How To Tile A Countertop- Lay Tile

Tiling a countertop may involve a little more creativity than a typical tile floor. Mostly, this is because there are more specialized tile pieces involved to make it all work. Like any tile job, it takes some careful planning ahead of time.

(See this post from yesterday for how to prepare the counterop for tile)

Here are the different tile pieces that I used to tile the countertop:

• Field tiles- I'm using 4 1/4" basic square white tiles that will match the existing tile shower that's in this bathroom.
• V-Cap tiles- These are the corner pieces that go around the front edge of the counter. They are made with a small lip so that any water that splashes on the counter will not run off onto the floor.
• V-Cap corners- These match the other V-Caps except they are made to change direction and cover the two corners of the countertop. You can also just take V-Cap pieces and miter them, but the corner pieces make it a bit easier.
• Radius bullnose tiles- These pieces are 6" long and will go along the top of our backsplash. They are curved at the top. When placed over 1/2" cementboard, the curve extends around the cementboard to nearly touch the wall for a finished look.
• Radius bullnose tile corners- These pieces match the other radius bullnose pieces and will go on the two corners of our backsplash.

Whew! That seems like a lot, but there are many more types of pieces available for different applications. All of these are available at the big home stores and are usually kept stocked for the most basic tile colors.

Tile A Countertop- LAY TILE

1. First, mark where the center of your countertop is. Grab a handful of V-Cap edge pieces and lay them out to see where the seams will fall. It's best to start with either a full piece in the middle (like we did) or with a grout line right in the middle. You might lay out the field tiles as well to make sure you like where they are breaking as well. See what will look best for your project.

2. Mix your thinset and start by laying the V-Caps. I went from the middle to one corner and then started filling in with field tiles to make sure that everything was square. For my project I used 1/8" spacers, but 1/16" are also common for these smaller tiles.

3. Finish the counter, cutting the tiles around the sink hole and using partial tiles at the back where it meets the backsplash. It will go fairly quickly once you get your layout figured out.

4. For the backsplash we cut a bunch of field tiles to the same height and installed them first. Once they are in place we put the radius bullnose pieces which came right up to the mirror in our case. The bottom pieces support the weight of the edges. If you do the edges first they might droop because there's nothing to support them.

5. The trickiest cuts were around on the edges around where the backsplash meets the counter. You'll need to notch the V-caps a little to get them to back to the wall and look right. You'll also need to notch were the radius bullnose pieces meet the V-cap.

Tomorrow we can grout and finish it up!

-Peter

By the way, see the finished countertop here.

www.CarpentryGuy.com

How To Tile A Countertop- Preparations

I've been making progress on our apartment conversion project this week and decided that it might be fun to do a tile countertop for the bathroom vanity. Part of my decision was based on the fact that our vanity is an unusual size and stock countertops would not fit it. Hey, why not?

I'll divide the process into a couple posts because there are quite a few steps.

Tile A Countertop- PREPARATIONS

1. Start making the new countertop by cutting a study piece of 3/4" plywood to the right size. Our vanity was 58" wide by 22" deep. It sticks over the edges of the vanity by about an inch on each side.

2. Cut the hole for the sink. If you're installing a new one, use the handy template to mark it. Cut it out with a jig saw.

3. Next, we put thin strips of 1/2" plywood around the three exposed edges. This would help to support the v-cap (or sink rail) tiles that would cover the corners.

4. On top of the plywood we spread a thin layer of thinset and then 1/2" Hardibacker cement board. (Of course, cut out the sink hole first.) This will give us a very solid surface for our tiles to rest on.

5. We cut a small strip of cement board to act as our back plash and then attached it to the wall with thinset and Hardibacker screws. We were trying to keep from removing the mirror, but yet tile right up to it. Otherwise, I might have attached a plywood backsplash to the countertop and put cement board over that.

6. Put 2" mesh tape in the corner where the backsplash meets the counter as well as around the front edges over the plywood. The mesh will help the thinset adhere across the joints.

Next we're ready to talk tile. (Coming tomorrow...)

-Peter

By the way, see the finished countertop here.

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Make a Closet Into an Office

Last week I helped a client change a hallway closet into a small office space. It's a great way to hide all of your office equipment and desk that (if you're like me) often get's piled up with paperwork.

This particular closet was around 54" wide. The idea was to add a couple grounded outlets for computers and other equipment, then add a laminate countertop to use as a desk.

Thankfully, the closet is above the garage where I was able to find a grounded outlet to add these too. I removed the baseboard and drilled a 3/4" hole through the bottom plate into the garage. From here, I could string wire up through the wall to put one outlet below the counter and another one above.

I marked the locations for the outlets and used my small drywall saw to cut the holes. I soon discovered that this wall was only 2" deep and I would have to use shallow electrical boxes (pictured). Otherwise, the electrical installation went very smoothly.

With the outlets installed, I cut some stock laminate countertop that the homeowner picked out. I nailed some 2x4 supports around the perimeter so that the surface of the countertop would be at around 30" from the floor and be a comfortable height.

The side walls weren't quite square to the back wall, but I was able to get it to fit quite well. With the addition of a couple shelves and some keyboard drawers, this space is ready for work!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Tile Cut of the Day

I've been laying tile the past couple of days in our bathroom and kitchen of the apartment we're adding to our home. The bathroom had quite a few interesting pieces to cut, but this was the most interesting:

This piece fits around the base of an older vanity that will get a complete makeover after the tile is finished.

To make a cut like this, I started by marking the tile with a Sharpie. After that it's just a series of notches. The main thing is to take your time and be careful because it's very fragile after you cut such a large notch out of the middle. I was glad that it fit so good!

For these floors I'm using these darker tiles that I found at Home Depot for $1.09 a square foot. Not bad for something I actually like! They are around 11 1/2" squares and I'm using 3/16" grout lines. These rooms are on a cement slab, so I'm just putting the tile right over that. It's (nearly) all level and things are going well.

Tomorrow I can start grouting...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Fix For a Simple Leak

I have some friends selling their home in Inglewood. The buyer's home inspection found a very slow drip coming from a pipe under the house and they called me to track it down.

The leak was somewhat deceiving because the pipes were all covered with pipe insulation. I had to keep removing the insulation until I got to the source of the water. Finally, I found that it was an solder joint at a copper elbow that was dripping very slowly.

The entire area was very accessible from the crawlspace, so this would not be too difficult to reach. I cut the elbow and about a foot of the copper pipe that had already had several repairs in the past. For cuts like this I use a simple copper tubing cutter that I like to use because it's very compact and will fit into tight spaces.

I installed a new elbow, about 14" of new 1/2" copper pipe and a coupling to join it together.

To make this repair as quickly as possible for the homeowner I used a couple Sharkbite fittings. These fittings can be used for Pex or copper pipes and just slide on. It's quite simple, and though the fittings are more expensive than copper ones it can save you money if you don't have the soldering supplies. (They are also easy to take apart if necessary.)

In the end the entire fix took less than 30 minutes once I had the parts in hand.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Extreme Custom Fit Bifold Doors

This week I replaced a lot of doors for a local homeowner. Part of the project was also to install bifold doors on several closets that had at one time had sliding doors, but more recently were covered with curtains.

We were using standard Masonite paneled bifold doors and trimming them to fit. Two of the closets were around 59", so it wasn't a big deal to trim a couple 30" doors to fit in this space. The trouble came when I had to install the doors for the 54" opening.

The trouble comes because these are hollow doors. When you trim off more than an 1" on a side, there is nothing left to support the door! However, there's a trick to making this work.

(Note: If I could get two 28" doors, this would have been easier. However, the standard sizes are either 24" or 30" so I was left to improvise...)

1. First, trim the door to fit. In my case, I was trimming about 1 1/2" off each side of the bifold doors.

2. Next, we need to take the piece that was cut off and re-insert it into the edge of the door as a support. To do this, I ran it through the table saw to trim it down so it would just fit in the opening in the edge of the door. Basically, I just trimmed about 1/8" off both sides and then cut the length to fit.

3. Once it's trimmed, you can slide this support piece into the edge of the door. I first added some carpenters glue to both sides and then made it flush with the edge. Then, you can secure it in place with some small brad nails along the front and back of the door.

4. To finish, sand the sharp edges to match the factory ones. You'll also need to drill new holes for the door hardware in the top and bottom. In my case the holes were 3/8". Putty the nail holes and you're ready to go!

I've used this process a couple of times. It takes a little extra work, but you can custom fit those bifold doors.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Upgrade Your Interior Doors- Doorknob

Yesterday, I wrote about how to trim a door 'slab' to replace an old door and mortise the hinges. Now it's time to make the hole for the doorknob.

At my project, I was replacing original doors with new Masonite 6-panel doors. The homeowner wanted to use the same hardware including the doorknobs. If you're using new doorknobs they often come with detailed instructions, including a handy template to get the holes in the right spot. If you're reusing the existing hardware, here's how to do it:

1. Measure from the top of the door frame to the center of the door's latch on the side of the door, subtracting 1/8" for the gap at the top of the door. If you have the old door you can check this measurement to make sure that it is the same.

2. Go to the door slab and mark this measurement on the side. I like to use a combination square to make extend this mark across the side and a few inches on the front of the door. This line will be the center of our doorknob and latch.

3. Next, you'll need a 2 1/8" hole cutting bit. Mark the center of your doorknob 2 3/8" from the edge of the door on the line you made in step 2. These are standard doorknob measurements, but you might check your hardware to make sure it doesn't require anything different. Make your hole.

I like to cut half way from one side until the boring bit (in the middle) goes all the way through. Then finish the hole from the other side. This helps make sure that you are cutting at an angle as you make the hole.

4. Get a 1" hole cutting bit, often sold as a set with the 2 1/8" bit for installing locksets. Mark the center of the edge of the door on the same mark from step 2. This will be where the latch goes. Make the hole and be careful that to keep it straight.

5. The latch will need also need a mortise, or pocket, so that it will install flush with the edge of the door. For this I like to use a 1" wood chisel, because the mortise is 1" wide. Insert the latch and mark the edges with a pencil. Then, clean out the mortise to about 1/8" deep or so depending on the latch you're using.

6. Install your doorknob and try it out!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Upgrade Your Interior Doors- Hinges

I've spent the past couple of days replacing all of the original doors in a client's mid-century ranch. The old doors were just as plain as could be and the homeowner is wanting to upgrade to a nicer look using 6 panel Masonite doors.

Modern-built homes are all about standards. Walls are standard heights and doors are standard sizes. If you have one of these homes, you can buy a door off the shelf at the home store and it will fit with no problems. However, for the house I've been working at, like many others in our Inglewood community, every door may be a little different.

When I have to custom fit a door to an existing door frame I like to buy what's called a door 'slab'. It a standard sized door, but with no hinge mortises or holes for the hardware. It's a blank slate.

Let's focus on getting the door sized right with the hinges in the right place:

1. If you're replacing a door, don't take the old one down just yet. Measure the opening that the door fits into. Subtract 1/8" for the gap on either side and cut the door to this measurement. For example, if the door opening is 30", then the door needs to be 29 3/4". Measure the old door as a reference if it fit well.

I've just been using the circular saw with a rip guide (invaluable tool!) to take the edges off of doors. After any cuts, lightly sand the sharp edges to match the factory sides.

(Always check to make sure the door frames are level and square or your door won't fit correctly.)

2. Let's measure to see where the hinges will go. For this, it's very important to make all measurements from the top of the door as a reference point. Don't measure one hinge from the top and the others from the bottom. Remember that you want around 1/8" gap at the top of the door too. This is the time to measure twice and cut once. :)

3. For this project, I used a simple hinge mortising template that I picked up at Home Depot a few years ago. It's just a metal guide that attaches over the hinge location. It will guide my router bit to make the inset for the hinge. I usually just secure it in place with screws so it's easy to remove after I've made the cut. (Yes, you can use a wood chisel to make the cuts, but it won't be as neat and it's hard to get the depth exactly right.)

4. Cut the hinge mortise with your router. I was using a straight 1/2" bit. The biggest consideration here is to NOT CUT TOO DEEPLY! If you do, your door will not fit right and you'll be baffled. You want the surface of the hinge to be flush with the door's edge when it's in place, so make the cut accordingly, around 1/8" deep, but check it with your hinge.

5. See if your hinges have rounded corners or square. Mine were square so I needed to remove the corners left by my router template. For this I used a wood chisel and carefully squared up the corners.

6. Remove the old door, by taking the screws out of the hinges on the door. Leave the hinges attached to the door frame.

7. Hold the door in place so you can line up the hinges. Mark the holes and make pilot holes before you screw.

8. Check it and fix. I had a couple instances where the door stop wasn't letting the new door close. Apparently, the new door is just a touch thicker than the old. To remedy this I carefully removed the door stop (see this post) and moved it around 1/16" inch so the door would close properly.

Hopefully, your measurements were accurate and you're ready to move on to doorknobs!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Make a Larger Drywall Repair

When doing some other repairs for one of my fantastic clients, I was asked to patch a hole in one of their closets. I've covered how to patch a small drywall hole in this post, but today's repair involved a larger area and I handled it just a little differently.

First, I like to cut out a section of drywall to replace. It's always easier to patch if I can make the hole square and not oddly shaped. You can see that after taking out all the cracked/damaged section I was left with a larger hole.

Next, I needed to add something to screw my patch to. My hole was adjacent to a stud so I tacked a nailer there to support the right side. On the left, I screwed the edges of a couple 2x4 scraps so that enough would remain to support the other edge of my patch.

Now it's just a matter of cutting a piece of drywall to fit and screwing it in place. Then, you can mud and tape it just like anything else.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Fix for a Droopy Ceiling

Today's project involved looking at a client's ceiling that was sagging a little bit. They told me that they had had a small leak, which had been repaired, but now they needed to fix the ceiling.

The leak had been enough to moisten the ceiling drywall, but not enough to make any major spots, or damage other than the sag.

My first thought was to try and screw it back up. I knew this wasn't the solution when I was using 3" screws and still not hitting the rafters. I got into the attic and moved all the insulation out of the way and saw what we were dealing with. It was sagging at least an inch away from the rafters.

To further complicate things, this house had ceiling radiant heat, though it was no longer in use. This meant that the ceiling was made up of two layers of drywall with heating wires sandwiched in the middle. I'd say that the wires were actually helping it all hold together. The drywall nails certainly weren't holding anything.

The solution was to remove the worst section and replace it with new drywall. Around the section I replaced it took a 2 1/2" drywall screw every few inches to tighten everything down again, but this process seemed to fix the problem. I added some nailers to hold my new drywall and got it all back together.

Now to clean up my mess... :)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com