A Tile floor that looks like hardwood

I know I am always posting pictures of tile over well, mud. Here is a perfect example of the beauty of mud or should I say a wetbed floor. In my opinion the direction that tile is heading in is larger tile and of odd sizes, 12x48, 12x26,6x12 just to name a few. Now the normal stuff 8x8, 6x6, 12x12 and 13x13 could always be installed over a floor that wasn't always flat. The installer would use a trowel with a larger notch allowing them more play with the install. With the larger and longer tiles the slightest imperfection in the setting substrate would be shown in the install.









Since the homeowner decided to choose a tile that was 6x24 a flat and level floor was a must, the floor below was severely out of level and had dips and bumps in it, no way this tile could be installed over the existing floor and if it was it would have been atrocious. My only option was to mud the floor level and flat. The next day the tile was installed and the mud made it a breeze. Toward the entrance to the grage a Nu-Tone heating mat was also installed. After the tile was set the job was grouted with Customs Tobacco sanded grout. This job couldn't have turned out better, it is flat, level and straight. It will easily outlast my life span.

Mud mud mud....

Heres another job I completed around this time (February) of 09'. This job was located in Media, Pa. The house was super old but had great bones. It required mud on the walls because they were severely out of plumb. The floor also was badly out of level and required mud too. The HO choose classic tile that really complemented the room well. As far as I know the room was repainted after we finished the job. Also all the pipes were lead and slow so while we demoed the job the plumber came in and replaced everything with PVC.

A large mud floor for a great friend

Nothing excites me more then doing mud set tile jobs, especially when they are large jobs and for a friend. On this job the kitchen was tiled and there was carpet in the rest of the room. The homeowner wanted the tile and carpet removed and the entire floor redone with 13x13 on a diagonal. I decided with the condition of the sub floor that the job needed to be installed on mud. This created a flat and level surface especially when the tiles will be installed on a diagonal, there was also a huge hump in the floor and the cabinets were shimmed because the previous kitchen floor was set on mud. So it really was a no brainer to put mud back in.

Its generally a good rule of thumb when mud comes the new install should be done on mud as well. Heres a few pictures of the job from start to finish. It was around 300 sf ft of tile. The homeowner was thrilled and enjoy there new floor.