Tile cutting

In this first picture where I have my knife
pointing is where I am marking the tile.
I have the tile flipped upside down in the
same place it is going to be and I am marking
the back. Mark both sides,on the left and the right.
you can slide the tile slightly to the right and left
to see where the tile that is already in place is.



Once both sides are marked I can take a tile to
use as a straight edge and "score" the back of the
tile. Now this is VCT, Vinyl composition tile, which
is much softer than a ceramic tile. Once you score
the back, you can snap the tile and flip ti back over
and it will fit perfectly in place


Now in the bottom picture, I use another trick,
Since the cut is on an angle,I place the tile I need
to cut face up directly on top of a tile that is in place
and use my straight edge cutting tile , place it
against the wall and where it overlaps is where
I make my "score", snap it and put it in place.
the reason I use these methods is because
I don't need a clumsy tape measure slowing
the process down.


Although you can't see the tile underneath the
one I am cutting, You can see the direction of
grain. In VCT installation each tile is set in a
checker board pattern.
this technique can also be used for ceramic tile.
Just remember you are probably using spacers,
so make sure you have a couple of spacers against
the wall when you mark your tile.
Good luck.And feel free to e-mail me at
rich@allflooringinc.com

Flooring

Check all my post archives for different reviews and tips on installations.

DIY Grantite Countertops

Yes.. the granite on top should overlap the tile that is adhered to the front on the countertop.

VCT repairs

 I have a few repairs in a store today. I will be removing Vinyl Composition tile and replacing the damaged tiles. Come back to visit and see a short video.

DIY Granite tile countertops

I recently had a question relating to granite tile and counter tops. "Could granite tiles be used for a counter top instead of slab granite?" The answer is yes. The other question was ,can the tiles be butted next to each other so there is no grout line? The answer to that is no. A small amount of space is needed for expansion, even if it is a 32nd of an inch. Now, most granite tiles have a thikness of anywhere from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch, so some planning on how the layout of the tiles will be placed and what will be the design for the face ,or edge to make sure the draws will open. What I mean by this is that there is no finished edge on a piece of granite tile and to have a counter top that is only at best 1/2 inch thick is not a stable counter top, thus a stable frame should be built in place of the old counter top.
I do not suggest adhearing the granite right to the old counter top, unless you make modifications to the overhang at the front of the counter top but still I prefer to use a tile underlayment such as Durock or Hardibacker or a material made for tile installation. Plywood is not a suitable substrate.

HGTV retro kitchen design

I can not believe what I saw tonight. The retro kitchen was an unbelievable design. I would never suggest VCT in any home application. Unless you have a professional buffer and someone who knows how to maintain a floor like that, it is not a good idea. It also does not work well on a wood sub floor. Gapping in the VCT( Vinyl composition tile) occurs. I would have installed a ceramic tile floor. A much better floor in any kitchen.

Porcelain tile cutting

Can you see how I eased into the cut all the way around?

I'm sure you notived the hole in the tile, well this was a customers try at it the he came to me to help. One I showed him the technique, he had no problems finishing the cut the proper way.

If you tilt the grinder inward the tile won't chip around the edge. Porcelain is a much denser tile than ceramic, so take your time and slowly follow the mark you made far you cut. I let the weight of the grinder do the work. A new or well kept diamond grinding wheel is a must.

This is a small entry of how to cut a circle in a porcelain tile. Notice the angle in which I start the cutting proccess.

Carpeting to hardwood, tucking carpet to hardwood

 Sorry but this Blog is backwards. So start from the bottom.

This is what the finished product should look like.

When cutting the carpet ,it must be cut at best an 1/8th inch longer or overlapping the hardwood. This gives you some carpet to "tuck" in between the wood and the tack strip.

The next step is to CAREFULLY cut the carpet. There is also a tool called a carpet trimmer which is much safer but can easily cut the carpet too short if you don't cut slow.

The blue handled tool in my hand is a stair tool. It looks like a wide chisel. I am pressing it along the tackstrip and where I just bumped the carpet over the strip to secure the pins of the sytrip thru the carpet. This helps hold the carpet in place.

A knee kicker is the best way to strech the carpet over the "pins" on the tack strip. When nailing the tackstrip in place make sure the "pins" are facing towards the hardwood. This way when you bump the knee kicker the carpet streches over the pins.

Cut the padding back far enough so your lenght of tackstrip can be put in place about1/4 inc from the turn board at the door way.was in the picture.

Most hardwood installers will fold back the carpet and padding so it is out of the way for ease of installation.

This set of pictures will show you how to finish your new hardwood floor to the existing carpet. I get a few calls a month asking me to send some one out to tuck the carpet to their new hardwood. I am going to try and explain the steps taken to finish this.

Tile cutting, Cutting tile

Cutting tile made simple. Ther is an easy way to cutting tile and marking the tile to where in should be cut.