Kitchen Floor Tiling - HELP!

8 years ago

Hi, We would like to replace our kitchen floor tile. Ideally, we'd like to replace with hardwood flooring but it would be hard to match current hardwood plus it's just more than we'd like to spend. So the plan for now is just to replace with new tile since the current tile is breaking apart. We are having trouble finding floor tiling that's 0.5mm thick (thickness of our current tile). Does anyone have any recommendations or a better solution for this?

Thanks in advance!

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PRO

Barnes Custom Builders

8 years ago

This is very bizarre, to have tile in an odd shape like that. I can't imagine spending money on new tile and install to replace this same layout/situation. My advice is to wait until you can add in the wood to match the existing, which means you'll have to refinish the existing floors. We match wood floors all the time, there is a species test that can tell you exactly what wood you have. Pricier yes, but well worth it over what is going on here.

If you HAVE to do something now, and the wood option is out, at least cut back some of the wood and make the kitchen area a rectangle.

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Comments (12)

acm
8 years ago
what makes you think that this wood would be hard to match?
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PRO
Carolina Kitchen & Bath
8 years ago
I'm with BCB. Cut back the wood to the opening, select a tile you like and use a matching transition strip to cover the joint and the unevenness.
Monica
Original Author
8 years ago
We plan to move out end of July and rent out our unit. That's why we don't want to put too much money into it. I like the idea of cutting out some wood to make it more rectangle.
PRO
Carolina Kitchen & Bath
8 years ago
Monica, right now it looks...not good. You're smart to change this.
PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
It appears you have tile installed on top of 3/4" T&G and you want to put new tile there because it's breaking! Never say you've seen it all. I can only hope I'm misinterpreting your photo. If I'm understanding the photo correctly. How have you already received 6 comments and no one pointed this out! Welcome to the Houzz advise forum.
Monica
Original Author
8 years ago
@creativetileeasternct The tile was here before we moved in. It's really old. Not sure I understand what you are saying. What do you recommend we do?
pricklypearcactus
8 years ago
Is the tile installed on top of the wood or is it flush with the adjacent wood floor? My initial thought was as Creative Tile Eastern CT said that it was on top, but looking closer it appears to be adjacent to the flooring.

It seems like you'd be far better off having more wood cut in to match the flooring both visually and functionally. I imagine the reason your tile is cracking is that it is not installed on a proper substrate. I am concerned that if you pull up the tile and try to re-tile, you will just end up with new and broken tiles. I've had great experiences with Schluter Ditra as a thin substrate and isolation membrane, but even that is 3mm thick.
Monica
Original Author
8 years ago
@pricklypearcactus Oh got it! The tile is flushed with adjacent floor so the floor is even. Thanks for your recommendation!

I'm located in NYC. Does anyone of any recommendations on who can help? Would I reach out to a handyman, carpenter, contractor, etc?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
The tile are telling you they don't work and that new tile installed in the same manner won't either. Please listen to them.

If you can't get a dead perfect floor match, make contrast your friend until you can.
Beth H. :
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
any tile you put there is going to crack because there is no suitable underlayment for it. that's what he's trying to tell you. the floor is flexing and the tile needs to be on something that won't. if you lay down a cement board or something sturdy, it's going to be higher than the wood. so don't jimmy-rig this. Do it right.

Look, it's a super small area. just get the same type of flooring and weave it in to what you have. match it as best you can. (heck, do the work yourself. it's not that difficult) Trust me, it will look 10X better than what you have. Lay a large runner over the seaming area and no one will know.
ci_lantro
8 years ago
If the tile is flush with what looks like 3/4" solid flooring, you have 3/4" to work with. I would rip out, square the area up and install sheet vinyl, build up from the subfloor with plywood of whatever thickness you need for the new flooring to be flush w/ the existing hardwood.

Lots less costly than filling in with hardwood and then needing to refinish the whole shebang so the new will (hopefully) blend with the old. Especially since this is going to be a rental.

Another thing is that the existing hardwood looks really old. Who knows how many times that it has been sanded and refinished in the past. There may not be enough meat left to withstand another sanding.