Laying travertine floors

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:48:00 GMT

Here's a great Ask Jane we just got:

I keep threatening to learn how to install travertine or tile (24 inch square) or wood floors, etc.I was left "on my own" after 33 years of marrage after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer (2004). I have always been extremely interested in and talented with my hands, tools, insanely driven to home maintenance, etc, despite the fact I USED TO BE VERY WEALTHY prior to Cancer and my husband of 33 years leaving me at the hospital. I am now on disability (due to an accidental overdose of chemotherapy during cancer treatment ). But, you would not know by looking at me or spending a minute with me. My new very limited budget, and required home repairs due to having to tear up carpet, etc, due to bacteria from prior resident allowing animals to use the carpet as a "potty"--bad effects for my immune system. I must (or am determined to) replace the carpet with hard floor coverings. I know I can do it! A big job, but I KNOW I CAN DO IT! I would so deeply appreciate any help you could provide! My preference is travertine--I know it requires much prep, etc, but I CAN DO IT!

XOXOX

Lynn W.

____________________________

Lynn,

Good for you! You most certainly can install wood floors or travertine yourself. For both, you are correct in thinking that the prep is really the biggest and most important part.

I've done travertine floors myself and here's a few tips that I have to offer. First, of course, you're going to have to pull up the carpet and the carpet tacks (a wonderbar and a dremel will be your best friends for this). Once that's up you'll probably need to treat the sub floor. If you have a plywood sub floor, then you'll need to cover it with Hardi Backer board (a cementified board that helps keep the tile from cracking if the plywood flexes). You'll need to attach this with rust proof nails (typically there are marked spots where to put these, also, it's very easy to cut, just score and snap and comes in different thicknesses). Use mesh tape and a bit of thinset (tile adhesive) over the seams to guarantee that they don't shift and cause the tile to crack.

Though if you have a fairly crack-free and levelcement floor, instead of hardi backer you'll need to put a "membrane" down before getting started. If your floor is covered with linoleum that's still well attached, it cann be your membrane. This is to prevent any cracking of the tile as a result of the cement floor cracking.

You should also check to see if the floor is truly flat or not with a 4' long level. This will help you decide if you need to level the floor before getting started (this is something you will want to do before placing the membrane or the hardi backer). If it's not, you'll need to level it before attaching any of the above items.

Once prepared, then it's time to get creative. First take a chalk line and find the exact middle of the room by snapping a line in the vertical half and then horizontal half. Once you know where the center is, lay out your tile in the pattern of how you would like it to look. The best part is the creativity you can use in creating your floor. Laying it square from side to the other, that's fine but let yourself be creative...you'll probably look at this floor every day, why not make it amazing?!?!So come up with all different ways you could lay it, you could even cut a few pieces in different sizes to create a new look. Cut 3 or 4 inch strips to make a border around the room or a square in the middle. Have fun with it. You can either rent a wet tile saw with a diamond blade or get a manual tile cutter but the wet saw is better and much more fun. Y

Once you've laid out your entire floor, then mark the back sides of each tile in a way so that you know where each tile goes exactly. Make sure you don't mark the front of the tile with a pencil or pen as it will not come off, trust me, I've learned the hard way. Then you just lay down the thinset with a trowel (you can buy this premixed or do it yourself though if you do it yourself it may be worth picking up one of those very large looking blenders to put in your drill-mixing can be a real chore.) Apply the adhesive but only in areas of 4 feet square so that you can apply the tile before it sets too much.

Once the tile has been set in the adhesive and it's sat overnight, it's time to grout. Mix your grout up to a bit lighter than a creamy peanut butter consistency. Apply it into the grout lines and wipe down any extra that may have gotten on the tile, confining it to the grout lines. One good tip is to spray down the grout with a water bottle for the first few days if you choose to make it wider. This way the grout will dry evenly and prevent the top from cracking.

Once it's fully dried (usually about one week) then you'll need to seal the tile and the grout with a sealer. The best kind that I've ever used is an oil base but it's not ideal for surfaces where there will be food, pets or children on it. I used it on a bar countertop and it was great! Any water that went on it just bubbled right up. Though the water based ones work well too.

I hope this helps. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do this yourself (including yourself!).

Please keep in touch and let us know how it turns out.

Hugs 'n hammers,

Heidi

What do I do with warped paneling...

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:18:21 GMT

Dear Jane,

I have warped paneling in my living room. Is there any way to fix this problem without tearing down the paneling? I want to spackle and paint over the paneling, but there are places where the paneling is warped so badly, that it is pushed out at least 2-3 inches from the wall.

Denise R.
Seattle, Wa

Denise,

That certainly sounds like you’ve got a real problem with your paneling. I think my first concern would be more about is there a leak behind it that is causing severe warping. Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll be able to cover over the warping with just spackle and paint.

This may actually be something that requires you to remove the paneling, which we usually advise as a last resort because typically it is opening Pandora’s box but it seems to me that you may have an even bigger problem if you don’t.

Seeing that Be Jane is truly about community, we encourage others to help Denise with her paneling issue by letting her know about similar instances that you’ve come across in your home.

-Heidi

I may be square but my walls aren't...Crown Molding Blues

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:55:37 GMT

Here's a question we got from Julie in Atlanta, GA about crown molding:

Dear Jane,

I finally took your advice from your site, got the courage up and installed my own crown molding. I had a friend come over to help though when we got done we thought we would be so proud of ourselves but we ended up with gaps everywhere! It sounds strange to say this but is it possible that my walls aren’t flat or square?

Please help.

Julie G

Atlanta, Georgia

Julie,

Good for you taking on such a hard project! Installing crown molding is one those mind bending, time consuming projects that some how makes use of every profane word you know. As for your question on whether or not your walls are square, they probably aren’t. Most homes typically don’t have square walls or flat ceilings. Though the trick of the trade that we’ve learned is:

Caulk and paint’ll make it what it ain’t

If you’ve painted your crown molding white or any other color that caulk comes in, then it will become your best friend in this project. Just make sure to use Painter’s Caulk, that way you can paint over it later. Just apply a bead of caulk anywhere you see gaps between the molding and the wall or ceiling. Then, wearing gloves, run your finger along the bead to make sure it goes flush into the opening. Then wipe off any excess with a damp rag.

While this technique may seem like a “cheaters” method, I had my very own handy man teach me this.

Let us know how it turns out.

-Heidi

Be Jane.: Ask Jane

Laying travertine floors

What do I do with warped paneling...

I may be square but my walls aren't...Crown Molding Blues