Setting Tile (Fine Homebuilding) (Paperback)

by Michael Byrne (Author) "All tile was once made of pure clay from the bed of a stream or river..." (more)
Key Phrases: area being tiled, sloped subfloor, old tilework, Resource Guide, United States, Tile Council of America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Michael Byrne's Setting Tile is packed with more than enough information for those thinking of taking on a tile job in their home. It is so detailed and thorough that it serves as a Tile 101 introduction for those interested in entering the trade full-time or simply improving their skills and knowledge. Byrne opens this revised and updated version of his previous effort with a brief description of how tile was made 6,000 years ago. Granted, the history lesson may not help someone who's planning to tile a kitchen counter, but Byrne's passion and interest for the subject pay off for the reader in other ways. He advises his readers, for example, that even after they've found the right tile for the bathroom floor or kitchen counter--the one that is just the right color and that the manufacturer recommends--to take those tiles and put them through a few of their own tests. Rub it with your favorite frying pan to see how easily it's marked up and, in turn, cleaned off. Scuff it with junior's hiking boots to see how it endures a day in the life. "I tell my customers in the end that, no matter what grade of tile they select, they can be the best judge of a tile's suitability." Byrne devotes chapters to materials, tools and safety, troubleshooting and repairs, and surface preparation. And in his chapter stressing the importance of doing a proper layout long before setting that first tile, Byrne also gives the reader a few clever ways to check levels, straightedges, and carpenter's squares for accuracy. This is a highly detailed book loaded with technical information that relies equally on photos and illustrations. It's also more about materials and tile samples than completed jobs. Don't buy this book if you're looking for glossy color photos of pristine tile jobs; buy it if you want to learn how to correctly install such jobs. --John Russell

Product Description
A beautiful tile job can make a room. And now with the help of this book and new, readily available materials, you can design and install your own tile floors, walls, countertops and shower stalls. All the up-to-date information you need is right here.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Taunton; Rev Upd Su edition (May 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561580805
• ISBN-13: 978-1561580804
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,185 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice but......, December 10, 2001

By	"bcolony2" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I've read several reviews of this book that are much less than glowing since purchasing this book. I agree with every one of them. I would not consider this book a good reference for inexperienced tile setters. After having tackled my own bathroom job and now having the benefit of experience with tile, my opinioin is this book fell short in revealing crucial detail at every turn. examples: The book fails to describe in any detail how tile is set over the transition between backerboard and the tub lip. CRITICAL! The book fails to descibe in any detail the variety of adhesives that may be used. What's the difference between thin set and mastic adhesive? Why would you choose one over the other? - Hint: it's more than just bond strength. How about all the hinden problems you will encounter with a retrofit job? LACKING! What about the transition from cement backer to drywall! Not even addressed. When installing cement board, rough side up or down? If it doesn't matter SAY SO! My opinion: This book is LACKING! LACKING! LACKING!

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another perspective, April 21, 2006

By	B.D. Heri (MN) - See all my reviews

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.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Setting Tile: The Right Way, February 24, 2000

By	Scooter (Southern California) - See all my reviews

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.