Hello, I’m in the planning stages of a small bathroom renovation. My husband and I are considering under floor heating (which I am strongly... More on old.reddit.com

I’ve laid many acres of tile , and I’ve had shitty tile from manufactures warehouses too. It’s just not relevant where you bought it .

With large format tile, any style ( planks, square or rectangle ) it’s important to check every tile for flatness right away. . It’s not uncommon in large tile to be bowed , makes it much harder to install.

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Just did my first tile job with my dad a few months ago, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would have been. One thing I'm glad I had was knee pads, being on a hard floor for 8 hours is no fun, and your knees will thank you in the end. Before you lay your first tile, plan how you will work your way through the room. Are there any odd corners that will make cutting tiles awkward? Will you be able to work your way out of the room and through the door at the end of the job? Do you have easy access to a hose or sink? Make sure your first line is square as this will carry through the rest of the tile. Also, check your subfloor for level in all directions. If your subfloor isn't level, your tile won't be level. There are different mortars that work better with different tiles, make sure you're using a mortar that's compatible with what you choose. They also have recommended spacing for the tiles too for the best aesthetic look, and you can purchase bags of spacers to put on all 4 sides of the tiles to maintain a consistent look. Use less water than you think you'll need in the mortar. You can always add a little more water if you need to, but you can't take it out if it's too wet. Watch youtube videos for how to properly use a trowel and properly set the tile. Keep at least 1 bucket of clean water nearby with a sponge to wipe any mortar off the tiles immediately with a damp sponge, one side to get the bulk up and the other to get the excess. Clean the sponge frequently. Getting dried mortar off tiles will be a pain to do. Drag a small tool (flathead screwdriver) between the gaps in the tiles so it's not sticking up at all and interfering with your grout later on. As with the sponge, clean this tool frequently. Every 2 rows or so, take a step back and make sure you're still square and that nothing looks off. Keep a large bottle of hand lotion for after you're finished. From dealing with the mortar, having your hands constantly wet and dry, and washing your tools after you're finished, your hands will definitely be dry. You could try wearing gloves while you work, but it may make it difficult to have a good feel on the tools, and you'll probably wind up with water in them anyway. Good luck! More on reddit.com

For your basement, luxury vinyl tile or planks would be an excellent choice. You might consider ceramic or porcelain wood look planks, but the cheapest it would be, with you doing the labor, would be in the $3 to $4 a square foot range. A good investment, if this is your forever house. If not, go with vinyl. More on reddit.com