23
That week I tried to tile my own bathroom floor and learned the hard way
Last month I decided to save money and tile my small bathroom floor myself. I watched a few videos, bought a tile saw, and started on a Tuesday. By Friday, I had used over $200 in materials because my cuts were wrong and the layout was off. The worst part was the grout lines, they looked like a wavy road. I ended up calling a buddy who does this for a living to help me fix it. Has anyone else tried a big tile job and had it go sideways like that?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
murphy.mason1mo ago
That tile saw you bought is probably the biggest trap for new folks. The videos never show you the hours of practice cuts on scrap pieces you need just to get a feel for the tool. Your wavy lines happen when the tiles aren't all sitting at the exact same height, which is a prep and leveling issue the quick tutorials skip. I messed up a kitchen backsplash the same way, and the pro I called later said he spends more time getting the wall flat than actually sticking tiles up.
4
hill.margaret1mo ago
Oh man, do you still have that tile saw or did you launch it into the sun? I swear those DIY videos make it look like you just sprinkle magic dust and boom, perfect floor. Your story about the wavy grout lines is giving me flashbacks to a friend's "accent wall" that looked like a toddler went wild with a paint roller.
2
piperbailey1mo ago
Your "wavy road" grout lines remind me of an article calling that the classic DIY tile giveaway.
2