Customer Reviews

Setting Tile

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book because I have never set tile before and I wanted to unlock some of the mysteries that I had concerning tile installations. The book is full of wonderful full color photographs and great advice. If you are a do it yourself type of person, this book will take you start to finish. I like the thorough discussion of the proper way to do a layout so you never end up with tile slivers on the margin of your installation. There is a thorough discussion of how to make your installs waterproof, long lasting, and pleasing to the eye.
After reading this book I came to realize that what you have under the tile is almost as important as the finished product. There's a lot more that goes into that sandwich than you think.

This is best book of tile installing I've found. It's very complete. I used it's information to install over 600 sq ft of tile in my home. Although it is very detailed, which some people may not care for, it's sort of an "everything you need to know about installing tile, but didn't know you needed to know". The installation was our first and came out well. We were able to talk to tile people on their level and knew more than many people in stores. He points how how critical preparation is to a good installation. Even if you don't plan on installing tile yourself, you should go through this book to learn how it should be done right. I understand he also has a video out.

Probably the best do it yourself book I've ever used.

I was able to do a complex bathroom job (walls, counters, surrounds, patterns, multiple tile sizes) over an inferior floor surface (low grade particle board) by using the advice in this book, and several years later -- not a single problem with the installation.

If you're providing the labor, you can afford the essential tools, and this is the #1 essential tool.

Great book, gives you an excellent feel for how to figure out what you want to do and how to do it. Assumes minimal experience yet gives enough detail to do a good job, and explains WHY each step is important.

Michael Byrne's book is an essential read for anyone contemplating a DIY tile installation or for a professional looking to expand their knowledge base. Mr. Byrne demonstrates his thorough knowledge of the subject matter and has been on the forefront of tile-setting education and training. Mr. Byrne's attention to such issues as expansion joints and waterproofing membranes elevate this book above many of the other "guides" for tile installation, and also tackles such issues as tiling a fireplace, exterior tiling, and floating a cement shower floor. I would absolutely read this book (and check out his videos) before attempting a tile job for the first time- I cannot believe how much I've learned!

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!

This book may be the best of a bad lot, but it is a bad book nevertheless. It fails in its main task: telling do-it-yourselfers how to set tile. Consider the title carefully: "Setting Tile". If there is one thing a book with such a title must do, surely it must give the reader practical and detailed instructions for actually setting tile. Sadly, this book never quite gets around to that. Instead, it ambles in its own leisurely, wordy way from one vaguely related topic to another. But it never settles down to work; it never gets its hands dirty. Using the intellectual equivalent of buckshot, the book peppers the reader with superficial information about an almost endless series of vaguely relevant topics: 750,000 kinds of adhesives, 300 million types of water proof membranes, 70 kazillion types of mortars. And just when you think you've finally hit pay dirt, they send you scurrying off to some far corner of the book for more info (i.e., "see page 274"). But sadly, page 274 always disappoints...going almost, but not quite, far enough to be really useful. Granted, the book finally gets around to some practical details (perhaps by accident). And there's no question that a hard working homeowner can piece these together with the illustrations (the book's finest feature, by the way!) to develop a more-or-less satisfactory approach for completing a real project. But no reader should have to work that hard! What is needed, instead, is a book which delivers what this one merely promises: instructions for "setting tile". Don't you just hate books that promise more than they deliver!!!

Reading this book reminds me of asking what time it is and having someone explain to you the history of the watch and how it was made!!! The world of knowledge which Mr. Byrne apparently has amassed about TILE simply does not either impress or interest me. Maybe he should have picked a more descriptive title such as "Everything You Could Ever Possibly Want to Know About Tile" instead of "Setting Tile." I just cant imagine why anyone would want to read all of this detail about tile. (A tile aficianado???) A vast majority of this book is simply unnecessary, and therfore confusing, for a weekend warrior homeowner who "Just wants to install some tile."

I'd never tiled anything before, but with the help of this book tiled an entire bathroom, including the shower floor, which is one of the more difficult things for the tiling uninitiated to do. It came out great, and looks wonderful! Because I did it myself I was able to put a lot of creativity into it and have an original design, which wouldn't have been possible if I'd had a contractor come in and do the job for me (time is money and I couldn't have afforded the extra time for a contractor to do a fancy job). If you have any ability to work with tools, with this book beside you you can do wonders.

I had never set tile before, and was able to do a professional job thanks to this book. Despite never having tiled, I put in a custom tile floored shower (not for the amatuer, but the book made it straightforward). This is probably the hardest project you could ever take on in this area yourself. It came out perfectly, and the detail and techniques provided by Mr. Byrne made it possible.

This is the only home improvement book I would heartily recommend, and really the only one I would recommend. I was very disappointed by all of the other bathroom, plumbing, and electrical books. This one is great!

I probably sound like I am getting paid for the glowing review (I'm not), but it really is that good.