[heardafrog2]

Hi all, I am getting ready to do a LOT of tiling on a large remodel. I have never done any tiling and after several days of reading info online my brain is turning to mush. The answers on this forum seemed to be some of the most helpful and clear, so....any opinions on which tools and materials you like best would be great!
The job is ~1750 sf, 7 rooms-including 3 bathrooms and a kitchen backsplash. Some is over concrete and some is over plywood subfloor, all of it is over hydronic radiant heat. Almost all tiles are porcelain (a few glass accent tiles in one shower). Most tiles are 12 x 24, 2 smaller rooms are 18 x 18, and one area of 3 x 12.
Some things that I am **thinking** I want to use are the laticrete strata mat, the Mapei Flexcolor CQ grout (try it in one small room first?) I have a scoring tool and a crimper.
I looked at tile saws and was down to a Chicago Electric 10 inch from Harbor Freight and a Dewalt D24000. It sounded like maybe the HF one made better cuts, but was messier to use and had a weak pump?
Any help or thoughts on saws, mortar, grout, leveling systems, even trowels or floats would be most appreciated!! Thanks in advance :vs_worry:

 

[omgdiddy]

I am in the same boat, so rather than start a new topic, I'll post here.

Is a tile leveling system with the wedge clips necessary, or can a noobie get a nice flat floor by using a 4 foot level?

 

[Blondesense]

Is a tile leveling system with the wedge clips necessary, or can a noobie get a nice flat floor by using a 4 foot level?

A lot depends on your level of OCD as well as the size of the tile. A smaller tile is more forgiving. A larger tile seems to magnify any problems. I would definitely recommend a leveling system for 12"x 24" tiles, but my first project was 13" x 13" tiles on a bathroom floor and it looks passable.

Heardafrog2 -Sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. My suggestion - Start in the laundry room, or the least visible area. Get the hang of it, and make your noobie mistakes there.