Tile install help/advice needed ASAP

mcu

Ok guys i am ready to roll (at least I think so) floor is clean, chalklined my lines and now laid the first row without glue. What is confusing me is that I am doing an entire floor (entrance room, hall which splits to another small hall with hardwood, dinette, kitchen. Also I have a circular stairs and two doorways to living and dining room with hardwood. Since I am using the LASH system and need to meet to my other rooms, how should I be starting this? I don't think doing a "T" which is how I have tiled in the past would be such a great idea because i need everything to match and can not tile everything in one whole day. Tips/advice please? Here is a quick floor plan to give you an idea. I have 1700 ft2 and using 24x24" tiles over an existing tile. I will be using Mapei Ultraflex LFT with 1/8" grout lines

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mnp13

No idea. But wow, that's one huge house!!

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Michelle

Fixing the re-muddling one room at a time...

JetSwet

Did you just say glue for tile?! I hope not.
Tiling over tile is not a preferred method to tile and most likely will fail on you.

We're is your starting point?
Did you dry lay in the hallways?

mcu

I am using a medium bed mortar (Ultraflex LFT) as mentionned in my first post. My starting point will be in the hallway against the living/dining wall and the entrance wall. Yes I dry layed a "L" all the way from the entrance wall in the hall to the back. I have some lippage but nothing major. I am concerned though on how it will go with the rest once i start meeting the stair nosing, doorways, etc

oh'mike

1/8" grout lines with 24x24 tiles?

you are using a leveling system like Tuscan or Lash?

You must be good.

Don't use the T you are describing---never heard of that for ceramic tile,so I'm not able to help on that method.

Lay continuos rows--I work left to right,but do what is comfortable for you---

Every couple of rows --check to make sure the laid line is still straight--a big install like that can begin to grin or frown quickly---so check those tiles every couple of rows.

Spacers are a problem on floors--causing the lines to wander----

Hope the floor is flat---

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mcu

if i was that good wouldn't be asking for help...LOL

I have done installs with 12x12 and 16x16 but never this large. This worries me and also the fact that this room splits into so many different rooms and need to meet/match with the doorways and stair nosings. If it was one square room I wouldn't be so worried. The floor does have some low/high spots but mostly against the walls. I think the lowest to highest spot I mesured with the laser was 1/4"-3/8" does that really need leveling before or can just add more mortar?

JetSwet

I would say you need to make the farthest line say from door all the way through the hallway and pass that.
Now if you do a subway style then one tile will be right in the middle of the line and then 2 on each side but measure from the middle to the walls and make shore your cuts are about the same on each side or one side.

What area has old tile?
I'm sorry but I'm not convinced that thinset will work to do tile over tile, it just won't hold to the tile surface unless you scuff off the smooth surface of the existing tile.

mcu

Mapei says that it's thinset will stick on existing tile, but I scuffed the whole surface with a diamond cup wheel to remove all glaze on tile as an extra precaution for better adhesion.

Like I said I am more concerned about the tile/floor level because its such a big area split into multiple rooms than the look of the cuts (I think I have that one figured out). Would you tile a small section at a time or row by row?

JetSwet

Good as long as you took the glaze off the old tile

If I was to do it I would do the longest section then branch my way out to the existing rooms making shore my grout lines are straight.
If your bedrooms are a different hight then that will make it that more difficult to make it look like all one floor you only need a floor saddle for the bathroom.

I can tell you there will be a big difference in how it will look if you stagger your tile rather then just doing straight rows. your also working with a large size tile so the bigger the tile less room for error I think any way.

mcu

we were thinking of staggering it, but decided to go straight in case 10 years down the line we needed to remove the grout and regrout (it would be much easier in a straight install), Is stagger much easier to install or allow for much more room for error? will 1/8" or 3/16" make a big difference in allowing error?

So you would tile the entire long section or make a "T" or "L" from the beginning of the long section to the end of the house and then branch out?

bob22

Just a question: Is the floor system strong enough to prevent flex with two tile floors or is this on grade?

mcu

minimum deflection ratio I calculated is L/506 and on average over L/740

oh'mike

Your layout must be rather well thought out,to avoid as many 'impossible' cuts as possible--

Before you lay one tile--snap out a grid to be sure no tiles will have to have 'dutchmen' (a slice to allow its installation)

Leveling a 1/4 to 3/8 Inch dip should be done---thinset shrinks as it sets--makes for lousy leveling material.
Over existing tile I would use Jiffset and linewebers liquid latex for the first coat--that mix sticks well.

Soften up the lash clips in hot water before using----

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