DIY Network

Flooring: Tile Work From "Be Your Own Contractor" episode DBYC-107

Tile samples are an essential aid for picking out the right tile flooring for your home. A trip to your local flooring store will give you plenty of ideas and options in terms of materials, styles, colors and price range.

In this segment of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor, the do-it-yourself contractors discuss tile flooring.

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Tile Flooring

• For the finished floor in his basement, Lynn Underwood opted for a Saltillo tile (figures A and B) in keeping with the Southwest flavor of his home in Vail, Arizona. This particular tile is relatively inexpensive, is easy to install and provides a beautiful finished look. It is particularly popular throughout the American Southwest.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  For his flooring installation Stanton Saucier were pleased to benefit from the knowledge and experience of his father, Edgar (figure C). The tile floor in their kitchen (figure D) was only a small part of a major renovation of the Saucier's home in Tarzana, California. In that renovation, they gutted the house exterior, raised the roof and added a major addition to their home. Edgar helped with a number of projects on this 2500-square-foot home. He had previous experience with laying tile and was actually able to complete the kitchen tiling in a single day while his son was at the office.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  Figure E

  Michael Buchtel used a variety of hardwoods in his house, but in the entryway, bedrooms and bathrooms he wanted something that was more durable. Carpet was chosen for some rooms -- such as the bedrooms -- where comfort was the main concern. For the entry, Michael wanted marble while his wife preferred a light-colored tile. They compromised with a whitish marble tile (figure E). As with his hardwood floors, Michael installed the tile himself and found the process to be challenging. He researched the process thoroughly and was well pleased by his results. He also believes that he saved at least $1000 in labor costs by installing the tile himself.
  Several of our contractors were ambitious enough to do their own tile work, despite the labor involved. Tile work does involve cutting tile using specialized tools (figure F and G), grout work (figure H) and other activities that require some skill. If you don't feel qualified or informed enough to take on the challenge of tiling, it's advisable to locate and hire a reputable subcontractor to do the work.

  Figure F

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  Die-hard and independent do-it-yourselfer Fred Samuels did his own tile installation (and just about everything else) on his home in Rockwood, Tennessee (figures I and J). He says that the tile manufacturers provide detailed instructions for installation as well as tips for installing particular types of tile. He acknowledges, however, that this job is labor-intensive and time-consuming. His advice for those that want to do the job themselves: "Get yourself a good tile-saw and a pair of rubber-cushion knee-pads. You'll be glad you did."

  Figure I

  Figure J