Tile Saw Location

[Newmantjn]

Hi all. I have my floor done and tiled and next up is the tub/shower.

When I tiled the floor, I located the wet saw in the driveway. The bathroom is upstairs. The saw is one of those cheap table saw types.

I live in Michigan, and it is starting cold and already dark after work. What do you guys do in situations like this? Just suck it up? or is there some clever way to put the saw close to where you are working?

 

[Reach4]

I have seen people post that they isolate a work area by taping up plastic drop cloths.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[NY_Rob]

I had the same situation when doing my upstairs bathroom- try to mark 2-3 tiles for cutting and cut them in a batch.
It sucks, but there's not much else you can do in a small bathroom space.
The worst part is 11pm saw cleanup when it's 25F outside and even your scrap tiles freeze together.

Ahhh.... good times!

 

[Jadnashua]

You can do it inside, but to prevent making a mess and maybe ruining something, you need a lot of plastic and essentially make a wet room for the thing. Then, you've got to take precautions to not track water and tile dust out of the room to where you are tiling.

The tile doesn't like extremes in temperature. If the tile was sitting outside and it's frigid, and you bring it in and use room-temp water in your wetsaw, it could cause the tile to crack and vice-versa. Getting sprayed with near freezing water outside is never fun. Having to climb several flights of stairs for each tile you need to cut is no fun, but you might just consider it exercise.

Last project, I was cutting in the garage, barely above freezing, and needed to add a bit of water to the tray. Next tile I cut shattered as it was being cut. This was a pretty strong porcelain tile. The actual edge of the blade can get warm at the point of contact, the tile was cold, and the water was warm...it did not like it!

 

[FullySprinklered]

I had every chance to become a tile setter, but I turned it down after doing a few jobs. I'm not known for doing the smart thing everytime, but it was a good move, I'm thinking.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

Particularly in the north, never buy a house without an unfinished portion of basement to have as a workshop.

 

[Erico]

I bought a $10 dollar kiddie pool and draped a sheet of plastic over the back of the saw. The spray hit the plastic and dripped in to the pool.

I did spring a small leak from the saw stand rubbing. Next time I would use a piece of plywood in the pool.

 

[Kreemoweet]

Most of those DIY tile saws will fit nicely into one of those larger-sized plastic concrete/mortar mixing tubs, augmented
perhaps by a piece of plastic sheeting. There really shouldn't be much spray to deal with: if there is, you have the water
supply turned up too high.

 

[Newmantjn]

Thanks for all the suggestions. BTW, this is a super cheap saw that just has a sump that the blade runs through. No pressure.

I'll look into some of those tubs and see. Maybe even drop it into a plastic bin?

 

[FullySprinklered]

Well, you could do what one outfit did, and set up in an open doorway upstairs and blow the mud out the door and all over my truck.

 

[Newmantjn]

Well, you could do what one outfit did, and set up in an open doorway upstairs and blow the mud out the door and all over my truck.

Where are you parked? I might be able to help you out.

 

[FullySprinklered]

You gonna wash my truck, or make a hit on the tile f***ers? Either course I would consider helpful.