Kitchen Tile Opinions (updated with water damage problems)

[Axxe]

For a rental, keep it simple. Light tile with dark grout, normal straight layout. Nothing wrong with a simple and fresh floor. I personally would just put lino back on for a college frat house, unless the tile wasn't much more. Then just simple tiles. Also, don't skimp out on mortar, make sure you get one that can flex properly, you can bet your last dollar there will be shitloads of traffic and many dropped objects on it. I personally always thought intricate tile designs in an otherwise barren builder kitchen looked like lipstick on a pig. Just made the rest of the kitchen stand out that much more.

[McGyver]

So more pictures of the kitchen:







and this is the pattern that i think will look the best. basically a "rug" of 6" tiles in the center with 12" tiles around.



more vinyl will be about $1.50 per square foot. tile will be around $2.50 per square foot. so in a ~120 square foot kitchen it doesnt make sense to put down crap that will be ruined in another 5 years when the tile will last longer. i dont expect to get more rent, but since i already charge a premium, it does help to justify it.

also, i really dont like the idea of light tile. i think it will show too much dirt.

i think that darkening the color of the cabinets/drawers or replacing the doors/drawers and adding hardware will make everything but the counter tops look better than contractor grade. honestly i'm not looking to do a huge makeover, i just want something that will last for a while. since its going to be there for a while and i only have to play for supplies, why not make it sort of fancy?

[z31maniac]

Because it's going to get destroyed by people like me.

Me and my 3 roommates eventually broke the floor in a couple places in one of our rent houses, like the floor collapsed. I know the carpet had to be replaced since it was soaked with beer 50% of the time from drunk asses spilling keg beer. The walls in the "smoke hole" room started white, but were yellow by the time we left.


But you seem determined to try to spend extra money, time and effort to make something nice.

Go for it.

[McGyver]

So i ripped out all the 1/4 inch plywood that was covering the sub-floor in preparation for the Hardback concrete board. under the fridge area was worse than i thought and it looks like it spread to under the hardwood floor in the hallway. i dont want to half-ass this because it is my house. what do i need to do to fix it?









and the particle board in that area looks sorta green:


so you can see how far the mold/mildew has spread:


thanks for the help!

[Sailor37]

http://www.crystalsodablast.com/blasting-types/ice-blasting/mold-remediation

That's probably overkill, but pretty ingenious....



or treat it with tea tree oil

[bddog]

Was there mold on the 1/4 inch sub floor? You need to determine the moisture source. Is it still wet?
You probably should have left the 1/4 inch for strength.
Did you calculate the floors deflection to see if you can lay tile without it cracking?
Here is a site you should visit before going any further. www.johnbridge.com. They are very informative and the guys on the forum are pretty cool. I hang out there sometimes.
I like the large dark ones. They look more real, like the natural Travertine they are trying to copy.

[McGyver]

Was there mold on the 1/4 inch sub floor? You need to determine the moisture source. Is it still wet?
You probably should have left the 1/4 inch for strength.
Did you calculate the floors deflection to see if you can lay tile without it cracking?
Here is a site you should visit before going any further. www.johnbridge.com. They are very informative and the guys on the forum are pretty cool. I hang out there sometimes.
I like the large dark ones. They look more real, like the natural Travertine they are trying to copy.

all the water came from the fridge leaking, which i think i have fixed.

also, the 1/4" wood was just luan that was stapled down around the edges. so if i had tiled over it, it would flex and the tile/grout would crack when people walked on it. it also doesnt act as a water barrier. i am putting down 1/4" concrete board that will be a barrier for the moister and will support the tile by being screwed into the floor joists.

i just need to know if i can douse the dark areas with bleach and forget about it, or if i need to remove part of the subfloor and replace it. (assuming it is solid when it has finished drying...)

[nrubenstein]

Half bleach, half water mix. Mold rejects pure beach.

And don't do the new pattern. That's going to be both ugly AND a pain in the ass to install.

[M-technik-3]

After that some Killz to seal it up. Let the bleach do it's work don't rush it and let it dry thoroughly.

Or yank the subfloor and start new.

[Sailor37]

Bleach is not effective on porous material, like wood. It will not penetrate past the surface.

[Thizzelle]

dude you need to watch more Holmes on Homes you'll learn everthing you need to look for and how to fix it, what to do and what not to do.

but you need to see if it's mold or dry rot. If it's just water stain then wood should be fine as long as leak is fixed. Other wise rip it up and put a new piece of OSB. I would suggest just put new piece in because it's cheap for that board and will look nice, even though you don't see it.

I'm redoing my garage and I keep runing into retard work. Spend the extra time and do it right :)

[ficklerx]

A few thoughts:

1. Definitely go to the www.johnbridge.com forum and look for the deflection calculator to determine the necessary thickness of your subfloor relative to the floor joist spans. You are renting to some of the most abusive tenants out there. Repairs later will be very frustratin. Also quite a few professionals there for you to bounce these ideas off of. The group as gruff as this one.

2. Find your nearest Lowe's/HD/discount outlet and pick up the cheapest ~12" tiles you can find (usually < $1/sq ft). You will gain the durability you are looking for without breaking the bank. Afterall, this is a rental. Good enough for who it's for. And, it will look good from your house. :nice:

3. As far as the layout, consider how much help you have. There are advantages and drawbacks to each. Square/straights runs are nice but unless you are experienced, the variations in the tile and your abilities will yield tile that looks crooked. The work is quicker though with fewer cuts.

4. Running on a 45 degree angle will hide the crooked part since no one will ever walk down the grout line. However, the cutting will consume almost as much time as the laying. And, you would need a higher quality tile saw.

If you have never done it, laying tile can be a lot of work and very time consuming. The layouts can be as intricate as you like but take more time and patience. If it is your kitchen, go for it. You will reap the rewards of your labor. Since it is a rental, just get it done and enjoy the durability.

[M-technik-3]

Been down the home renovation road. Had fun doing it now looking forward to demolishing my old two car garage. Yes we lived in the house straight thru the work too.

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

McGyver,

Are you moving out of the hood? Our buddy Mike (red E46) across the street is going to be moving in two weeks out to a lame ass place in the burbs.

[McGyver]

McGyver,

Are you moving out of the hood? Our buddy Mike (red E46) across the street is going to be moving in two weeks out to a lame ass place in the burbs.

nah, i have an extra year at VCU for a Physics major, thats why i want it to be nice cuz i have to live with it.

so i never thought about matching the tile to the counter top/cabinets/carpet/wood floors, so thoughts about these?









someone here must have married an interior decorator...