Do-It-Yourself Tile Installation Tips

One of the reasons many folks want to install ceramic tile themselves is for the cost savings. The tips below will help save you money, time, and perhaps frustration and home damage.

  • Research your flooring project before starting. If you don't understand the task fully, it can cause problems like a cost overrun, a decreased flooring lifespan, home damage, and poor installation quality. For example, ceramic tile is heavy, without ensuring your floor joists are strong enough to bear the weight it could cause the floor to sag, which may cause the tiles to crack.

  • If you are flexible in the tile color and style, check for deals on discontinued and overstocked flooring tiles. Sometimes you can luck out and pick up nice flooring at a reduced price.

  • Instead of purchasing a wet saw or tile cutter, see if one is available from a tool rental company. If you can rent the equipment it will save money over purchasing the equipment for a one-time use.

    If you can rent the equipment, install all the full-sized, uncut tiles in your project first before renting the equipment. When all the full-sized tiles are installed you can rent the equipment, then cut all the tiles you need, plus a few extras, all at once without installing them. Just lay them in place to make sure you have all the tiles you need and ensure they fit, then return the equipment. When you return you can install the cut tiles and will have saved money by renting the equipment for the shortest duration possible.

  • Low cost tile cutters can be purchased for small projects or to cut a few tiles you may have miscut, but you'll want good equipment for large projects. If you do purchase one, be sure it's large enough to cut tiles an inch larger than the tile you intend to use or you may run into problems.

  • Whenever you lay a tile floor, always purchase a fair amount of extra tiles. If you only purchase what you need now to complete the floor, you could be in trouble years from now when a tile breaks. You may not be able to buy the same style or color in the future. To avoid settling for a mismatched tile in the future, be smart now. You'll pat yourself on the back later on.