Kitchen Floor Replacement
11 Materials
$200
2 Days
Advanced
When we bought our home in rural Indiana, it had blue indoor/outdoor carpet in the kitchen. The house had been sitting for over two years. So the kitchen carpet had molded and rain had created a big hole in the floor (could see the crawlspace). That had to change quick so here is what we did. 
Price of tile: We hit upon one of those sales of a lifetime for the tiles. Home Depot sold us two skids of tile for $30.00.
I rated this project advanced because of the tile saw. They are very dangerous! Children should not be allowed anywhere near one.
Before
This is a before shot of the kitchen/dining area and the carpet.
Another shot
The chandelier was replaced by a fan.
And let's begin
Husband beginning the nasty job of tearing out old carpet. This carpet was so bad, the mold had grown up under the cabinets. Yick! Everything was scrubbed up, down, and sideways!
The pipes
The previous owners had the washer and dryer in the kitchen. These pipes had to be creatively dealt with. That comes a little later.
The rain damage
This is the view of the rain damage by the french doors. We had to tear out width of the area and replace the sub-flooring. 
Sub-floor patching
Before we could lay the tile, the sub-flooring had to be patched for cracks or any other oddities. That way the surface was smooth for the tiles.
Moving on
My sister flew in from CA to help. (I needed her because she is one of those people who is always redoing/creating, etc. something! You know House and Gardens.) She is vacuuming the entire floor in preparation for the tiling. If dust or anything else is on the flooring when you lay a tile, it may not stick.
Pattern matching
Husband and sister laid out some tiles to get a 'feel' for the look. Since slate tiles have a big variation in color, it is best to do this before actually laying tile.
Laying tiles
Laying tiles with spacers. The bottom of each tile is covered with tile glue. Then laid carefully on the floor. My husband is placing the tile spacers as my sister lays them.
Tiles laid
Tiles laid, spacers in place, ready to put down grout between the tiles. Grout can be colored, we chose a medium gray. The grout has to dry overnight.
Break time
Laying slate tile is physically demanding. The tiles are heavy, you are stooping over the entire time, and it is precise work putting down the grout. The break was well deserved.
The pipe solution
My husband cut the pipes to floor level. I had an old bookshelf in the attic. It became more cabinet space/display. I also hung a magazine rack next to the shelves. I painted the inside wall of the shelves the highlight color of the kitchen.
After glaze
I glazed the floor to add a nice sheen to it. You can see the trash can reflection on the glazed tiles. Note: There is debate on whether or not to seal/glaze tile floor. I chose to glaze.
All done!
Happy us. Glad the project turned out so well. You can see the fan we used to replace the chandelier.
Still beautiful
This project was done 12 years ago. This picture was taken a few weeks ago. The sun still shines on the tiles. Beautiful!
Hope you enjoyed this project. 
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 48 comments
-
Love the floor!! Excellent job!
-
AWESOME!!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Floor look fabulous. Is there a reason you used glue to lay the tiles instead of thin set mortar?
My husband and I wonder whether you will wish you had put down a flexible under laminate (it is an orange color and comes in a roll). Without it, there is a very good chance that the floor will crack. Also, before mortar is spread between the tiles, they should be sealed.
Can I borrow the sister or is she all booked up?
Where did you buy the glaze for your tiles. Looks beautiful