Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Around The House). This thread is read-only.
Last week my mom decided she didn’t like the tile in her kitchen anymore. Naturally, I got the nod to take up the old and lay down the new. Friday was demo day.
Here’s the old tile. It was nice tile, but it had blue and pinkish accents in it and didn’t match the direction she was going with her paint and new counter tops.
The Milwaukee 5262 got a good workout. Coupled with a Bosch Tile Removal Chisel, it made short work of the demo. I was glad to have a D-Handle SDS for this job.
Conductor Jr. pulled his weight. He probably tore out 1/3 of the old tile by himself.
He wasn’t a 1 trick pony either. He shoveled his fair share of debris and went step for step with me for 4 hours.
Conductor Jr. and I completed the demo job in about 6 hours which included getting up all the old thin set and prepping for the install the following day. Much better than busting it all up with a hammer.
Saturday was install day. I recruited my cousin to help keep the tile coming. He’d never laid any tile, so this was a training session for him. It was a good one too. 120 square feet, good square room with very few turns, mostly straight cuts, etc.
Once again I called on my Ridgid 7″ Tile saw. I really can’t say enough good things about it. It’s small and while it isn’t going to be a 1st choice of contractors who lay tile all the time, for someone like me who lays a hand full of rooms a year, it’s perfect. It’s big enough to do up to 13″x13″, the fence is accurate, setup is less than 5 minutes, and it’s versatile enough for bevel and miter cuts. Clean up is a snap, and everything fits nicely in the reservoir compartment for storage. The compact size is big enough for just about any DIY job, but small enough to tuck away on a shelf when not in use. I highly recommend it for a DIY’er.
We burnt up the old B&D Drill mixing the thin set. I hate to see it go, but it was time. I may try putting new brushes in it, but I’ll probably just scrap it. We used quick set mortar designed to adhere to the linoleum sub floor. This shit set up quick! You had about 30 minutes of working time before it started setting up in the bucket.
The first quarter of the room took the longest. Had to lay under the stove and cut out the vents. It ran quick after that though.
The finished product was great. Grout lines were straight as an arrow. The thin set I used claimed it was ready for traffic in 6 hours, but I gave it 18 just in case.
Tonight I’m grouting, tomorrow I’m painting, and Wednesday I’m putting in all the new appliances. It’s been kind of a job when I already had plenty of jobs, but hey, it is my mom.
That all looks great!! Really great to have Jr. help. The milwaukee 5262 looks like it really helped out. I am going to use my milwaukee sawzall with the scrapping blade to take my linoleum tiles off on my bathroom (I’ll do a post for the project). You are tiling and tiling and tiling. Is this going to be your new job. 🙂
Harold Wray wrote:
That all looks great!! Really great to have Jr. help. The milwaukee 5262 looks like it really helped out. I am going to use my milwaukee sawzall with the scrapping blade to take my linoleum tiles off on my bathroom (I’ll do a post for the project). You are tiling and tiling and tiling. Is this going to be your new job. 🙂
This was just a warm up for the big job ahead. I hate laying tile, not that you could tell it.
I’ve used the Sawzall scraper a time or 2. Works good. Be careful with you’re angle though, doesn’t take a whole lot to get into your sub floor. What are you laying back down on it?
That looks great conductor, Those scraper attachments for sawzalls are pretty cool, I have heard a lot of good things about that tile saw, I believe Eric and Dan have one coming up!Lol, i see you drove your tractor! To bad about the Band D, I think you need to put out $200 and get the fuel hammer drill!
Thanks for the tip. I will be putting tile on the floor after I get all the linoleum up. It’s my bathroom remodeling project. But that project may be changing into expanding the bathroom into where the closet is, then making a new closet.
The Milwaukee corded drill I just got is awesome! 🙂
Quality job Conductor! I like laying tile just about as much as you do. Lol
Man that’s a big job and you did an awesome job. Looks good. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks gentlemen. My remodel of my new house should provide some good project threads. I’ll try to get more pics next time.
@ Chase: I’ve thought long and hard about upgrading to the Fuel hammer, but here’s where I’m at on that. I’d love to have a fuel kit with some 4.0 packs, but my pre-fuel drill is only 2 1/2 years old and still looks and performs like an absolute champ. I’ve got enough money saved for my air compressor, blasting cabinet, a Hobart Handler 140 mig welder to replace my Lincoln 135 that was stolen a year or so ago, and I’ve decided to splurge and get a Hobart Airforce 250i Plasma cutter. That gives me mig and plasma capabilities up to 1/4″ which is all I’ll ever need. By the time I get all that it’ll be time to start saving for Santa’s big ride. About income tax time I should be able to start looking at the 4 piece fuel kits. Then again, I should probably wait until the warranty runs out before I go replacing my cordless stuff.
Conductor562 wrote:
Thanks gentlemen. My remodel of my new house should provide some good project threads. I’ll try to get more pics next time.
@ Chase: I’ve thought long and hard about upgrading to the Fuel hammer, but here’s where I’m at on that. I’d love to have a fuel kit with some 4.0 packs, but my pre-fuel drill is only 2 1/2 years old and still looks and performs like an absolute champ. I’ve got enough money saved for my air compressor, blasting cabinet, a Hobart Handler 140 mig welder to replace my Lincoln 135 that was stolen a year or so ago, and I’ve decided to splurge and get a Hobart Airforce 250i Plasma cutter. That gives me mig and plasma capabilities up to 1/4″ which is all I’ll ever need. By the time I get all that it’ll be time to start saving for Santa’s big ride. About income tax time I should be able to start looking at the 4 piece fuel kits. Then again, I should probably wait until the warranty runs out before I go replacing my cordless stuff.
Yeah those are some big buys! What are you wanting from Santa this year haha!
ChaseRogers wrote:
Yeah those are some big buys! What are you wanting from Santa this year haha!
Dunno yet. It’ll be something Proto or Milwaukee for sure. My parents usually go all out for Christmas.
Great job on the tilework. Looks very pro. Seems we were both working on tile around the same time. I tiled a tub surround recently. I like your choice of grout color, Dark! Many cases it ends up dark in the end so might as well start out dark.
Seems like lighter grout just ends up looking dirty. I like the Tobacco colored grout myself. I should close on my house this week so there’s lots of tile in my near future.
That’s awesome your closing on the house
Eric J wrote:
That’s awesome your closing on the house
Indeed it is. 2 months at my parents is more than enough.
Congratulations on closing on the house! Then the fun begins!
LOL, I bet it seemed longer than 2 months. In all seriousness, its great you were able to do that.
It does seem like it’s been longer. My primary function has been as a referee between my parents and my wife. She can’t handle not being the undisputed queen bee.
Lol.
Ego’s and attitudes have been rampant.
Just think, you will get all settled in your new home and everyone will come over there.
Harold Wray wrote:
Just think, you will get all settled in your new home and everyone will come over there.
Damnit Harold, don’t you wish that shit on me 😆