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I agree with Barry, when you hit them with the full scope of the process and cost to have it the way they want it they may just love the idea of a tapered oak threshold, I work in the s.f. area where most of the houses have wood floors and if you want a tile floor you have to either go through the “process” or live with a 3/4 to 1″ threshold between hall and bathroom, it is so common to step up to a kitchen or bathroom that almost no one will insist in the “process”, and if they do then you know where you stand with the bid. quality costs and if they want a perfectly flat transistion they have to be willing to pay for it, just let them know and give two different prices so when the other guy beats your bid they will know why.
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I agree with Barry, when you hit them with the full scope of the process and cost to have it the way they want it they may just love the idea of a tapered oak threshold, I work in the s.f. area where most of the houses have wood floors and if you want a tile floor you have to either go through the "process" or live with a 3/4 to 1" threshold between hall and bathroom, it is so common to step up to a kitchen or bathroom that almost no one will insist in the "process", and if they do then you know where you stand with the bid. quality costs and if they want a perfectly flat transistion they have to be willing to pay for it, just let them know and give two different prices so when the other guy beats your bid they will know why.
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Go to your local Custom tile product outlet and ask for SemCo anti-fracture membrane. It trowels on about 1/16th thick, and isolates your subfloor from the thinset. Also good to eliminate cracking. You can apply thinset directly to the SemCo after a 24 hour cure. Check to make sure that The Semco is also good on chipboard. I know that it can be used over plywood and is very sticky, but sometimes chipboard poses other problems. I believe it should work.
Scott
*I agree with Barry..Beauty has a price. Take the floor out and start over, you'll be money and time ahead by the time they give you a callback.
*I'd be leery of the flex that could occur if you don't have a good solid base. Rip up the floor, scab onto the sides of the joist with a dropped ledger, and re-install the sheathing in between the joists. This process is not that difficult and will add only a small amount of time-a couple of hours for a small bath.The extra effort will gurantee your sucessful streak.blue
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I've done about a dozen tile jobs, and realize I am far from an expert. To date, I've had really good sucess.
Here is the delema... Someone wants two bathrooms done, with half inch ceramic tile...no big deal right?
The current floor is a 17 year old Armstrong celarum (sp?) floor. I've tiled over existing tile before but never this stuff. What what I gather it's not an approved substrate. The local tile shop also tell me not to use it as after 17yrs the glue holding it down is not questionable. Again no problem rip it up, and tile on the underlayment. Well, I know the guy who built the place, and he tell me the whole second floor is chipboard underlayment. Again not approved for by the thinset manufacturers.
I could put underlayment down, but by the time I do this, add the thinset, and the 1/2" tile, you'd almost need a step ladder to get in from the hallway.
Thoughts?
As always...thanks for the opinions...wisdom..etc.
pm
*Tell the customers that you'll have to remove the flooring, shave the floor joists down, and install new subflooring and cement board, just because they want these half inch tiles. And tell them what it'll cost.