Installing Snapstone Kitchen Floor Tile for our Home Remodel

A couple weeks have passed since I ripped up my old kitchen linoleum, and another week since my kitchen tile arrived from special order at Lowes.  Since then I have been working on installing the tile floor and getting the kitchen back in a usable condition, which I can now finally say it is.  It actually was not that hard, thanks in large part to the SnapStone floating tile system we purchased that removes the step of laying mortar or thinset, and makes installing kitchen tile on your own doable in a weekend.  Because it was such a success in my kitchen, and because I was very skeptical of how the SnapStone tile would actually work out, I thought I would share my experience here, to calm the worries some people are probably having right now about tiling a kitchen or other room on their own, and to dispel any concerns people have over using SnapStone, ZipTile, Avaire Flooring systems, or any other floating tile system.

Floating Tile Systems

If you are not already aware, there is a company based in Omaha, Nebraska that offers their floating tile that removes the very difficult and messy step of prepping the floor with mortar or thinset prior to laying the actual tile.  It means that once you remove the old flooring in the room, the only steps left are to lay the tile and grout.  For comparison, here is a diagram of the layers of flooring you can expect to have when laying tile.

All the layers of a standard tile floor.  Though this work is doable as a DIY project, most homeowners
are not experienced laying tile, and this process is not very forgiving.

If this looks like a lot of work, it is because you are right, it is.  There are many layers involved with laying a tile floor, all of which require their own install and setting times.  With an infant in the house and only my wife and I available to do the work, we did not think doing all this while caring for a child and a ninety-pound Chocolate Lab and two house cats was going to be feasible.  At the same time, we preferred to do the work ourselves because it costs a lot less and isn't as intrusive as having professionals come in and work on the house all day.

SnapStone is Easier to Install

It was around the same time that we were debating whether this project was feasible that my wife found a section of the flooring section at Lowes dedicated to something called SnapStone, which advertised a simpler and easier tile installation than regular tile.  This sounded great, but as has been my experience with home improvement products that advertise simplicity, it was probably too good to be true.  According to the box, as well as the little video player that was part of the display, SnapStone tile is real porcelain tile, attached to a plastic frame, with a rubberized bottom that allows the tiles to grip the floor.  Around all four sides are plastic tabs that allow the tiles to interlock with one another, which keeps the tiles from moving apart from one another while also perfectly spacing each tile for grouting.  If this tile was anything like what was being advertised, we knew we had found the tile we would use.

For the sake of not repeating myself too much, if you are interested in the details of our purchase of SnapStone tile, what it is, how it works, and whether it seems like a quality product, please refer to my previous post which goes into detail on what information we were able to get about SnapStone from the company and from researching online.  What I will mention here is that, from all the research we have done on floating tile systems, there are four floating tile products on the market, three of which are actually the same product re-branded for different stores, and the fourth looks like they may have gone out of business.  The three that I can find current information on are all manufactured by CoMc, LLC out of Omaha, Nebraska, and while the tile color names vary between products, the actual tiles and grouts are identical, except for a couple styles that are exclusive to one product or another.  For the DIYer looking to shop around, I have provided some general information about each floating tile product and where you can find them.

SnapStone Floating Porcelain Tile System

SnapStone tile is available exclusively at Lowes and Menards, and Lowes is where we found out about floating tile systems.  If you are the type of person that needs to actually see the product before buying it, you can get your hands on these tiles, though many of the colors, especially the eighteen inch tiles, are available only as a special order or through the Lowes website.  This is the product we bought, but this review applies equally to the other floating tile products offered by CoMc, LLC.

ZipTile Floating Porcelain Tile Flooring System

ZipTile is the equivalent to SnapStone, but it is offered exclusively through Amazon.com.  Aside from maybe one or two colors of grout that are only available from ZipTile, this is the exact same product as SnapStone.  As of the time writing this post, ZipTile is the cheapest product of the three, so unless you have a reason to purchase the tile from a brick-and-mortar store, buying ZipTile through Amazon.com will save you a decent amount of money.  Also, while waiting for our tile to be delivered, we noticed that the reviews online suggested to use the special ZipTile Installation Tool Kit that is offered with ZipTile, so we also ordered that from Amazon, and if you decided to go with a floating tile system from CoMc, LLC, I highly recommend getting this kit.  It makes snapping the tiles together simple, and also provides all the tools needed to grout.

Avaire Interlocking Floating Porcelain Floors

Avaire is the third (although from all accounts online, the first product from CoMc, LLC to actually hit the market) floating tiling system available.  Avaire Floors are available through many small flooring and hardware stores around the country, though they appear to focus more on commercial installations.  Aside from the name and retailer, Avaire Floors are the same as SnapStone and ZipTile above.  The only difference here is that, at least right now, Avaire Floors is the only product that offers the Thin|Line Series, which is the same tiles but with a one-eighth inch (1/8") grout line instead of the standard one-quarter (1/4"). 

Installing Our Kitchen Tile

ZipTile 18" Tiles in Flagstaff.
Same as SnapStone in Sierra.

By the time our special order of eighteen inch SnapStone tiles in Sierra (Flagstaff in ZipTile) came in, our kitchen floor linoleum had already been ripped out, and all that was left in the kitchen was the three-quarter inch (3/4") subfloor.  We ordered seventeen boxes of four tiles, along with three containers of the SnapStone flexible grout in Mushroom (also Mushroom in ZipTile), for our approximately one hundred fifty square foot (150 ft²) kitchen floor.  We knew this was more than needed, but as neither my wife nor I had ever layed tile or grouted before, we didn't know how much we would break.  A good rule of thumb is to buy ten percent (10%) more tile than needed, since you will lose some tile to cuts and breakage.  You can always return what you didn't use, plus it is a good idea to keep a couple extra tiles lying around in case one gets cracked.

Buying the Right Tools and Parts

As with any home project, it is good to get all the parts and pieces you need to do the job before you start.  There will almost always be something you forgot and have to make a last-minute run to the hardware store, but it is always good to be as prepared as possible.  For each stage of the kitchen tile installation, I have included a list of the tools we used along with the material required to complete the stage.  This is only in reference to my specific installation, so it is possible that you will need other tools to complete your own flooring project, but it should at least provide a good start.

Removing the Old Linoleum Floor

Tools Used

Circular Saw		Framing Blade		Pry Bar

The first step in my kitchen floor tiling project was to remove the old linoleum floor.  I wrote in detail about ripping up my old linoleum floor a few weeks ago, so I will try not to get too in-depth here, but I will cover the basics.  Copying a method my wife found on Pinterest, we used a circular saw adjusted to the thickness of the linoleum and plywood base, making sure to avoid cutting into the actual subfloor, and cut the floor into one foot (12") squares.  I originally attempted to use the generic blade that came with the saw, but after an hour of trying to make a single cut into the floor, I gave in and bought a framing blade, finishing the rest of the cuts in under thirty minutes.  The rest of the work used primarily the pry bar to pull up the floor, which was significantly easier to do with the floor in small squares.  The hardest part is getting the last of the floor up around the edges and under the baseboard, which was removed as well.  Here is what the floor demo project looked like.

My kitchen floor cut into one foot squares using my circular saw and framing blade.

Kitchen floor part-way through the demo.  Over the years our kitchen floor had been re-floored two times,
so we actually had three layers of linoleum and plywood to cut through.  Your situation may vary.

Kitchen floor ripped up except for the area under the refrigerator and oven.

Panoramic of the floor prior to installing the tile with the Ohio State versus Wisconsin game on in the background.

Laying the Tile

Tools / Material Used

ZipTile / SnapStone Tiles		ZipTile Installation Tool Kit		Wet Tile Saw

Laying the tile was actually a snap (pun intended), though if you have never done it before, I recommend pacing yourself.  Make sure the floor is very clean before you start, and be sure to keep any children and pets out of the area for the duration.  We probably went overboard cleaning the floor, but its better to be safe than sorry.  This project is doable by a single person in a day depending on the size of the room, but two people make this a far easier proposition.  We did not use knee pads when laying the tile, but I would strongly recommend getting some if you plan on using your knees for the next two days. To actually lay the tile, we started along the edge of the floor against the kitchen cabinets and made a straight line to the opposite wall with whole tiles.  From there we made another line of tiles perpendicular to the first, creating a cross near the center of the room, with two ends against their respective walls.  You will find that snapping the first few tiles together is pretty easy, but as you get more together, it gets a little more difficult.  The best way we found is to use the rubber mallet provided in the installation kit and firmly hammer the next tile into the rest.  To limit the amount of sliding of the tiles, putting your full weight onto the tile you are attaching the new piece to helps, but does not eliminate the sliding entirely.  After every tile we placed, we went back and checked the rest of the tiles to see if any had slid around.  Until you get a large portion of the floor done, they will more around a bit, so be diligent on this, otherwise you will spend hours trying to get them all back in place.  The rubberized spacer bar that comes with the installation kit was a big help here, as adjusting the tile spacing with the mallet alone doesn't work well if the tile you are adjusting is in the middle.  Ensuring perfect alignment is another point where we probably went overboard with, but once you grout there is no going back, so it is far better to be obsessive with alignment than to be disappointed with the finished product.

Our floor with the cross made and a few tiles in one quarter of the room placed.

Once we made a cross out of our tiles, we started laying the rest, doing one quarter of the room at a time.  We quickly found out that snapping a tile into two tiles at once is far more difficult than just one.  Some of the tiles went in easily, first pounding in once side than the other, but others did not want to snap together.  The easiest solution to this problem was to offset the tiles about half an inch or so, just enough so that the interlocking tabs would connect, but only a small portion of them.  Once we got that in, we pounded the other side carefully so that the tabs already connected remained together, then once we got up against the second tile, pounded more firmly to connect the second tile.  This continual pounding does shift the other tiles around a little bit, so again, go back and check the other tiles every time you connect a new one. The last step in laying the tile was to lay the cut pieces.  Because the tile has to be snapped together, be sure to leave at least a quarter inch (1/4") so that the rubberized pry bar can be fitted into the gap between the wall and tile and snapped into place.  Since we had access to a wet tile saw, that is what we used, but for straight cuts, a manual tile cutter is usually easier.  One thing to keep in mind with floating tile systems is that there is a plastic frame underneath the porcelain, so cutting with either cutting tools requires a little more work.  In the case of the tile cutter, ZipTile / SnapStone recommends using a blade to cut the plastic off.  For a wet tile saw, this is not necessary, but at least in my case, the tile saw hung up and actually stopped when it encountered enough of the rubber padding.  Backing off and resuming fixed this issue.
Be very careful when hammering in cut pieces, especially corners.  We had one piece that appears to have cracked from the cut corner, presumably from when we pounded the tile into place.  Because the tile was in a spot that is under the refrigerator, however, we decided to leave it.  Interestingly, due to the plastic frame underneath holding the tile together, the cracks are not even noticeable unless you look for them.  Unless the cracked tiles are in a high traffic area, or the crack is more noticeable, I would suggest leaving the tile, as removing a tile already in place on all four sides requires you to cut three sides of the plastic tabs off both the old and new pieces, and try to place the new tile in the center.  Once the cut tiles are in place, the floor will look nearly complete.   Here is our floor after tiling and before grouting.

Our SnapStone floor placed prior to tiling.  We decided, due to both time and the condition of the floor
under the dishwasher, not to tile under the dishwasher.  

The kitchen floor from another angle, showing the pantry area.  Again, we saw no need to tile inside the
pantry, since we will be installing more shelving at the bottom, and may decide to go with something that
mounts to the floor.

Another shot of the pre-grouted kitchen floor.

Panoramic of the entire kitchen floor, pre-grout.  

Grouting the Tile

Tools / Material Used

ZipTile / SnapStone Grout		ZipTile Installation Tool Kit

Grouting, while not as bad as mortaring or laying thinset, is still a messy job.  Because we went with ZipTile / SnapStone, however, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.  The ZipTile / SnapStone grout comes premixed, and is designed to be remain slightly flexible when completely dry since the tiles will still move up and down slightly due to the plastic and rubber frame.  There is actually still some mixing to do since the liquid separates from the grout in the container, but it isn't hard to mix.  Grouting with ZipTile / SnapStone is the same as grouting with regular grout, applying it with the grout float and margin trowel that comes with the ZipTile Installation Tool Kit. Just like regular grout, it is applied at a forty-five degree (45^o) from the grout lines to ensure you don't catch the edges.  This is doubly important with floating tiles as catching a corner with sufficient force can knock a tile, especially an end tile, out of alignment.  Grout residue is then removed using the included grout sponge.  The only real difference with the ZipTile / SnapStone grout is that it takes longer to fully cure.  The directions say you can apply light traffic after twenty-four (24) hours, and heavy traffic after seventy-two (72) but we were very careful not to walk on it for two days, and did not move appliances back for five days. The grouting really did not take very long, only about three to four hours in total, and we used less than we thought.  Although we bought three containers of grout, we came very close to only using one for the entire floor, only needing the second container for the last six tiles.  Another nice feature of the type of grout used is that it does not require a sealer, and you can apply more grout on top of dry grout if you end up finding a spot that needs some touch-up later.  The downside to this is that the grout, and therefor the tile itself, is not suitable in high-moisture areas, such as a shower.  You can use it anywhere else in the house, though, including the kitchen which is the room we tiled.  The tile just after grouting is shown below.

The process of grouting turned out to be fairly easy, as long as we were careful to take our time and only
grout a small section at a time.   This can be done by one person, but it is easier and faster if a second
person is there to help.

The kitchen tile just after grouting.  The instructions say to wait twenty-four hours before you walk on it,
but I would give it two days just to be safe.

 Placing Appliances

Tools Used

Furniture Sliders

The grouting was finished on a Monday night, and we waited until Saturday night to move the appliances back.  I have seen reports online of people cracking tiles when moving the heavy appliances back onto the floor, though we had no issues.  Aside from the refrigerator which is on wheels, the oven and kitchen island were put on plastic furniture-moving feet to make sure no tiles were cracked.  Our transition from the dining room into the kitchen was also just a slight drop, and we were very careful to make sure the appliance didn't fall onto the tile.  We again went a bit overboard, but we made sure the feet of each appliance being moved were as centered with the tiles as possible, to minimize the stress on the tiles and grout.  

The kitchen tile with the heavy objects installed, minus the final caulking around the outer edges.

Another shot of the kitchen tile with the appliances back in their original locations.

Final Results

The final results look great.  Compared to the worn, torn, burnt, and flood-damaged kitchen linoleum we had before, ZipTile / SnapStone wins hands down.  As for quality, the tile feels and acts like mortared tile, and if we hadn't done the work ourselves, I never would have known this is floating tile.  The real test of this tile is going to be time, however.  We will see whether it holds up to the normal wear and tear of daily kitchen use as well as standard tile.  So far it is very promising, however it has only been installed for a couple weeks.  I will be looking to revisit the status of my kitchen tile in about a year, so if you are still on the fence as to whether using ZipTile / SnapStone is a good idea and have some time to burn, come back next year to see how my kitchen tile is faring.

I am far from a professional tile installer, but I do have a little insight on the process of installing a floating tile system, so if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask.  In addition to the ZipTile installation videos I embedded, there are a few more that may be helpful here.  I am also curious to hear other people's success es or failures, so please add your stories in the comments.  Hopefully this is a helpful guide and review for people considering using ZipTile / SnapStone, and if there is something you would like me to address that I forgot, let me know and I will try to add it.