AboutPerry Vellenga Expertise Ceramic Tile/Marble. I can answer questions about floor preparation, tile selection, layout questions, performance of products, expectations of finish, compatabilities, questions about grout and epoxies, evaluating an installer, asking the right questions to check competence...more? 30 years this August 09'/ many years in commercial application from exterior finishes to Mall store fronts/ interior finishes like floor packages in stores inside Malls examples: The Limited, Lerner/NY, Lane Bryants, Bombay Co., ect...
Experience I worked in an exclusive field of floorcovering called "Tenant Development" which is by invitational bid only, by way of a National bid list. These are large floor packages usually over 3500 sq. ft. of 18" x 18" Marble and Granite and many other types of Marble and sizes. They are specialty stores where the floor package can cost upwards of $50,000 for one store. I have also done "Structure" stores and J. Riggins stores, Express and Body Shop stores where wood flooring is used. Presently work for a National Flooring Company in the Residential new construction arena that covers most interior design elements..Granite Slab tops/wood flooring both job finished and prefinished ect..
I have been shopping for flooring tile and I found some Travertine for $2.19 per square foot that I like MUCH more than any ceramic or porcelain I've seen. When I asked the saleman at the outlet where I found the Travertine if there was anything about Travertine that made it much more costly to install than ceramic, he said, "no, except that it would need a better quality thin-set", and he added that if regular thin-set cost me $15, then the better quality would cost me maybe $19. I noticed on the "sample board" that the pieces of Travertine were very close together, meaning they didn't have the large grout lines that I saw on the boards for ceramic. Another salesman at a different store did his best to scare me away from Travertine, saying that it needed 2" mud-set instead of thin-set which he said would cost me $7 or $10 per square foot, I can't even remember which. The first salesman I spoke to said I could figure on 50 cents per square foot for grout and thin-set, and $1.75/sf for installation ($2.25/sf on the diagonal), but I didn't even talk to him about Travertine. Also, I'm finding conflicting reports on how porous Travertine is and whether or not to have it sealed.
The bottom line is, I really like the Travertine. Can you tell me: a) how much more expensive the installation of Travertine is or should be than ceramic/porcelain alternatives, b) does it have to be sealed and c) how much space should or can be between tiles and whether or not that affects the price of installation?
If $2.19 per square foot for 18"x18" Travertine an okay price?
Also, what's a reasonable amount to pay for upcharging due to installing on the diagonal?
Thanks so much,
Casey
Answer Thank you for your question Casey,
This is a tough question to answer for the obvious reasons. Tile setters in Tulsa OK are far cheaper than those in New York City and everywhere inbetween. I can give you some general ideas based on what I charge OK?
First, lets dispell some of the confusion you are having in regards to the Travertine itself....If you love the stone then your in good company because I have it in my own home. I purchased mine a couple years ago 18"x18" honed stone from Home Depot for around $2.75 a sq. ft. Not that Home Depot is the end all for all things tile, it isn't, but it was a good deal and yours sounds even better. Natural Stone is (for those of us who love it) something that "clicks" inside us and there is no substitute, nothing else will do. Your first salesmen was correct in that you should use a better than standard thinset for the install. A Multipurpose thinset should be used as opposed to a standard thinset....only standard thinset is typically under $10.00 per bag and the Multipurpose is generally around $16.00 per bag (for instance at Lowes a bag of Mapei Multipurpose is sometimes on sale for $13.00 and change per bag). Something else to consider Casey is you have to mix the thinset a little on the stiff side because an 18x18, depending on how thick it was cut can be quite heavy and may need a thinset that can carry more weight, it's called a "medium bed morter". It's a stronger thinset that doesn't compress as much as the other does. The method of install I use for Stone installs I usually get about 30-40 sq ft. per bag, less if the floor is up and down.
Marble doesn't always need a 2" mud bed as that just means it's "mud job", it is a much more involved installation and there are many other things that would have to have been done early in the building process to make room for that kind of install...follow me? So don't worry about that.
Natural Stone should always be sealed to protect the stuff, I like to seal the Stone before I even install it to keep oily fingerprints off of the surface and makes cleanup as you go much easier, and then grouting quick and easy. Then at least a second coat a few days after the install is complete. As for cost? Installing Ceramic tile is usually about 1/3 the cost of installing a large format Natural Stone. It is much harder to do Casey and the tolerances are less forgiving for just the reason you noticed....the joints are supposed to be very close, this can be a maddening thing to do over a less than perfect substrate Ok? I charged a minimum of $6.00 sq. ft for large format tile and if a *45 was wanted I would add another $1.00 sq ft. bear in mind that when you turn the tile suddenly the dimension of the tile grows point to point to over 25"...thats a real bugger when going around door jambs and down narrow hallways. Tradition for an old schooler like me is no larger than a 1/8" joint for the stone and tighter if possible as it is always about the tile and never about the grout. Also remember Casey that down the line, should something happen to one of the pieces of stone you will be able to find, even years later pretty easily, a near exact likness of what you have. You can forget it for Ceramic or Porcelain, even 6 months after, finding what you may need. I hope this capsule version answer helps you make a decision with your project...feel free to return anytime.
