Unintentionally awesome domain names and tile question

[il d00d]

So, I was looking for someone to come out and do some tile work, and I found a local contractor's web site:

http://floorsexpoofhouston.com/

I think it would be physically impossible to read this as "Floors Expo Houston"

By the way, has anyone here put down travertine themselves?  Is this a good or bad material to try as your first tile project?

[Pakhan]

Sounds like a magic trick.

Floor sex 'POOF' Houston!

[rgramjet]

Polished or tumbled? 

Polished with narrow grout lines?  Go with a pro. Make sure your walls are dead on plumb.

Tumbled is much more forgiving especially since it has wider grout lines (usually) and is more irregular. 

Good Luck!

[VisceralReaction]

You can set your grout line to whatever width and color you want but the larger the tile the harder it gets.
Average DIY size is 18 inches now. Just make sure to start square and stay square. the bigger the tile the
harder it gets to do that. Biggest tile I have worked with is four foot and that's a total PITA to make look right
across a large room, much less when you fumble one and break it.

[somegirl]

Sounds like a magic trick.

Floor sex 'POOF' Houston!

Well, that's one meaning of "poof".

Get or borrow a good quality wet tile saw.
Get extra tiles.
Mix tiles from different boxes (in case there are batch differences in color).
Spend extra time prepping the subfloor and getting it as flat and level as possible before you start.

You can set your grout line to whatever width and color you want but the larger the tile the harder it gets.

Totally agreed.

[Bun-bun]

Some tips
Your substrate(floor) must be totally stable. If it's not, you will constantly be repairing cracked grout. If covering a wood subfloor, backerboard is your friend.
Scale your tile size to your room size, smaller tiles for smaller rooms. Large tiles in a small room make the room feel smaller.
Measure across the room at both ends. Divide by two and mark the midpoint at both ends. Snap a chalk line between your marks. This gives you a straight(visually, anyway) line down the middle of the room. Start your tile pattern on this line, and work outward to the walls, then cut for your walls.
Add 10% to your total tile order for cuts and breakage if your laying tile perpendicular to the walls. Add 25% if your laying tile on a 45 degree bias(Not recommended for your first job!).

Save several tiles in a storage area for future cracked tile repair.

Good luck and we want pics!

[Grampa]

www.penisland.net

[red baron]

www.penisland.net

[somegirl]

www.penisland.net

Many companies specialize in custom pens in bulk orders of 500+, but where do you go if you want just one or two customized pens for that special gift? You come to Pen Island, where we exist to make sure you get the exact pen you want, a pen that is as unique as you are.

We understand that some people don't have the time to design their own pens, and for those people we offer our pre-designed line of pens. Whether you're looking for a long and skinny pen, a thick pen, a fountain pen that squirts ink, or even a black pen, we have just the one for you.

[NAKID]

Yeah.....Thinking that whole website is a setup after what Paula posted...

[il d00d]

Some tips
Your substrate(floor) must be totally stable. If it's not, you will constantly be repairing cracked grout.

Thanks for the tips all 

I should've mentioned, the tile already down, this will be a repair job.  We had our foundation leveled, and this is some of the cleanup work.  This is 18" polished tile.  I am wondering how hard is it to take up individual tiles, replace, re-grout and have it look right?

Something else I want to undertake while I am at it: take up a 2x9 tile section, lay down a strip of 4"x4" tumbled marble tiles where the seam between the travertine was, then lay the travertine (16"x18") back down.

From what I have read, 1/16" non-sanded grout is the way to go laying them next to each other.  Any suggestions on width and material for the travertine-marble surface?

[VisceralReaction]

Thanks for the tips all 

I should've mentioned, the tile already down, this will be a repair job.  We had our foundation leveled, and this is some of the cleanup work.  This is 18" polished tile.  I am wondering how hard is it to take up individual tiles, replace, re-grout and have it look right?

Something else I want to undertake while I am at it: take up a 2x9 tile section, lay down a strip of 4"x4" tumbled marble tiles where the seam between the travertine was, then lay the travertine (16"x18") back down.

From what I have read, 1/16" non-sanded grout is the way to go laying them next to each other.  Any suggestions on width and material for the travertine-marble surface?

Well since you only have 16th grout lines you don't need sanded grout as you said.
With larger grout lines the problem is that the new grout looks new and the old looks weathered and or dirty.
You won 't notice it near as much with the small grout lines. best way to do it is get a grout removal tool or a powered
grout grinding attachment for a dremel. remove the grout, break out the tile and remove any and ALL
mortor underneath. remortor and set the new tile in place and regrout the next day.
Just use a nonsanded grout in a color you like for the limestone tiles. I seem to remember that with 18inch tiles
you'll need a 1/4in notch trowel for laying your mortor.

[JEFF_H]

www.whorepresents.com


more-> http://independentsources.com/2006/07/12/worst-company-urls/

(im no help with tile...i did do a self-adhesive vinyl in our patio room that came out nice  )