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68 of 72 found the following review helpful:
 Another perspective Apr 22, 2006
By B.D. Heri
I've been setting tile for over 30 years, but studying this book was still an edification. It was filled with more information than I expected, and I found it to be very interesting and helpful. I counted 283 photographs and diagrams, although some of those were multiple diagrams within one larger diagram. As an engineer and perfectionist, I reject the myth that a professional necessarily does better work than an amateur.(The correct translation of the word amateur is one who pursues any study or art out of love instead of money.) The key to excellence is to thoroughly study and understand any undertaking beforehand, and then to allow enough time to do it as well as it can be done. So there's a reason why the term do-it-yourself often connotates a hack job - that's what you get when you don't have the patience to study the right way to do a job, and instead proceed with ignorance and impatience. This book isn't intended for someone who can't understand that once adhesive has been spread with a trowel, the tiles are placed on the adhesive. If you can't figure that one out, you need a professional. If you can't find the clear diagram on page 179 that illustrates how a membrane and backer board meet at a tub edge, you need a professional. If you can't find any of the book's references to the inferiority of pre-mixed air-drying mastics (glue) compared to latex-modified thin-set mortars, or how to mix and apply them, you need a professional. Here's one short excerpt from a five-page discussion of adhesives that starts on page 38, "organic mastics are probably the most commonly used adhesives, but they're nonetheless generally inferior to other adhesives." If you're too impatient to read this 244-page book and you just want to stick some tiles on a wall, go down to your local home center and buy a big bucket of glue and some tiles and fake it like a typical do-it-yourselfer.
159 of 176 found the following review helpful:
 Nice but...... Dec 10, 2001
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!
37 of 38 found the following review helpful:
Setting Tile: The Right Way Feb 24, 2000
By Scooter
Mr. Byrne has written dozens of articles in fine Homebuilding and Journal of Light Construction on Tile Setting. The Book is excellent, and walks you through the whole process from tile history, tile design, the various construction aspects of it (e.g., what you have to have underneath the tile to make a good tile job, the various setting beds (old fashioned mortar to newer cement boards), setting the tile, grouting the tile, and finally sealing the tile when necessary. For any person wanting to learn tile setting the correct professional way, this book is essential. I bought it twice, one about 8 years ago, and a second updated version this year because of some new products and resulting new techniques.
24 of 24 found the following review helpful:
Great for the weekend warrior Dec 14, 2000
In my neighborhood, as in many areas during this boom economy, it is nearly impossible to find contractors willing to do small residential jobs such as tiling a bathtub stall. For us reluctant weekend warriors, this book has been a godsend. Most tile books provide a number of layout ideas and then either gloss over the details of installation or (more often) give suggestions on how to hire a reputable and skilled contractor. Byrne instead gives detailed but undaunting descriptions of how to design, plan, build, and finish most projects. The organization is useful, the photos are perfect, and helpful hints and warnings abound. Only a couple things could improve this book. Although the book contained all the info I needed for my job, a quick outline summary for entire projects, with one-line descriptors of each task, would avoid having to continually leaf through the complete text. Also, an estimate of time required for each task would allow for better planning.
23 of 23 found the following review helpful:
 Not for the beginner Oct 15, 2006
By B. Thompson
"scribbleben"
Like most Taunton Press publications, Setting Tile skews abit toward the art side of its trade, and it glosses over quite a few things that an absolute novice, or even a fairly skilled worker in another trade, needs in order to get a good result. As other have pointed out, he doesn't go into using mastics or epoxy-based mortars. But those seem like decisions based on his experience with the materials. He simply uses thinset. Enough said.
One ommission that did seem a little odd was the lack of information about working with wet-wall installations. He only uses backer board, which for a worker/writer who is so thorough and skilled seems strange.
Especially given the fact that he does such a great job of explaining, step by step, how to build a shower pan, which is a fussy, finicky, yet back-breaking job if there ever was one.
One other fault (and this may be a fault of Taunton books in general): he doesn't help me anticipate errors. For example: Mr. Byrne recommeds that you fur out the backer board above a shower pan lining so that the board can hang over the lining without getting bumped out. And he recommends butter the back of the board with thinset where it mates with the lining (since you can't drive screws through the board as it would pierce the lining).
Now a non-idiot (not me!) would know that the mortar would tend to push the backer board out, especially in the corners where the lining is folded to three times its typical thickness. Such a non-idiot would fur out a little extra and use a little less mortar.
But not me: I butter the hell out of the back of the backer board and by the time the mortar set the board's bottom was out of pumb a good 3/16 of inch. Not a huge deal, until you try to make the tials look nice and perfect.
So some idiot warnings would be nice. Sort of a follow my advice, but here are some things to watch out for.
Then again, no taunton book I've ever owned (quite a few) does a good job with newbies.
Regardless, this is a good, solid look at installing tile, especially installing and designing complex patterns. But you might need to augment it with something from Time Life say ;-)
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