Last of the flooring: Floors No More

Hallway

What's with the title you wonder: I have completed removing all the carpet from the home and replaced with laminate flooring, Yippie.  I know I am the only one celebrating.

There is already a post about how to do laminate flooring, but I thought I would add to that post with some recent photos and some added tricks to help you along the way.

First, if you don't have this app you should: Handyman Calculator.  It is available on Google App Store and is totally free. Sure you can buy the premium version, however the free version gives you so much stuff.  Whether you are doing floors or laying brick you need this tool: it calculates everything including total project price, square yards, square feet and cubic feet, and air volume. Yes, air volume for those who need HVAC calculations.   It does a lot, lot, more and you will not regret the download at all.

Second, put down the measuring tape.  That's right, you don't need a measuring tape to lay laminate, tile, nor hardwood floor.  But what you do need is a Sharpie to mark the boards.  Only use the measuring tape for hard areas that are hard to get around such as closets.  Instead of using the measure twice cut once rule, line up your next cut by laying the board next to the area to be cut and mark it.  You will have to flip the board the opposite direction, but by marking instead of measuring you will get the most accurate cuts and save you some material and frustration.

Additionally, do not throw away all the cardboard boxes from the flooring.  One or two of these will come in handy as templates for entry ways, door jambs and closet opening. By creating a template you will save yourself time, material and money.   To use the box as a template, unseal the edges (top, bottom) of the box and unfold them.  Lay the box under the door jamb and trace it onto the box using your Sharpie, then transfer that to the flooring.   Please Note: the stud  of the door frame is usually about 2 inches away from the sides doorjamb and about 3 inches in the front.  To check the space under you doorjambs use a straight ruler, not a tape measure, and mark it on the ruler.  This will help ensure you have the right depth of cut so that there will be less chance of filling gaps.

Get a Good Underlayment: do not go with the cheap roll of underlayment they will be more trouble then they are worth.  I went with an underlayment that was a little more pricey, but less the hassle. I went back to my store (Lowes) and found this easy cut underlayment that comes in 100 Sq. Ft sheets.  (39.99 pk).   The first floor (see earlier posts) I used the roll type underlayment and I quickly grew frustrated with having to weigh it down so I could cut the next piece to size and tape it down.  This goes on flat and you can cut it with scissors or a knife. Definitely worth the money.  In my pictures you will see 3M Aluminum HVAC Tape securing the underlayment.  Well the reason for this is because aluminum tape is recommended for this type underlayment I purchased.  However, when looking at the price of the tape ($10.00 for a small roll), I looked at the HVAC tape at 8.00 for a large roll, this tape will always come in handy.  You never know when you may find yourself doing some HVAC repair. 

Next ONLY REMOVE the base boards you need to remove:

I have seen and heard of people removing all the baseboards in the room before laying the floor, however, I found it easier and beneficial to only remove those that need to be removed.  These usually tend to be the front of the room and the wall the last row falls.  Why do I say this, the first row of flooring is always going to give you issues and when you are laying it down by yourself  the baseboard will give you that extra hand that you need in keeping the floor from shifting and even.  But how do you know which baseboards to remove?  Once you have decided on which direction the floor will flow (usually determined by light source) the two (3) baseboards will be easy to determine.  In addition, when laying laminate or hardwood flooring you want to ensure you leave at least 1/4" gap from the wall and the floor for expansion.  Leaving some of the baseboards down will ensure you have this safety buffer. You can tap the edges of the flooring under the lip of the baseboards to hold the flooring down, but DO NOT tap them to the base of the wall.

Speaking of Gaps: you will have some gaps around the doorjambs and closets, these are unavoidable but can be easily fixed by using caulk  or adjusting the door casing.  The latter is time consuming and can be tricky so I suggest taking a piece of the flooring with you to your local Flooring store or hardware store and see if you can match the caulk to the floor.  It may not be 100% matching off the shelf but will be close. You can also mix colors to try to get it to an exact match if you like (Art classes pay off ).

Transitions, smansitions why not go transitionless?  Transition-less floors are a thing of beauty and are not hard to accomplish.  There are only (will only be ) two transitions on this floor: bathroom entry and from tile to laminate transition.   Many say don't go transitions-less as buckling can occur but buckling in the floor is only caused by the expansion and contraction of the house or a water leak. This is why they tell

you to keep 1/4" of space from the wall and the floor.  Transition-less flooring allows the  lines of the floor to continue from one room to the next without being interrupted.  It does take some planning and I scratched my head for a moment before I solved my own problem.  See I laid the floor in the main bedroom first and ended it at the doorway before I ripped up the carpet of the hallway.  The floor is measured out so the locking side is placed toward the hallway. As you can see in the pictures there are no transitions from the closets to the hall nor the bedrooms to the hall.  The first room took some time to complete but this is where that template will come in handy.

Closets:  people complain of the doorjambs well my arch enemy was the closets. I have three closets in just the hallway alone not to mention the ones in the bedroom. Each closet was the same but yet each was challenging.  The very first one was at the right of the hallway and I had to start on the right side of the hallway as I had already finished the master bedroom floor and was doing transition-less flooring.  This one closet took me at least 2 hours to do,  UGH!!  The closet was no bigger than 3 or 4 sq. feet, but I managed to get it done and continue into the hallway. There is one good thing about lock and snap flooring, they pretty much go together in any direction as was the case with this first closet.  The closet floor actually is laid horizontally as opposed to the vertical lines in the hallway.  Again, I am no Pro if I did it over I probably would have figured out the best way to lay the boards in this closet. But I redeemed myself with the other closets in the hallway.

My last two tips for you guys is to invest in a multi-tool and glue.  Doorjamb cutters are way expensive and the handsaw trick will make your life miserable.  The multi-tools come with vibrating/rotating saw blades and make quick work of cutting the baseboards. They do cause a lot of dust so make sure you have a vacuum around which will help with the cleanup.


Why Glue? when you are doing hardwood or laminate you will eventually end up having to butt two pieces together for longer runs of flooring or for those pieces that require only 1-2 inch strips of flooring. Using glue is a process the pros use and is simple to master in order to join two pieces together (big or small).  Remove the locking trim from the edges of the boards to be joined.  If this is a fresh cut and no locking edges you can still use this method.  Using your glue, preferably wood glue, but white (school) glue works well if you don't have any wood glue around; run a bead of glue on both boards and then tap the planks in place until they are joined. Use a damp cloth to remove the excess glue.  You can see this technique on YouTube.


Only thing left to do is re-caulk the baseboards that you removed and install the 1/4 round trim around the base of the floor.  I hope these tricks will prove useful to you. there are some videos on YouTube that may explain the transition-less floor better and help you measure without a tape measure.

Ugh its a Broken Valve!!! Laundry Room Remodel

Well it happened yup the dreaded washing machine died so out it goes, but before I disconnect the machine I shut off the water to the house.  I know its not a necessary step because there are valves that can be closed, however, I didn't trust the valves as they were old.  I turned off the cold water valve pretty easily with a little force, but the hot water would not budge an inch.  I twisted it to open, still would not budge, then twisted it to close still nothing.  I added more pressure on the valve and it gave, I thought thank you Lord, and so I turned it some more and the stem broke off in my hand. It was stuck to the open position and thus couldn't turn the water back on. What a way to end a Saturday afternoon. 

There are many things I am but a plumber is not one of them.  After trying unsuccessfully to try to get a plumber to come out (earliest was Friday of the week), I decided to try it myself.  I used  enlarged the hole around the valve to try and unthread it from the pipe, unfortunately they were braised on, yes the threaded pipe was braised on.  I tried melting the solder using a propane torch. I held it on the valve for 5 minutes and using pliers (pipe wrench) tried to unseat it, but it would not budge. Only thing left to do is to cut the pipe.  

Had to make a 2' x 3' hole in the wall to access the pipes enough to remove the old valves (faucets).  What moron decided it was good to build the wall using two pieces of sheet rock?  After I sawed through both sheets of sheet rock I used my $3.95 pipe cutter to cut the pipes and used steel wool to clean the copper.  I removed the burs caused by the cut and even file the cut to make sure there are no sharp edges. 

Now the trouble starts:  I used Mueller ProLine Push Fittings (female coupler)  that I purchased from Lowes.  I purchased 4 (@ 8.57ea) just in case one or two were bad.  I also purchased a Washing Machine Box (34.95).   The push fittings are supposed to be quick and simple to use and require no glue or sweating the pipes together (this is why I purchased them as I am not good a sweating pipes).  I place the first one on the cold water line and screw in the new valve (test fitting) I then do the same to the hot water line and go outside and turn the water to check for leaks.  Well it didn't take long before I noticed that there was definitely a leak but not from the threaded valve but the push fitting that was said not to leak: FAIL!  It was not just a leak but a steady stream of water pouring from the bottom of the fitting.  So I try again seeing as how the cold water line is holding (has a small drip) compared to the hot water line.  I remove the fitting and try the next three.  I polish the pipe with the steel wool and made sure there was indeed no sharp edges that may break the seal.  All three push fittings FAILED.  

I called a guy I knew and he came over ( a simple job turns into hours) he attempted the same thing (he knew what he was doing as compared to myself)  however, the fittings all leaked. He said "well looks like we gonna have to solder them on I guess."   Solder kit 15.99 at Lowes and 12.00 at Home Depot.  I took the push fittings back to Lowes got my 32.00 back and went to Home Depot.  On the isle I saw the SharkBite push fittings.   I remembered reading online about SharkBite fitting and people using them so I decided to buy both the fittings and the solder kit.  But the guy had to leave so my brother was on his way to sweat the pipes.  He's much better at welding and soldering than I so it should be rather simple for him. 

But I wanted to try these fittings just one more time. So I got home and pushed the fittings on each line and re-tapped the threads of the valves with plumbers tape to do a test fit.  I turn the water on and Viola!!! no leaks.  So apparently the Push Fittings at Lowes (Mueller ProLine) are cheap, worthless imitations:  I guess I shouldn't say cheap at $8.57 each.  The SharkBite fittings were $5.67 each. 

Since the test fit worked and at this time its 7:45 in the evening and I am tired I undo the valves and place the washing machine box in the hole to make it semi presentable and screw everything back in place and turn the water on and check for leaks. Praise God no leaks.  So I secure the box to the wall for now until I can decide if I want to re-sheet rock the area or do a patch job.

All this because of a broken Valve.  Time+$$+Energy x Frustration = experience I guess.  But onto the next phase Tiling. 

The laundry room had linoleum tile in it and it was crumbling (another poor install job) and since we are getting new machines and have to take the old ones out I might as well get started. 

First, if you have a store called Dirt Cheap in your area check them out. They have great prices on tile and other things: you can even buy a pair of jeans for $2.00.  Yup $2.00 you just have to look through the racks of clothes - hopefully they have your size.

But they pretty much carry everything, tools, clothes, shelving, tile and flooring.  After spending 67.00 in supplies that includes a 50lbs bag of white mortar and 5 boxes of 20 x20 tile  we are all set to tile.

I still have not grouted that patio yet as the weather has been freezing lately so why not just start this and grout the other during weekend when it's supposed to be in the 70s.  I did not take a before picture of the laundry room, but trust me it was a mess.  But the tile turned out nicely.  It was a bare making the cuts for the legs of  the water heater stand, but I got that done.  The tiling of the laundry room only took two evenings a total of 8 hours.  Grouting will commence as soon as I can get the moment after work.

 

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Talk of the block: Patio Makeover:

When we moved into our house some 11 years ago we didn't think much about the backyard.  Yes we hosted bar-b-q's throughout the year and had numerous dinner parties. However, while we hosted these events we didn't pay much attention to the patio, until a few years ago.  See the previous owners  decided to paint the patio, first it was green and then a light gray.  The paint in areas started to crack and separate so every time one would step it would sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

So we decided that it must be dealt with, but that was not the main concern.  As stated in previous topics we live in Florida the Sunshine state that received an average 59.21" of rain per year, and with this rain, we noticed after each rain there stood about 3" of water in right corner of the patio.  Whomever, laid the slab of the patio did a poor job and thus the right slab of the patio developed a 25 degree slope that ended up being 1.5" below the foundation and causing the patio not to be level.  The picture above is the patio in question it is a total of 367sqft  as you can see by looking at the brick line the left of the patio is slightly below the right slab so this had to be fixed.  Standing water can cause a lot of damage even to concrete.  

Two years prior I had the wild idea of what to do with this space, why not tile it.  Sounded like a good idea, but how to accomplish this feat?  Research!  yes I asked a few friends and asked a builder and did some searching online and viola I figured out what exactly I needed.  

Material List:

Tile (16x16)

Cement

Type S Mortar

Rubber mallet

RedGard Waterproofing and Isolation Membrane

Paint rollers (2)

Backer Rods

Grout

Caulk

Float

Bull-float

Level

3/8' spacers

cement

Trowel

Sponge

Bucket

Wet tile saw

Angle grinder
Knee Pads




First Choosing Tile:
First things, first  the area to be tiled is 367SqFt. and finding the correct tile is a chore.  Since this is an outdoor uncovered patio the tile needs to be slip resistant.  The tile should also be made for outdoors,  however, you can use ceramic and porcelain tile outdoors. It is not recommended that you use these type tiles as they can crack in very cold conditions. With that being said we found a pattern of tile that we really liked the only problem was that it did not say it could be used outdoors.  The tile we choose had a slip resistant surface and a striking pattern. Since we found the tile we wanted it was just the matter of purchasing it: $375.00 on sale.


Because we had chosen a tile that was ceramic and not designated for outdoors we had to make sure that the tile would hold up under weight, stress, and external conditions.  


Prepping the Patio:

Remember I said the patio was painted by the previous owners?  It had two layers of paint plus a primer.  The paint and primer has to be removed as the top coat of paint was flaking off.  I did not want to use any harsh chemical solvents  which is costly, time consuming and dangerous to animals and children so I opted to use a pressure washer with a turbo nozzle.   Equipping the turbo nozzle to my 1900psi pressure washer made quick work of stripping off the layers of paint.  Some came off in large sections while others took many times to remove. In all it took me a day to do the entire patio. 

Leveling:

Once the patio dried out (1 day) it was time to address the leveling of the patio and mend any surface cracks.  Using a level and a string I determined that the right side of the patio was in fact level so I needed to raise the left side up to become level.  Using a the level, tape measure and chalk line, I marked the brick to where I needed to level the patio.   If you need to level a floor they do sell a self-leveling mixture that you can use to save time. 

However, I did not buy the mixture as I needed to ensure that water drained off the patio correctly.  Instead I used three 80lb bags of cement  and added more water than what  was prescribed.  The mixture needed to be more fluid to ensure that it covered the area needed. 

Starting with the lowest side I poured the concrete mixture and spread it out using a trowel  ensuring that I was the height required.   After establishing the desired (leveling) height, I made a 45 degree slope away from the house to make sure that water drained away from the house.   I brought the cement all the way to the end of the patio using a bull-float.  As the slope became thinner I mixed in  Type S mortar to feather out the end of the patio.

 

Tip: if you don't have a bull-float you can rent one from Home Depot for 4 hours at about $13.50 total.

There was no need to slope the right side of the patio just yet, I can do this later  when creating the mortar bed for the tile.

Expansion Joints:

Expansion joints are essential in slabs that are more than 16'. The joints allow the concrete to expand and contract, absorb vibration and allow movement due to ground settlement. These joints minimize any cracking that may occur during ground movement. You must take note where these expansion joints exists as you do not want to cover them in cement or mortar doing so will cause your tile to crack when /if  the ground moves. 

Note: You must take these joints into consideration when laying out the design for your patio.  Use caulk to fill in these joints DO NOT USE MORTAR OR CEMENT.

Crack Membrane:

RedGard  Waterproofing & Isolation Membrane

It's important that when laying tile over a concrete slab that you fill in any cracks, divots or holes in the concrete. Mending these existing cracks now will ensure your that your tile will last longer and that the cracks will not carry through to your tile.  If you notice any large cracks in your slab you will need asses whether these cracks have grown or remained about the same.  Cracks have  a tendency to expand and contract during the seasons, if the cracks continue to expand I suggest you look into having them fixed professionally before proceeding to tile.  You can fixe these cracks yourself, but there could be an underlying problem that is causing the cracks to expand.

To prevent cracks from carrying through to the tile, you will need to lay down a crack resistant membrane.  There are several on the market that you can choose from, I used RedGard because it was cost effective ($139.00 for 3 gallons) and after research was the best choice.  Ditra Isolation Membrane is also very good, but is expensive ($84.98 a roll) and covers only 54SqFt. per roll. 

RedGard is a liquid rubberized plastic material that can be applied either using a paint sprayer, a paint brush or paint roller.  It's drying time is about an hour and an half, but should only be applied when temperatures are about 40 degrees for 72 hours.   When it dries it will change from bright pink to a dark red as seen in the photo above.  Apply the RedGard to a thickness of .38mm for optimum protection. RedGard is great for tiling in wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and even to cover basement walls.

Once  the membrane is dry you should begin placing the mortar and tile down immediately.  If you cannot do so, cover the area in plastic or protective material to keep from damaging the membrane.  Do not wear the spiked cleats used when doing concrete as they will puncture the membrane.

Laying Tile:

Before you begin to lay the tile make sure you do a dry pattern first. This will allow you to choose how you want to lay the pattern of your tile. It will also allow you to make any adjustments and pre-cuts that are needed before you commit the tile to the patio.

It is important to use the right mortar. Since this is an outdoor patio you will need to use Type S mortar formulated to be used in outdoor environments. Mix the mortar according to the ratio on the bag and apply to the patio and back of tile.  

Depending on the area you are tiling this will not be completed within a day so do not rush. If you are unable to finish the area remove any excess mortar using a damp sponge and clean water.  In case of inclement weather cover with plastic to protect the mortar bed.   Again, this will take more than one day to accomplish depending on the area of tile to be covered.

Once the tile is down please remain off the tile until it sets (3 days).

Because of the are of the patio I wanted to cover left a slight lip from the old slab to the new tile I laid additional mortar at the edges to prevent tripping.  In these pictures you will notice the two half walls.  I did not want to leave these walls as they existed so I decided to tile them.  This presented a slight challenge as whomever constructed the walls left them free-standing anchored with tie bolts.  These needed to be removed (cut) prior to tiling.  Also on the far wall (left) is an outlet which power is ran under a wooden plank secured to the wall by these tie bolts. 

Using and angle grinder and cutoff wheel I cut the tie bolts flus with the block. I also carved out a notch in the top of the block to house the Molex wire that provides power to the outlet.  Make sure you turn off the power before attempting.

Tiling Walls:

You will also notice in the above picture the same person that built the wall incorrectly built the right wall and cut off the facing blocks leaving it hollow only covered up by a board also anchored with the tie bolts and a few nails.   These boards had to be removed in order to tile the walls. Again using the cutoff wheel on the angle grinder I removed these bolts (two at the top on in the facing block).  

half walls tiled and facing covered and repaired

 Since the wall on the left  has an open face I had to build a footing to support the first face tile.  I did this by using a scrap piece of wood that was square and poured mortar  into the open bottom face.  Once is hardened I wet the edges of the block wall and the prepared the mortar, however, this time I used a little more water than needed to make it a little stickier than when laying the tiles.  I applied tile to the outer edges of the cut blocks and also to the back of the tile.  I placed the tile and tapped it in securely with the rubber mallet. I then attached the second face tile repeating the same as the first. I then rigged a support for the facing tile using scrap wood.   I left an open tile on the top of the wall and proceeded to mix another bucket of mortar and poured the mortar into the opening thus filling up the hollow cavity.  The wall is now repaired and ready to be grouted along with the patio.  I had left over mortar so I took the liberty of finishing feathering out the edge of the patio with the mortar that was left over again this prevents a trip hazard.   I chose this picture as you can see the shed from the last project in the corner, but also it was a good angle showing the entire patio before it is grouted.

Grouting:
Grouting is the easiest part of tiling, though the hardest part is trying to match the color grout with the tile, but after you found the color it is pretty simple.   To save a step I suggest you purchase an additive that will both seal and protect the grout.  The additive is used in place of water, however, if you need to you can add more cold potable water into the mix without affecting the protection.  When grouting outside please make sure you follow the manufacturer's directions.  Do not grout when temperatures will be below 40 degrees or if you are expecting lots of rainfall in the area.  Tile should not be walked on for at least 3 days and it should not freeze for at least 10 days.


Enjoy your new patio!!!!


Now onto the next phase....