dish washing liquid to the water (helps with cooling blade)

you wanna use a either 8mm or 12mm trowel with that size tile.

when grouting use a water spay bottle and give the joints a light spray before u start, make sure your pushing the grout right in there, moist sponge, wipe off excess, then with a 2nd clean sponge go over it again.

keep it out of the floor to wall joint and internal wall corners (run a bead of coloured flexible sealant instead, due to movement grout will crack and fall out)

btw i could be talking shit im not a tiler, only a carpenter, seems to work though. goodluck.

that's a 1.5mm joint used on my last attempt V V V V

[url=http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00236y.jpg]

12mm trowel for sure and deffinetly moisten the gaps before applying grout.

[Zeussy]

Great tips there slappa, all makes sense..

Might have to look into that wet tile saw, go hire one for the day (or 2!) make it alot neater/easier, as I have quite a few straight cuts to do, for the wall, half a tile high.. and yeah they are about 10mm thick, and heavy/dense? as hell..

Ive layed them out where ill be tiling to check that the edges meet up nicely - dont stick up, theres just two little areas (each about 30cm long) that will need packing out with around 5mm of mud/tile adhesive to get them to sit nice and flat - because of the fall on the floor - its a little bathroom/toilet, with a sink, but with the 12mm trowel it should be no worries..

Nice one - the flexible sealant in the internal joints, and wall to floor joints, GOOD IDEA! dont want to have to re-grout it when it all cracks out..

And def. will do the grouting like you say, spray bottle, keep it moist, and wipe it off with 2 different sponges, get most/all of the excess of while its wet too..

And slappa don't worry, I like what your saying - its all good ideas for me, im not a tiler either, lol, im a Plant Mechanic, / plasterer / carpet layer / car mechanic / gardener / whatever needs doing around the house, lmao..


Thanks again AirStrike, and slappa, im glad I put the question out there, got some good answers.. I'll throw up a photo or two when I get it done, should be hopefully within the week, if not the weekend..

Btw, nice job on the double shower, nice inlay? the rocks in the middle, its a nice feature...

[Zeussy]

Lastly what sort of adhesive do I use for them? just the normal gear, or a special porcelain type?

And I was told only to use 200mm tiles MAX, for the fall on the floor, otherwise I couldnt get the fall we needed, I was like Pfft, that'l look shit, i'm going to use 400mm tiles, square edges, small grout lines, and it'l look better, lmao... match in with the granite bench top, and glass bowl basin we've got already...
Tile shop dude didnt like that too much.. haha,

[Zeussy]

Alrighty guys and girls... finally got around to posting up a picture of the floor, all laid, just needs to be grouted, it has black 'seal all' bathroom and kitchen stuff in the floor to wall joints, and the internals on the walls, and around the floor waste..

Its got the 1.5mm grout line, 400x400mm tiles, with half a tile high for the 'kick panel' and a nice crome dress strip around the tops of the tiles, and on the step,

Hope you like, the parents approve! lol, now on to the laundry....



Tiled step - up to existing tile floor, crome strip fitted to match the rest of the 'kick panel'


Holes drilled for the toilet valve, and basin waste, and cut around the floor waste..


I ended up buying a 50mm diamond tip hole saw, to do them, it was around $50, and that way I can do the laundry aswell, might need a smaller one for the taps but...

And I sort of did need a special adhesive, its a DAVCO floor tile adhesive, and is used for numerous different types of tiles, with porcelain included..

THANKS EVERYONE for your help and advice, im sure it made the job come out nicer in the end, all the little tips/advice make it so much easier to do the job right..

[greenfoam]

Nice job on the tiles. I helped my dad do a few of the rooms in his house, in the beginning we got a few profesionals to do stuff but they were allways short on time and made everything crooked so in the end once the house was at lockup my dad just finished the whole lot himself. Took him a couple of years of weekends but got there in the end

[MasterOfReality]

Nice job on the tiles. I helped my dad do a few of the rooms in his house, in the beginning we got a few profesionals to do stuff but they were allways short on time and made everything crooked so in the end once the house was at lockup my dad just finished the whole lot himself. Took him a couple of years of weekends but got there in the end

True that.

I helped my old man in 2 of his apartments. It takes time but you can get a result as good as a professional.

When I had a new kitchen installed in my place, I sat down at watched the guy work and he was happy to tell me all the tips and techniques he uses.

I'm actually considering tiling my house but I have over 70 square metres to do - so I might leave that to a professional.

[Zeussy]

Nice job on the tiles. I helped my dad do a few of the rooms in his house, in the beginning we got a few profesionals to do stuff but they were allways short on time and made everything crooked so in the end once the house was at lockup my dad just finished the whole lot himself. Took him a couple of years of weekends but got there in the end

True that.

I helped my old man in 2 of his apartments. It takes time but you can get a result as good as a professional.

When I had a new kitchen installed in my place, I sat down at watched the guy work and he was happy to tell me all the tips and techniques he uses.

I'm actually considering tiling my house but I have over 70 square metres to do - so I might leave that to a professional.

Thanks greenfoam, I rekon its better in the end, if you can do it yourself, it makes you feel good knowing 'you did that' sort of thing,

And yeah all it takes is time, I originally was watching the 'profressional' do the rest of the floors, getting tips off him as he went, thinking yehh I could do that,

but after around 3-4 square meters, my back was aching from working down there - cutting tiles, waterproofing etc... sometimes there are things better left to the 'professionals'!!! lol,