Setting Tile: Revised and Updated

I've been setting tile for over 30 years, but studying this book was still an edification. It was filled with more information than I expected, and I found it to be very interesting and helpful. I counted 283 photographs and diagrams, although some of those were multiple diagrams within one larger diagram. As an engineer and perfectionist, I reject the myth that a professional necessarily does better work than an amateur.(The correct translation of the word amateur is one who pursues any study or art out of love instead of money.) The key to excellence is to thoroughly study and understand any undertaking beforehand, and then to allow enough time to do it as well as it can be done. So there's a reason why the term do-it-yourself often connotates a hack job - that's what you get when you don't have the patience to study the right way to do a job, and instead proceed with ignorance and impatience. This book isn't intended for someone who can't understand that once adhesive has been spread with a trowel, the tiles are placed on the adhesive. If you can't figure that one out, you need a professional. If you can't find the clear diagram on page 179 that illustrates how a membrane and backer board meet at a tub edge, you need a professional. If you can't find any of the book's references to the inferiority of pre-mixed air-drying mastics (glue) compared to latex-modified thin-set mortars, or how to mix and apply them, you need a professional. Here's one short excerpt from a five-page discussion of adhesives that starts on page 38, "organic mastics are probably the most commonly used adhesives, but they're nonetheless generally inferior to other adhesives." If you're too impatient to read this 244-page book and you just want to stick some tiles on a wall, go down to your local home center and buy a big bucket of glue and some tiles and fake it like a typical do-it-yourselfer.

Doing tile right takes a bit of time and a bit of money. Most "do-it-yourself" books will give short shrift to tile laying, put in some pretty pictures and make it look easy. And they your tile will pop up or crack five years later. Tile should last decades. And sometimes it can take a lot of work to prepare a surface, and some surfaces shouldn't even be tiled at all. With that in mind, finding good information and digesting it is a must before taking any steps. Michael Byrne's book is very thurough and detailed. It'll pretty much cover almost any tiling situation. One reviewer complained that it doesn't offer enough specifics or details on certain applications. I think the issue here is that there are so many possible substrates, tile types, adhesives, etc. etc. that unless you want an unreadable 1000 page book you'll have to use a little bit of common sense. Bottom line, you'll get more specific details in this text than anywhere else. For a specific nagging question there are always online forums. Do yourself a favor, get this book and John Bridge's "Tile Your World" before doing a thing. A 15-minute Home Depot "how-to" seminar can be a dangerous thing - get real useful info instead.

In my neighborhood, as in many areas during this boom economy, it is nearly impossible to find contractors willing to do small residential jobs such as tiling a bathtub stall. For us reluctant weekend warriors, this book has been a godsend. Most tile books provide a number of layout ideas and then either gloss over the details of installation or (more often) give suggestions on how to hire a reputable and skilled contractor. Byrne instead gives detailed but undaunting descriptions of how to design, plan, build, and finish most projects. The organization is useful, the photos are perfect, and helpful hints and warnings abound.Only a couple things could improve this book. Although the book contained all the info I needed for my job, a quick outline summary for entire projects, with one-line descriptors of each task, would avoid having to continually leaf through the complete text. Also, an estimate of time required for each task would allow for better planning.

This is a great book. What I liked most about it was that the author explain in great detail HOW to tile. There are some books that merely show pretty pictures. He goes over the different types of setting, techniques, surface preparation, tools, you name it. I just completed my first tile job ... it turned out great!

Mr. Byrne has written dozens of articles in fine Homebuilding and Journal of Light Construction on Tile Setting. The Book is excellent, and walks you through the whole process from tile history, tile design, the various construction aspects of it (e.g., what you have to have underneath the tile to make a good tile job, the various setting beds (old fashioned mortar to newer cement boards), setting the tile, grouting the tile, and finally sealing the tile when necessary. For any person wanting to learn tile setting the correct professional way, this book is essential. I bought it twice, one about 8 years ago, and a second updated version this year because of some new products and resulting new techniques.