Floor Tile

[lofsfire]

I know there are a few tile guys on here. And what I'm asking is almost impossible but figured I give it a shot.

My wife and I bought at house the tile floor in one area was not laid completely right. I was going to just live with it, but now I have cracked 2 other tiles that are by the basement stairs, in a fairly noticeable spot. So I thought I would see if I could find some tile close to what I have and relay these 3 tiles the right way. Here is a picture of the tile.

I took it Home Depot the other day and found some close. The tile guy there said he thinks the tile is by a company called "Stiles Tile" and they are out of business. He thought it was this company b/c the coloring appears to be some type of silk screening. If you look close you can see little squares that make the pattern. I did garbed what look close form HD, so close in fact that when I got home it support the thought that the company may have went out of business. Because the tile from HD matches 2 tile that are in a bathroom behind the toilet. (Did not notice this when we looked at the house.) So the previous owner must have ran out before completing the project.

Also, he may have bought tile from different lots b/c in this picture you can see different colors to the tile. This picture is from the hallway in to the bathroom. I have no idea what he was thinking when he cut the tile on the right. If you look close the full tile in the doorway is the darker tile compared to the rest.

So does anyone know were I might find this tile or something close?

I'm going to try a few tile place around here even if I get a style and name I might be able to search and find overstock somewhere. My guess it was bought about 5 years ago.

Like I said its a long-shot. My other option remove all edge tiles and make some type of pattern or boarder or just all the tile and start over. This would be a last resort. This tile is on a concrete floor.

 

[polarisrider1]

First off.......... OMG in the install. Trust me the floor was not installed by a "Real Tileguy". The tile is American Olean African Multi. It has been disco'ed about 5 yrs. back. The end of inventories of it got collected up and loaded into box cars out into the desert south of Las Vegas all die lots and calibers (sizing of 1 to 8 mm variation) got mixed. then the "Depot" Lowes and Menards bid on it by the pound. they sell it at discount until all gone. Have you ever noticed these stores have lots of tile but not enough to do anything? Thats why. Back to the tile. It sold in my store for $1.49 to $1.69 depending on the color. It came in 4 colors. It is a low end red clay tile with a silk screen pattern on the surface and a lightly stamped texture, then the colors are sprayed on before getting a monoculture firing. The install is pretty poor. I recommend tearing out the floor and resetting it with an inexpensive porcelain tile over Ditra underlayment. Also undercut the jambs.......Sorry I got side tracked again, To find more of this tile try googling A.O.tile co. I few guys buy up Disco'ed AO tile and sell it online. Dal tile currently owns AO (american olean) bought them for $1.5 billion, then Mowhawk carpets bought both of them for $8 billion. So yes there is a little money in this. good luck.

 

[polarisrider1]

Now if that wasn't enough! try http://www.thisoldtile.com/series.xml look under African slate. if these guys don't have it it can't be found. Good luck!

 

[fgsacts]

Wayne to the rescue!

 

[Skylar]

WOW, are you fricken kidding me?

 

[tilesnake]

the lines are straight. and that gap at the jams is for the expanding trim. looks like the old home owner put it down before he sold the house. try, www.hoboonline.com/flooring/hoboflooring.html they sometimes have out of stock tiles. i just love tile guys who dont have under cut saws. where the cracks are, does it sound hollow, or is it down solid? i used to love installing that tile , used it on alot of banks

 

[tilesnake]

this old tile does have it, great

 

[scottiking]

Youll never find a match for that! maybe close but if you just replace 2 or 3 it will stick out like a sore thumb!
You said it was by the stairs so I would replace through the treshold with the best match you can find- the installer was a butcher by the door jamb anyways!
if you bust all the tile out of there you can use a Dremmel multi-tool "$99" at home depot with a diamond half circle bit $29 and thats works mint cleant glue,grout etc down to the concrete or wood or underlayment!
Menards sells a "toolshop" brand tool for $39 bucks as well!

I wonder how many Coors that installer had for that job! ha ha!


Scottiking OUT

 

[Marty P]

Wow...by the way, nice answer Polarisrider1, I know who I'll call with my next tile question.

 

[ezra]

any one want to bet it is just slapped down over osb

 

[polarisrider1]

any one want to bet it is just slapped down over osb

He mentioned it was on concrete.

 

[polarisrider1]

I have installed that tile a few times myself. I called it poor mans slate. Installed it in a bunch of tract houses about 10 yrs. ago on fireplaces. It has a reflective silk screening on it along with some actual glaze. (did not know it at the time) I just think of all those poor souls who have taken their Christmas pics in front of the fireplace and their expressions of the pictures when the flash from the camera hits the screening in the tile it turns the fireplace to a silver color in most cases and the tile pattern is ever so obvious. Kinda like the reflective thread in my kids Polaris jackets. And you guys think I don't actually do anything. lol.

 

[polarisrider1]

http://main.tiletools4less.com/showitems.php?cat=Saws and Blades Great place to buy a jamb saw! Great people to deal with!

 

[snobuilder]

LOL,....I blame the DIY shows all over the telly.....LOL, that and the fact there is a BB store every 10 blocks in most metro areas with "everything YOU need".....except experience.....On the other hand I have seen some great results had by complete novices,....several of whom are women.....One is my neighbor who installed the large tile ....think its 24", over her basement floor......concrete is usually eneven at best but she has all the corners flush in height!
Polarisrider,....you are an encyclopedia of tile info!,....you answered a long time question on how the BB stores buy tile and offer it up at low cost.

Lofsfire,.....
In the Milw. area we have a discount "big lot" type store called HOBO, they have been selling discount tile about 30 years ,.....for a long time it was THE place to get tile and they have a HUGE inventory and large variety, and MIGHT have tile to match your floor tucked away in a corner somewhere.

 

[favoritos]

Impressive information. This forum probably has more valuble input than most DIY forums. I have to keep you guys in mind. Going to try my first attempt at tile (bathroom shower and flooring). I just discovered the uncoupling membranes while doing research on the floor install.

Has anyone used the Schluter Systems products with electric radiant over concrete?

Sorry lotsfire for the thread rob. I would tear it up and do it right like Holmes.

 

[snow_monkey]

Try virginia tile in novi mich. I have almost the exact same tile.

 

[GTL]

As a retired General Contractor Supt. installs like this are exactly what keeps professionals in business. I think it falls under the category of "ya get what ya pay for".

 

[lofsfire]

Thanks guy's and especially polarisrider1! You could not have described the tile better if you had it in your hand!

I was only hopping to find a match to replace the few bad tiles till I have the time to redo the whole floor. I can be a perfectionist, and I have been told this many time. Especially by my wife as looking for a house. I think we look at over 200 homes in 4 months drove her Uncle nuts(our Realtor).

I think we got a good deal on the place with only miner up dating being done. It's a 1977 quad level the lower area with the family room and spare bed room had paneling. I have removed that which allowed me to rerun some wiring, add speaker wire for surround sound, cable, and Cat 5 thought out the house, and more insulation in the walls. Hung the last sheet for drywall at 1:30am last night. Start mudding this weekend hopefully pain by the following weekend. Then carpet and hard wood, then move in.

For the past 2 month only been getting around 4-6hr of sleep. etc but it the home stretch

Before (their stuff not mine)

During

The wall are are pored concrete where the pink insulation is and are about 8" deep where the faced insulation is so I removed the old faced add R19 un-faced then put the old faced R13 over top plus fill the of the ceiling joist voids around the outside.
Where the white insulation is above the window I found a 12 pack for Strohs Beer. Gone of course but it was the box and all 12 cans. But no money in the walls.

Current

Family Room

Extra Bedroom

I also add 6 panel pine door up stair to match what was already downstairs.
Removed the old hollow core.

scottiking~ thanks for the info, I do have the dremmal and a roto zip. I have built quit a colection of tools since I was about 14. Talked my mom in to buying me a 14.4 dewalt combo kit 5.25 saw, drill and case. I think at the time it was the only combo kit out there. Still have it today and have only changed batteries once and brush in the drill once. I think it even when off a roof or two. Can beat good tools!

tilesnake ~

where the cracks are, does it sound hollow, or is it down solid?

HOLLOW! it at the stair edge, it did not take the mortar bed to the edge. I'll take a picture today a post later tonight. One of the tiles that cracked popped out with nothing on it at all! Go figure!

 

[polarisrider1]

Try virginia tile in novi mich. I have almost the exact same tile.

Virginia Tile Disco'ed it 5 yrs. ago. had it back for a very limited run. I Buy from them and they pulled the sample boards from our showroom back then.

 

[polarisrider1]

Impressive information. This forum probably has more valuble input than most DIY forums. I have to keep you guys in mind. Going to try my first attempt at tile (bathroom shower and flooring). I just discovered the uncoupling membranes while doing research on the floor install.

Has anyone used the Schluter Systems products with electric radiant over concrete?

Sorry lotsfire for the thread rob. I would tear it up and do it right like Holmes.

We just did a large job today with Schluter Ditra and New Heat electric mats over concrete.