Hello everyone,
Soon we will start doing some work ourselves:
Laying tiles in the basement utility room...
Of course, we won’t rely on the expensive specialist dealer nearby (we already have enough costly materials that will eventually be billed through the general contractor).
We want to buy affordable tiles for our utility and laundry room that are still technically reliable and easy enough to install as a DIY project.
Is there anything I especially need to pay attention to when doing the work myself (easier installation or similar)?
Are tiles costing around €10/m² (about $11/m²) from a hardware store any good? After all, slip resistance, wear resistance, porcelain quality, etc., all seem comparable to our €50 bathroom tiles... So where could the difference lie?
I appreciate any advice since we will need to purchase the tiles soon and naturally want to shop in the lower price range.
Soon we will start doing some work ourselves:
Laying tiles in the basement utility room...
Of course, we won’t rely on the expensive specialist dealer nearby (we already have enough costly materials that will eventually be billed through the general contractor).
We want to buy affordable tiles for our utility and laundry room that are still technically reliable and easy enough to install as a DIY project.
Is there anything I especially need to pay attention to when doing the work myself (easier installation or similar)?
Are tiles costing around €10/m² (about $11/m²) from a hardware store any good? After all, slip resistance, wear resistance, porcelain quality, etc., all seem comparable to our €50 bathroom tiles... So where could the difference lie?
I appreciate any advice since we will need to purchase the tiles soon and naturally want to shop in the lower price range.
exto1791 schrieb:
Are 10€/m² (approximately $10.50 per sq. yd.) tiles from a hardware store any good?Yes, they can be used. We also installed them in the garage. The baseboard tiles are relatively “expensive” compared to that.
I don’t like very wide grout joints.
Tiles for the basement/heating room/entrance area and stairs were included in the “house package.”
It depends on the pattern you want to lay. If you install rectangular tiles in a random pattern, the waste is minimal (almost zero). For square tiles (not too large) in a straight joint pattern, the waste is usually around 5-10%, and for a diagonal layout, about 10-20%. Half and quarter/three-quarter patterns fall somewhere in between.
Herringbone patterns tend to produce the most waste and should ideally be done by a professional.
Herringbone patterns tend to produce the most waste and should ideally be done by a professional.
Tolentino schrieb:
It depends on the pattern you want to lay. If you do rectangular tiles in a random staggered pattern, you’ll have the least waste (almost zero). For square tiles (not too large) in a straight lay pattern, they say 5-10%, and diagonally 10-20%. Half and quarter/three-quarter bond patterns fall somewhere in between.
Herringbone is particularly challenging, and I would only recommend having a professional do that. We want to install 30cm x 60cm (12 inches x 24 inches) tiles. Straight lay or half-bond patterns are options—these are probably the most practical and straightforward methods for this size.
So, I’ll plan for about 10-15% waste and see what I can find over the weekend 🙂
Tolentino schrieb:
It’s always a good idea to have some extra tiles from a home improvement store. If you have damage in 5 years, you probably won’t be able to get the exact same tiles again. Is there a specific leveling system you are planning to use?
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