Last weekend, on one of our local radio stations, a well known DIY-advocate encouraged homeowners to simply purchase a $150 tile-saw in order to cut their own porcelain tile and lay it themselves. We've spent 30 years in the tile and stone trade, and here's why we think the average home owner would benefit from a professional.
1. Assuming that you aren't tiling a small, perfectly square and level space, without fixtures or appliances to work around, measuring and cutting tile requires an extreme amount of accuracy and planning. If your layout is even 1/16th of an inch off, by the time you get to the other side, your room can turn out looking sloppy and completely out of square. With enough small mistakes, you won't be proud of the overall look.
2. Each type of material requires a unique type of adhesive and grout - not to mention different cutting and laying techniques that pertain to certain types of stone and tile. In our experience, even the brand of adhesive that you choose to do the job can completely sabotage your project. Remember, when you are paying an experienced worker, you are paying for the expertise they've spent years acquiring.
3. This $150 saw that is supposed to be the key to your dream kitchen may end up causing you serious problems. That is a lot of money to spend on a tool, but the type of saw that an experienced installer uses is more to the tune of 700-1000 big ones! These cheaper saws may do just fine when cutting small pieces for your home projects, but when it comes to thick stone, you need an extremely sharp and powerful instrument for precise and clean cuts.
PLEASE don't use any saw, no matter the price without getting safety instructions from a professional.
4. The cost of hiring a professional could easily be exceeded by the cost you could potentially incur if something goes wrong, or if you end up needing to buy more material to start over. A professional installer should be able to easily lay down 250 ft of tile in one day while a homeowner could take an entire day and barely cover 50 ft. It's so disappointing when we gain a customer after they've already spent hundreds of dollars on a failed DIY attempt.
We love a good DIY project, but when it comes to doing a major flooring job throughout your home, you really need to ensure that the installation is structurally-sound and actually enhances the look of your space. If you don't have tile experience and you still decide to do your own installation, we would advise that you at least pick the brain of a licensed professional installer about what materials you should buy.
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