kerabond/keralastic and yellow pine

Willy · #16 May 1, 2008, 10:31 AM

It kinda looks like 2 ways of doing this. The way recommended and required by the manufacturer's of the products and Stullis's way. One - the recommended way-if followed correctly should get you a quality installation. And Stullis's way, which (he has probably been installing for 25 years-best installer we have type guy), which may get you an inspection or cost you an arm and a leg. Cut the guy some slack, it sure sounds like he is doing he "homework" and trying to get his best value for the dollar. Bummer, a DIY guy, cutting into your business!

Most of your posts have a definate pattern to them

bspaugh · #17 May 1, 2008, 12:00 PM

Alright, I hate to get into pissin' matches.

Stullis, no doubt you probably know more than I ever will about flooring and its not my aspiration to. No, I am not a troll and I am just a regular guy who is trying to put a new floor in because mine is trashed. I grew up being a shadetree mechanic and can say that I am very good at it and feel I have some decent knowledge both practical and theoretical. it wasn't until I bought my first house three yars ago before I learned a thing about home repair/remodeling. Even though my father did alot I never was interested until I had a house of my own. So, I am learning the fundamentals but I came here to get some "practical" advice as well. I will be the first to admit I am victim of the marketing BS (more than once) but I am trying to sort it out aren't I? Why do you think I am here? I am trying to learn so take it easy alright.

Maybe its hard to imagine but I would bet that there was a time in your life where you didn't know the first thing about installing floors. Now people like me must seem stupid to you or living in a fantasy world. What if you were to reflect on yourself and your knowledge from the first week you cared to learn how to do a floor? Would you talk to yourself like you talked to me because you were inexperienced and not very knowledgeable?

BTW, its hard to learn and "listen" from someone who's first statement to me was meant to be degrading. The best teachers always drops down to the student's level of understanding, same thing with parents teaching kids. So your approach isn't very good in my opinion. I will admit I haven't thought of all of this marketing BS as you put it until this. So pat yourself on the back for that.

About the housing market, my opinion is that the fact that people can't pay their bills and buying more house than they can afford leading to record foreclosures have more of an impact than people trying to flip houses.

Bud, thanks for the insight, again my inexperience shows and I learn something new everytime I am here. I used this same quality tile inone of the bathrooms and its still holding 2 years later. But I never dropped anything on it and its a small area

Willy, I would gladly pay a pro to do it but I can't. I am a DIY guy by necessity not by choice you know? Someday when I get a better job I will call Stullis and see if he or she can come to Indiana to give me an estimate for my next house.

Willy · #18 May 1, 2008, 12:30 PM

bspaugh,

I sure hope you don't think I'm insinuating that you should be hiring a "pro". I admire you for tackling the job and doing your research. Just too bad you have to catch flack for asking honest questions and trying to save some money. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you. I'm not a ceramic guy myself, even though I have installed tile in several rooms, been lucky so far-no problems.

Bud Cline · #19 May 1, 2008, 04:34 PM

Bud, thanks for the insight, again my inexperience shows and I learn something new every time I am here. I used this same quality tile in one of the bathrooms and its still holding 2 years later. But I never dropped anything on it and its a small area.

A higher PEI Rating doesn't have anything to do with "impact damage". It has more to do with "co-efficient of friction" (COF) type surface-wear, though your tile will also have a COF rating in addition to the PEI Rating. PEI and COF are two different values, there is no rating for impacts on tile surfaces I am aware of.

The life expectancy of any ceramic tile (if properly installed) is well beyond two years - fifty years wouldn't be a stretch.

Damn stullis I hope some of my bad habits aren't wearing off on you. After about nine years of my participating in DIY Forums I'm afraid I too tend to go right for the jugular, it saves time and gets a person's attention a lot faster than pussy-footing and arguing.

I lack the tact to lower myself to the level of newcomers sometimes and I have my regrets about that fault. At the same time it seems counterproductive to me.

Curt Durand · #20 May 1, 2008, 06:10 PM

I second Willy's post. As I said before, ignore stullis.

stullis · #21 May 1, 2008, 11:04 PM

Okay so maybe you aren't a troll or poser but you are definitely posting like one.

You are suffering from Analysis Paralysis.

Pick a friggin method and just do it. How many hours have you wasted thinking this over? At $14/hr you could have bought your K/K, plywood, ditra and better nicer looking tile.

BTW the mystery plywood your dad was talking about was most likely 3/8" Multipy but hey the expert inspectors will lead you down the golden primrose path.

May the 3G's be with you on this project.