First things first is get the floor as level as you can. Then use spacers. Personally I'd stick to 12" sq tiles as they will "manipulate" better over peaks and vallies (think moment arm). I did the floor in my old house pre-kids and pre allmyfuckingtimeisconsumed life. Not hard at all. Follow the instructions well. Don't be afraid to chuck a piece if it isn't cut just right. As far as the thicker thinner sections, what do they recommend? Personally I don't have the time, energy or patience to be tied up with my little free time doing it as it's meticulous back breaking work to do it right. I'm quite Broomish when it comes to fit/finish so your results may vary.
I won't be dealing with any hard cuts in the kitchen, but when I get to the bathroom there will be challenges- how do you make round or complex angle cuts?
To my knowledge there shouldn't be any movement.. We use schluter systems and I recommend them in every aspect, we've done a few heated floors including in showers and have never used any other grout. Speaking of grout if you want to never have to worry about sealing it go with power grout, it's more expensive but its the best. Also grouting is deceptively hard..
angle grinder with tile / stone disc (diamond) then cut / break step by step. not large pieces. draw the curve on the tile, then cut a grove along curve, then perpendicular full cuts to the grove. keep grinding or break off, whatever seems to work best for the specific tile. again, you won't believe how many youtube videos are out there. make a list of what you need to know, look up the vids, bookmark them and when you do it have them running while you give it a shot. got me everything done at first shot. and no, i won't post a vid here
That's same type I used. If I remember you lay the cement on the base first with trowel one direction, lay down heat then on top 90 degrees. You WILL step in the cement even if you don't think you will. It's a pain in the dick as you have to work behind or beside the roll. Last roll sucks. One other word of advice. Measure and measure again to make sure your tiles are centered as you don't want a 1/4" tile along one edge and make sure the heating elements fit with whatever direction you lay them.
Ya, forgot, this stuff too. Don't forget to seal it after, then do it a couple more times. Especially in a kitchen. Never know if there will be a murder there you have to clean up quick. You don't want to have to call Winston Wolf.
I keep forgetting shit. Plus wear safety glasses, those shards (and potential sharts if a disc explodes) are nasty.
It's all layout really, on the floor the issue will be ac vents if you have any, try and get it so you don't have a vent in the middle of a tile those are a bitch.. on tiles like a valve on a shower or a vent where you can make the cut a "U" shape with a good tilex you start with two cuts the width you need it and then make cuts in the middle, youll end up with a bunch of little cuts (think of teeth) At that point if its a hidden cut (like under a vent cover) you can knock or snip them out. if its visible or a softer tile you knock out the big pieces and the smooth the edge by grinding the tile away with the blade, thats how you make rounded edges. Think of using a bench grinder.
12x24 seems big for a 12' x 12' room. Although, with less tiles, easier to keep the lines straight and less grout work. However, less room for error if you break a tile or 2. Regarding sealer, my tile guy said he doesn't recommend it anymore due to the advances made in grout. Then again, might just be in the type of grout he uses.
Hardy is what I used when I did our kitchen. Stuff made me swear off ever attempting to do tile again.
If you're dead set on doing it yourself, go to a tile supply house. Not HD or Lowe's or the like. A dedicated tile supplier. There's no way I would put tile on concrete without crack suppression. They'll sell you the right materials and tools, and probably give you more than enough direction to complete this. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and tell them exactly what you're trying to accomplish. The additives, crack suppression, the order of execution isn't all smoke and mirrors if you want a quality product that you can be proud to show off.
I did my bathroom and kitchen after going to a one hour class at HD. Taught me everything I needed to know. I did buy a $130 wet saw but it has paid itself back tenfold. Like others said, don't use HD or Lowes if you're looking for decent tile and accessories. And it's all about the prep...mud-set Hardie backer is the way to go (buy a couple of cheap saw blades for cutting the Hardie). I actually find tile work to be pretty damn fun.
