Too many homeowners dive headlong into do-it- yourself flooring projects with the mindset that yes, it is going to take a little longer and require more effort than had they hired a flooring professional to do it for them, but the money they save will make it all worthwhile.

In their minds all they have to do is make a quick trip to a nearby flooring store, pick out their ceramic tile, watch a couple of DIY home shows on cable and voilà – soon they too will have a nice new ceramic tile floor and extra money in the bank.

Sadly, in many cases that is not quite the way the story plays out. Installing any kind of flooring is a lot trickier than any of those videos make it look and that home show they watched where the girl with the twinkling smile and designer jeans laid a tile floor in an afternoon and still had time to throw a couple of new kitchen cabinets together is exposed as the made for TV fiction it is.

Failing to get the measurements right is one of the biggest pitfalls an amateur can face when installing a ceramic tile floor. Even being just one sixteenth of an inch off compounds as you move across the floor and the end result is often an unsightly and unstable floor that will have to be ripped up and started over.

Another problem is that, as tough as ceramic flooring tiles are, if they are laid on an inadequately prepared subfloor you are simply asking for trouble. It may take weeks, or even months, but chances are that those tiles will crack and buckle leaving you with a real disaster on your hands.

So now the homeowner is back at the tile store, repurchasing the ceramic tile needed to start the floor all over again. So much for saving money. This time though, when the sympathetic salesperson suggests the services of a professional tiling installer, the wisest thing to do is listen and start looking for a good one right away.

Not all amateurs are going to have a terrible time installing a ceramic tile floor. If you are truly confident in your experience level and enjoy DIY, it could be a rewarding way to spend a weekend or two. For most people though, the best thing to do is leave the flooring installation to the pros and just look forward to enjoying your brand new flooring instead.