Foyer Tile Installation, Part 1: Planning and Subfloor
Veteran tilesetter Tom Meehan mixes modern materials and time-tested techniques to install a durable floor in a high-traffic room.
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Tiling an entry is one of those jobs that everyone thinks they can do because all of the tools an materials are available at the local home center. It is a doable job, but if you expect that tile installation to last, you need to know what materials to buy and how to install them correctly. And for that, we brought in Tom Meehan, a 40-year veteran tilesetter. Tom starts this project by inspecting the subfloor to see if it’s stiff enough, installing a decoupling membrane to prevent cracking, and planning the tile layout to get the best looking floor possible.
Read the companion article:
Project House: High-Traffic Tile Floor
For video of Tom Meehan laying down a bathroom tile floor, click here.
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Disagree that the front door tiles are a "highly visible" location. When one looks down a hall toward the front door, the tile in the foyer that meets the hardwood in the hall is the "visible location". Said another way, the tile in the foyer that meets the marble or wood threshold of the doorway in this video, is much more visible. Leave the cut tile by the door, as long as it's greater than half a tile. (If the cut tile is less than half a tile, then my rule goes out the window, and both ends of the tiled area will have cut tiles.) When a person enters the front door, they do not look immediately down at the tile by their feet. They look down the hallway and see the cut tiles in the distance. There's also usually a mat at the front door that partially hides the cut tiles.
Watched the second video and wanted to add that it's always a tough decision where to put the cut tiles. Think about how you view the tile when you enter the space from each direction.
It wasn't mentioned in the video but by slightly enlarging or reducing the grout joints, one can often end up with complete or nearly complete tiles at some part of the installation. ..Those extra 16ths add up in a run of tiles.