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www.diytileguy.com

Tile installation information for the DIYers

  • Planning and Design
  • Prep
    • Showers/Bathtubs
    • Floor Prep
  • Install
    • Niches
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James Upton

James Upton is the DIYTileGuy.

His background includes working in the construction/remodeling field for over 30 years and focusing on tile specifically since 1996.

In 2012, he started blogging tile installation advice on Tiger Mountain Tile Inc, his local business site. He later moved the blog over to its own dedicated domain www.diytileguy.com.

DIYTileGuy is recognized as one of the top DIY websites in the tile industry.

Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules

August 23, 2016 by James Upton 186 Comments

Prefilling Ditra waffles

This post was updated on February 2022. Typically, I encourage people to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Especially when the company has clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions like Schluter does. But when it comes to both Ditra Heat and Ditra Heat TB [edit: now … [Read more...] about Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules

Filed Under: Floor Prep

The trick for getting better thinset coverage under your tiles

April 5, 2016 by James Upton 30 Comments

Improved thinset coverage

I've worked with some fussy tile setters in the past. Everything has to be a particular way with them. The boxes of tile have to be opened a certain way, their spacers have to be positioned just so, and their tools have to be organized in a certain manner. Good thinset mortar coverage … [Read more...] about The trick for getting better thinset coverage under your tiles

Filed Under: Setting Tile

The One Thing Every Tile Installation Needs: Movement Joints

March 22, 2016 by James Upton 117 Comments

backer rod

If I were to ask “what is one thing that every tile installation needs?” I would get answers like Nobody would answer with “Movement Joints”. Nobody. Most people wouldn’t understand what they are. And installing them sounds like it would be technical and complicated. Good news! … [Read more...] about The One Thing Every Tile Installation Needs: Movement Joints

Filed Under: Setting Tile

The Little Known Cause of your Loose Floor Tiles

March 8, 2016 by James Upton 18 Comments

Loose Tile missing

Loose floor tiles can be very frustrating. Why is it happening? What's the cause? What went wrong? I have a textbook for contractors called the NTCA Reference manual. One of the features of this book is that it has tables and charts that list different tile problems. Then it gives a cause. … [Read more...] about The Little Known Cause of your Loose Floor Tiles

Filed Under: Setting Tile

DIY Wet Saw Tent

January 26, 2016 by James Upton 9 Comments

DIY wet saw tent

A wet saw is a nice thing to have when you are installing tile. But one of the problems is the water getting all over. Especially if you have it set up in a house or a sensitive area. Also, if you are installing tile in the winter and you live in a cold climate you may want your saw inside … [Read more...] about DIY Wet Saw Tent

Filed Under: Tools/Products

Mesh Tape: Don’t skip this step

January 12, 2016 by James Upton 102 Comments

4 inch mesh tape

  There are some aspects of tile installation that seem small or insignificant but they aren't. They really have a big impact. The way you treat your backer board seams is one of them. Doing them improperly can lead to big problems down the road. But these problems can be avoided by this … [Read more...] about Mesh Tape: Don’t skip this step

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

Tile Backer Board Breakdown

December 29, 2015 by James Upton 328 Comments

tile backer board comparison

Which Shower Tile Backer board is best? When it comes to installing a tile backer board you typically have the following choice: So which tile backer board should you use in your bathroom? I'm going to break them down by category and cover the finer points of each. We'll start … [Read more...] about Tile Backer Board Breakdown

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs Tagged With: featured

Miserable Pebble Tile Flooring

December 15, 2015 by James Upton 257 Comments

pebble tile path

How can installing pebble tile flooring be a miserable endeavor? After all, when you use words like organic, zen, natural, and feng shui to describe the bathroom that you want aren't pebble tiles always in the scheme somewhere? Well, I have a huge pet peeve when it comes to pebble tiles. A … [Read more...] about Miserable Pebble Tile Flooring

Filed Under: Setting Tile

Ceramic Subway Tile: 3 Pro Installation Secrets

December 1, 2015 by James Upton 99 Comments

beveled marble subway tile

Ceramic Subway Tile: 3 Pro Installation Secrets I have 3 tips to share for ceramic subway tile. The first is a lesser-known layout technique for subway tiles. The second is an installation detail and the third is a cutting method done tutorial style. Let's get right into it. Also, don't … [Read more...] about Ceramic Subway Tile: 3 Pro Installation Secrets

Filed Under: Setting Tile

Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips

November 17, 2015 by James Upton 89 Comments

subway tile layout lines

Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips Subway tile- what's not to like? It's classic and timeless. Even in 2022, subway tile is a staple in tile design trends. In this post, I will talk about three things that can help to get you started with your subway tile installation. These things … [Read more...] about Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips

Filed Under: Setting Tile

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Hi! I'm James!

I own a bathroom remodeling company in the Seattle area and blog about tile installation in my spare time.

DIYTileGuy was created to help get good tile installation information to DIY'ers so they can build their own tile projects successfully.

I hope you enjoy the site! Read More…

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