Man are the trades ever busy here...

[Mel Gibson]

I need some tile work done, and one place that looks like they do quality work won't be able to start the job until December. Three months!

[Tribrid Vampire]

What have you been doing on your time off? I heard of this CRB after CERB.

[Mel Gibson]

What have you been doing on your time off? I heard of this CRB after CERB.

I've been keeping busy! Overwhelmed, actually... This is a big house and property, so I'm doing what needs to be done in my 'time off.' Just finished planting a cedar hedge (there's another $500 in raw materials).

I've focused most of my efforts on the yard, since that's seasonal... Inside shit can be handled year round!

[Blue Frost]

Wish I could help Mel, I can do tile work, and have most the tools.
It's not hard, you just need the right stuff, and don't cut corners on the project.

[Mel Gibson]

Wish I could help Mel, I can do tile work, and have most the tools.
It's not hard, you just need the right stuff, and don't cut corners on the project.

Appreciate that! But ya, I don't have any tools for tiling. While I would have no problems attempting some tiling by myself, I think I'll leave the bath tub and surround reno's to the pros, simply because if any tile work has to be done correctly, it's around the tub! I'll probably replace the tub and fixtures also.

[Blue Frost]

I did that a few times for people I know, tearing out, and replacing tubs is not any fun at all.
The last one I had to gut the whole bathroom, took us a week since it was an old house with wire in the plaster that had to be removed, floor had to go also, pipes, and all.
When we where finished it looked pro, everyone loved it, but I was in bad shape for a month after that.

[Mel Gibson]

That's another thing I worry about, is what may be found behind the tiles! While the house is only 25 years old, the previous owners were cheap and neglected pretty much everything... They didn't put a penny into anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. Now I have to deal with that... I'm glad I lowballed the offer I gave them for the house as much as I did!

[Blue Frost]

Likely you just need to cut out the old green board, and replace it so you can tile over that.
Don't let them tile over the old stuff, makes the surround smaller, and if you need to get to pipes latter, or replace it it's a real pain, and twice the work.
Sometimes they want to tile over old stuff as it's easy for them, it's a bad idea unless you are selling now, and still not right.

[Mel Gibson]

Ya, the guy I'm hiring looks like he does quality work from what I can tell. Might explain why he has three months worth of work already booked before he can get to me! He's a tile guy, but also specializes in bathroom reno's.

[Blue Frost]

He will likely do you right, most that's backed up like that will unless it's a long weekend coming
My mom had one scheduled for our kitchen work, he was backed up for three months, but i just went ahead, and did it instead.
I think the worst part is cleaning the grout off the tile, at least I hate that part the most.
The tile guys know all the tricks unlike me so they do it with ease.

I do hope he is good, makes a statement in the house if you have good tile work.

[Mel Gibson]

Do it once, and do it right! Still have to get new prehung doors installed, new blinds, all around, painting inside and out, trim, new laminate flooring for the upstairs... New well pressure tank and hot water heater...

Shit, I'll be dumping $50,000 into the place when all is said and done. In retrospect, sometimes it's just easier to buy a new house. I did get a good deal on it though...

[beanthere]

I've done tiles before in commercial properties. I know they look good, but I hate them. They are really hard to keep clean, as they are porous and will absorb stains and things. They are also brittle which means if anything heavy falls on them or sits on them, they can crack or chip. I know you can seal the grout and all that, but you keep having to repeat the process every few years which I know, almost no one does. I'm tired, (and my wife is tired), of scrubbing the grout in our bathroom. If I ever decide to remodel, It's gonna be an acrylic or fibreglass tub with surround and I will go cheap and install linoleum on the floor. It may not look as impressive, but as I age, I want to simplify my life, and that includes minimizing the hardcore maintenance chores. Then, I can simply wipe clean, and go live my life doing something else, like maybe fishing or reading the newspaper.

[Mel Gibson]

I've done tiles before in commercial properties. I know they look good, but I hate them. They are really hard to keep clean, as they are porous and will absorb stains and things. They are also brittle which means if anything heavy falls on them or sits on them, they can crack or chip. I know you can seal the grout and all that, but you keep having to repeat the process every few years which I know, almost no one does. I'm tired, (and my wife is tired), of scrubbing the grout in our bathroom. If I ever decide to remodel, It's gonna be an acrylic or fibreglass tub with surround and I will go cheap and install linoleum on the floor. It may not look as impressive, but as I age, I want to simplify my life, and that includes minimizing the hardcore maintenance chores. Then, I can simply wipe clean, and go live my life doing something else, like maybe fishing or reading the newspaper.

I thought about a plastic surround also, but they do make tiles that are quite polished, and at least appear easy to clean!

But I do know what you mean with some tiles: My condo had the porous type (I'll assume they were the cheapest the builder could source) and they were kind of a pain to clean.

I'll have to discuss with my tile guy what would be a good 'easy to maintain' tile at a hopefully reasonable price! Tiles do look nice though, if done right!

[Blue Frost]

Do it once, and do it right! Still have to get new prehung doors installed, new blinds, all around, painting inside and out, trim, new laminate flooring for the upstairs... New well pressure tank and hot water heater...

Shit, I'll be dumping $50,000 into the place when all is said and done. In retrospect, sometimes it's just easier to buy a new house. I did get a good deal on it though...

Even in a new house you have expenses you don't think of when buying.

[Mel Gibson]

Even in a new house you have expenses you don't think of when buying.

That's true, and not all builders are equal also! I'm sure there's a few around that cut every corner they can, and then disappear the minute their work starts to fall apart and the owners start wanting warranty repair.

If I was a millionaire, I'd custom build a house with a top quality builder! But alas, I am not a millionaire...

[Blue Frost]

My sister just had a house built for her, they got a lot of things all wrong.
You have to inspect things all the way through, and in the process, but she didn't.
She got them to fix some things, but a lot she will have to deal with.