Forget it. The risk of making a huge, expensive mess is just too great. I've been a carpenter/small contractor all my life and have watched many a tile job, so I have an advantage over most people. I started doing tile work for myself (not for clients) about ten years ago. It's not rocket science, but, let me tell you, it's not as easy as it looks, either. There are a lot of subtleties involved - layout is crucial, preparation is crucial, knowing when mortar is too thick, too thin or just right is crucial. Do a few small projects - a tile counter, a tile back splash, a little entry floor - before you tackle a big job, and the job you describe is a BIG job.

AnnaW:

Start out small in your bathroom and go from there. Read Michael Byrne's book on tile from Taunton Press. It isn't all that tough. Check out the link too:

Here is a link that might be useful: Leveling

The John Bridge forum a very helpful forum for tile installation, be you a professional, experienced DIYer or first time DIYer.

There are a LOT of experienced folks who like to help others. Free to join.

Google it, as Gardenweb will not allow the URL to be posted.

I've done a tile hearth and a couple of backsplashes and thought it was pretty easy. But I'm sure that's different than a floor. I agree with the others who said that you should get some experience with smaller jobs first. After that, assess your skills, abilities and interest in taking on such a big job.

Large format tile like you want to lay is much more difficult to do correctly than a standard 12 x 12 tile. You need an experience base first, and the right tools. If you are willing to start with a smaller project somewhere else, and invest in about $500 worth of tools, then you can probably work up to the whole floor job.

Yes, it will take much longer to do, and you have to be OK with that. If you aren't OK with that, then hire the job done. But, because of the degree of difficulty of the job, hiring $3 Cheap Charlie would be the wrong guy for the job. Be sure you learn enough to hire the right guy if you go that route.

Tile work, carpeting, floor sanding/finishing and roofing should be off the DIY list. The cost of a pro for this work is a bargain and cheap insurance.

Speaking from DIY experience, there is a huge difference between a backsplash and large format tile on a floor. If you consider pursuing it, as suggested, spend time learning about laying large format tile on the JB forum before you commit. Having just laid 12x12 in a large utility room and 12x24 in a large bathroom, I can confidently say the following:
Proper floor prep is hard work, takes forever and is incredibly important so don't cut corners here
Mixing thin set is hard work, invest in the right tools for that
You'll need a good tile saw, this project will take so long you won't be able to afford to rent
Those tiles are HEAVY and getting them backbuttered and in place is hard work
You'll need to learn to use (and buy) a leveling system to reduce lippage (and the longer the tile, the harder to lay it level, learn about the natural bowing over the length of tile)
When you grout, save yourself a lot of grief using cement based grouts and invest in either Fusion Pro or Mapei Color CQ. They both rock!
I would definitely practice on some small rooms first.
Can you do it? Yes and you will save a lot on labor and have a lot of pride in it if you do it right, but if you are not willing to have it consume your life for several months, then get a good pro (not some idiot who doesn't understand the rules for large format), pay him what he deserves and move on to enjoy your new floor.

When it comes to DIY, the answer is really "It depends."

I'd take a neophyte who acknowledges his inexperience and therefore follows the manufacturer's instructions exactly over a "we've always done it this way" contractor any day.

It's a matter of accurate self assessment. A lot of remodeling isn't that technically difficult, but you
better be damn sure you know what you're doing and why.

@renovator8: I'll grant you the rest but if you know of an affordable roofer, send him my way. We've done two roofs ourselves, saving us multiple thousands. Hard, heavy work and it can eat up your summer but if it saves you $10k, worth doing DIY. Of course, you have to know what you're doing.

Large format? Not for a first time tiler.It would be like trying to enter the Brickyard 400 without even having a driving license. If you're willing to go to driver's school, and do several training races that you'll probably screw up first, then maybe. Some pro tile guys never do very well with large format because, as Treb says, "we've always done it this a way".

"I'd take a neophyte who acknowledges his inexperience and therefore follows the manufacturer's instructions exactly over a "we've always done it this way" contractor any day."

I totally agree with this, and the rest of Trebruchet's post. That's twice in one week. I dunno. If you can know and be sure a pro installs by industry and manufacturer specs, what a relief to be able to delegate the work. But they seem to be hard to find, so diligent DIY is a safer bet in a lot of cases.

Now with flooring, and yours is a large area to deal with, prep and a sound foundation is critical and can get technical to avoid a failure. It's not like a backsplash or counter (easy) or even a small bathroom or kitchen (very doable).

John bridge site can help you assess your flooring project from a technical standpoint, will walk you through each step, and cheer you on!

Treb's comments are spot-on (like snookums, I'm surprised. :-)). Take your time, learn how, and you'll be fine. All of us once started where you are.

However, this post seemed to morph into an assumption that you're wanting to tile one large, contiguous area. Re-reading your OP, you list 3 separate rooms. If they're not connected, then I'd start with the smallest one to cut your teeth, and then move up from there.

Thanks for the responses. The rooms are all connected.

This job is beyond me so we will be hiring someone.

On average, how long does it take to have a professional lay tile? Can they do a normal sized kitchen in a few days? A week?

Anna, watch your installer and learn as much as you can. How long will it take? It depends on how much prep is needed, how much/if old flooring has to come up, whether the tile is in stock, etc. You might be seeing strangers in the house for two or three weeks, off and on

I've been on this forum maybe fifteen years (sometimes a year or two between posts). Trebruchet's been around a long time, too. There's been a lot of times when I was wrong and he was right.

Yes, John Bridge forum - great resource - geared for pros, but plenty to be learned there for all experience levels.

Yes, large tiles are unforgiving. I put 1200 ft of 18x18s in our house, just finished 900 ft. in our garage apartment. I'm learning, but still screw up and have to break out a tile the next morning. The toughest are the 6x24s we picked for the apartment baths. They go up 36" on the walls and on into the tub surrounds. They're murder to keep lined up and flat.

Do your research first on JB forums. Know what needs to be done and how so you can ask pertinent questions when interviewing. There are a lot of sad tile stories around.

Also be sure to provide a picture of how you want them laid out. Some very strange layouts have been posted here by unhappy customers who did not know their tiler could find a new and unusual way to lay those wood look tiles.

Get it all in writing too.

I think the answer when it comes to DIY is "know thyself". I've down all of those things Renovator says you should never do yourself and they've all come out as well or better than when I've had similar work down by professionals. I have dear friends who are extremely competent at what they do who should not attempt to change a light bulb on their own. When I look at tasks and am trying to decide whether to do it myself I ask whether it is a matter of care, knowledge, or a motor skill learned through long practice. (and many jobs are a combination of all three). The first two are generally readily addressed, especially with the interweb and youtube videos. Things that take practice are a matter of what commitment are you willing to make, and what opportunity do you have. The one job I won't try myself is plastering, not because I don't think I could learn to do it, but because it takes a lot of physical skill and daily practice over a long period of time to become competent at it. Laying tile floors on the other hand is just a matter of paying a lot of attention to detail, with pretty average skills required. For the vast majority of tasks it's possible for the DIY person who is not trying to make a living at getting a job done in a timely manner to do as good or a better job than the pro who needs to get in and out quickly. It's not done casually though, that leads to disaster.

To your question on time, here are some of my stats. I'm not a pro, but a reasonably fast, reasonably competent tiler.

8x10 bathroom with doored-off water closet: 6 hours/1 person for Ditra and tile. An hour the next day for grout.

450 sf sunroom/hall/breakfast nook: 6 hours/2 people to tape down heated wire, 6 hours/2 people for Ditra, 10 hours/1 person + 8 hours/2 people to lay all tile.

Epoxy grout, to boot. I'm impressed!

How much do you think those jobs would have been to hire out?

I'm a very experienced remodeling contractor, but I won't do whole room drywall jobs. It just isn't cost effective. Even though it is one of the most simple and most easy to repair if you screw up, the experienced guys are just too good and too fast.

I would never discourage anyone from tackling a tile project, but it depends on how much knowledge you have or if you think your knowledge is lacking, how much time you want to spend teaching yourself before you start this. Tile websites like John Bridge can be very helpful, as is talking with others you may know who've done it.

You need to do a lot of homework to get an understanding of what you're doing. But it CAN be done. I'm a self-taught tiler myself and everyone tells me that my jobs are better than many they've seen that were done by a pro. Don't let anyone tell you that you "can't do that." Determination is everything!! However, a smaller job done first, so that you can hone your skill set, may be better than such a large project for a rank beginner.

This is an excellent post with very useful comments and links. Supervise your contractor carefully. I have seen so many poorly done so called pro ceramic jobs.

Good luck with your project and thanks for starting this post.

Carol

Porcelain planking can be a beautiful floor, IF PREPPED properly. You want to makes sure that subfloor is as flat as flat can be, or you'll have the ends of the tiles sticking way up. Secondly, you don't want to break the joints by more than 1/3, and 1/4 is better if the planking you're using is 36" or better. Reason being that it's the nature of the beast that while in the kiln, the elongated tiles will slightly warp. Not enough to really see it, unless you put them side by side on a perfectly flat surface, or lay them on top of each other face to face, and then you'll see a slight teeter totter.

That said, whether you're getting in over your head or not is up to you. Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.". It's largely a matter of confidence. To help you with the technical aspect, though, this is a link to the FAQ page of my website. Just about everything you would need to know is there.
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Here is a link that might be useful: Creative Ceramic &Marble FAQ Page

lucas:
I just purchased black slate for a bathroom floor, shower base and walls. I have never use that premixed Mapei CQ. What do you recommend that I use to seal the slate before grouting ? I prefer something that is non-toxic/ no VOC.

Aquamix Sealers Choice 15. Almost no smell to it whatsoever. Although solvent based sealers will do better for you (like the Miracle 511 series), they DO have a slight odor to them for a couple of days, and if that's a consideration, then they're not what you want.