Home Remodeling; Home Base/Depot or local contractors?

Question:

>Cheaper, _maybe_.  However, there’s often a substantial >difference in *quality.*

And selection, too. We were picking flooring out for our new house; had just finished tile selection, and a vinyl flooring catalog caught my eye.   I started paging through it to see the selection available, and handed it to my wife without comment — we had just finished laying vinyl tile on a 2nd bathroom we’re putting in our current house (for the express purpose of making it more attractive to homebuyers.)     She took a look through it and said "We never saw anything THIS nice when we bought our vinyl tiles."   The flooring guy said, "Where’d you go for the floor tiles?" "Starts with an H," I replied. >      Death before dishonor; nothing before coffee.

Stolen.  :-{) — 128.6.6.6 — Internet address of the Beast.                  

Response:

: It may not matter, your local contractor may get all the stuff from Home : Depot…my Brother in law is a carpenter and says that when their customers : decide what work is to be donee, BIL and his boss go to Home Depot and buy : all the materials.  They don’t use the local lumberyards/etc. because it is : cheaper to get those things at Home Depot.  When we were considering getting : our kitchen done, he said buy the cabinets at home Depot. Cheaper, _maybe_.  However, there’s often a substantial difference in *quality.* I’ve done extensive work on my house, and have discovered that — for example — the copper tubing from the local plumbing-supply store is sturdier than the thinner-walled version Home Depot sells.  Ditto for the romex cable and other electrical supplies. I’ve compared Home Depot’s kitchen cabinets, and they’re not bad, but I don’t particularly like particle-board boxes.  I quickly discovered that the small cabinet stores are reader, willing, and often able to meet or beat HD’s quality _and_ price; I’m getting plywood boxes for the price of HD’s MDF stuff. As far as whether to DIY or not, keep in mind that not all contractors can do everything well.  I wouldn’t have a plumber install my cabinets, for example. Get estimates, and get referrals from everyone, including the small stores — they know that their referrals will reflect on _their_ reputation, so you’ll (usually) get quality workers. Hey, it’s like everything else in this world: you get what you pay for.

:> Where are the best places to get things needed for remodeling :> a home to have the work done? :> I am not getting "high-end" stuff and I am not going to do it :> myself.  I could go to Home Depot and just buy all the materials :> and hire one outside contractor to do everything, or I could have :> each place I buy from (small carpet store, small major appliance :> store etc.)do the installation or I could buy from Home :> Base/Depot and have them do all the labor also. :> I want new appliances, carpet,  sinks, faucets, water filter, :> miniblinds, laminate counters, tub enclosures and sliding shower :> doors.  I also want to get all the wood-stained cabinets painted :> to match the walls. :> There are some local companies that specialize in countertops or carpets or :> appliances etc.. :> Are local companies usually better or worse in performance and cost? :> What are your personal experiences? —       Death before dishonor; nothing before coffee.

Response:

It may not matter, your local contractor may get all the stuff from Home Depot…my Brother in law is a carpenter and says that when their customers decide what work is to be donee, BIL and his boss go to Home Depot and buy all the materials.  They don’t use the local lumberyards/etc. because it is cheaper to get those things at Home Depot.  When we were considering getting our kitchen done, he said buy the cabinets at home Depot. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Where are the best places to get things needed for remodeling a home to have >the work done? >I am not getting "high-end" stuff and I am not going to do it myself.  I >could go to Home Depot and just buy all the materials and hire one outside >contractor to do >everything, or I could have each place I buy from (small carpet store, small >major appliance store etc.)do the installation or I could buy from Home >Base/Depot and have them do all the labor also. >I want new appliances, carpet,  sinks, faucets, water filter, miniblinds, >laminate counters, tub enclosures and sliding shower doors.  I also want to >get all the wood-stained cabinets painted to match the walls. >There are some local companies that specialize in countertops or carpets or >appliances etc.. >Are local companies usually better or worse in performance and cost? >What are your personal experiences?

Response:

Where are the best places to get things needed for remodeling a home to have the work done? I am not getting "high-end" stuff and I am not going to do it myself.  I could go to Home Depot and just buy all the materials and hire one outside contractor to do everything, or I could have each place I buy from (small carpet store, small major appliance store etc.)do the installation or I could buy from Home Base/Depot and have them do all the labor also. I want new appliances, carpet,  sinks, faucets, water filter, miniblinds, laminate counters, tub enclosures and sliding shower doors.  I also want to get all the wood-stained cabinets painted to match the walls. There are some local companies that specialize in countertops or carpets or appliances etc.. Are local companies usually better or worse in performance and cost? What are your personal experiences?

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Concrete recipes

Question:

Looking for recipes for mixing my own concrete.  Applications vary; everything from basic fencepost bedding to sidewalks and patios to smallish retaining walls.  Also mortar for brick and stone work. I even have a notion to manufacture my own paving stones/pation blocks. Yes, I know I may be asking for more work than I need, but I still want to know. I’ve searched the net, and scoured all the books in the library.   The closest I’ve found are comments like ‘Tell the ready-mix supplier waht you want….’  Somehow, I don’t think this is any big secret; I just haven’t been able to track down the information. One place that I *did* find, expressed the mixtures in terms of the final mixed volumes, which doesn’t help too much, since the volumetric sum of the component parts adds up to more than the final mixed volume, and I don’t think you can ‘unmix’ the mixture arithmetically.  What I really want is something like "5 parts gravel, 2 part sand, 1 part cement, a pinch of lime to taste… ;-) " Thanks in advance,         —   rod. —  TRIUMF — University of British Columbia,     Phone: (604)222-7449  Vancouver, BC, Canada.                           FAX: (604)222-7307

Response:

: Looking for recipes for mixing my own concrete.  Applications vary; : everything from basic fencepost bedding to sidewalks and patios to : smallish retaining walls.  Also mortar for brick and stone work. : I even have a notion to manufacture my own paving stones/pation blocks. : Yes, I know I may be asking for more work than I need, but I still : want to know. : I’ve searched the net, and scoured all the books in the library.   : The closest I’ve found are comments like ‘Tell the ready-mix : supplier waht you want….’  Somehow, I don’t think this is any : big secret; I just haven’t been able to track down the information. : One place that I *did* find, expressed the mixtures in terms of the : final mixed volumes, which doesn’t help too much, since the : volumetric sum of the component parts adds up to more than the : final mixed volume, and I don’t think you can ‘unmix’ the mixture : arithmetically.  What I really want is something like "5 parts gravel, : 2 part sand, 1 part cement, a pinch of lime to taste… ;-) "  "Tiles used in residence work are of two general kinds: wall tile   and floor tile. [...] Tiling must be set on a firm base that will   not expand or contract. This base is always a portland-cement   mixture, usually 1 part cement and 3 parts sand; [...]"  – "First Aid for the Ailing House," Roger B. Whitman, 1938,     published by Whittlesley House, New York Hey, it’s a start ;} There is a trade group for cement/concrete makers and users — I once had a pamphlet they issued.  A Web search ought to turn them up… —       Death before dishonor; nothing before coffee.

Response:

>Looking for recipes for mixing my own concrete.

Here’s what we’ve used for all-around general concrete….walkways, slabs, etc..: 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 3 parts gravel,(1 cement to 5 aggregate mix) water added until desired consistency obtained.  Remember, A… higher ratio of cement to aggregate (sand/gravel) creates a stronger mixture, but increased cost. B…more gravel creates a stronger mixture, but makes the mixture somewhat more difficult to "finish". C…larger size gravel creates a stronger mixture, but again, can increase the difficulty in obtaining a presentable "finished" surface. We had a project that required a very strong mixture, but also had to be tapered down to a very thin edge. We chose to use 3/8" gravel (buckshot) in order to be able to get the desired thin edge without protruding rocks which would’ve ruined the appearance of the project. To increase the strength, we went with 1 part cement, 1 1/2 sand, 1 1/2 gravel…(1 cement ..to ..3 aggregate mix). We ended up with a very attractive finished job, and I think (hope) it’ll be plenty strong for it’s required task. It’s probably best to actually measure the water added, but I’m not sure of the exact ratio. I’ve always just added water, and observed the consistancy of the mix. It’s VERY easy to add too much water. If you do, you then have to add another batch of same ratio cement/aggregate in order to stiffen it back up. It kinda is something that’s hard to show in print. I’m sure there’s a specific ratio for water, I just don’t know what it is. Too much water weakens the mixture, too little makes it very difficult to work with. > Also mortar for brick and stone work.

Never worked with motar, but here’s some figure from one of my books: For brick/block work: 1 part masonry cement, 3 parts sand, water added to workable mixture. For stone work: standard concrete mixture I talked of earlier: 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 3 parts gravel. When I looked in the book for the mortar mixes, I found reference to the amount of water needed for regular concrete….here’s what they say: 5 gallons per bag of cement for strongest mix. 6 gallons per bag for more workability. 7 gallons per bag for situations requiring extremely good flow, such as into deep forms filled with rebar. >I even have a notion to manufacture my own paving stones/pation blocks.

Outa my league (sp?). Hope some of this helps.

Response:

>>Looking for recipes for mixing my own concrete. >Here’s what we’ve used for all-around general concrete….walkways, slabs,

        —<choppalottatext>— >Never worked with motar, but here’s some figure from one of my books:         ,,, >When I looked in the book for the mortar mixes, I found reference to the amount >of water needed for regular concrete….here’s what they say: 5 gallons per bag >of cement for strongest mix. 6 gallons per bag for more workability. 7 gallons >per bag for situations requiring extremely good flow, such as into deep forms >filled with rebar.

Thanks for your reply. Ahh, "looked in the book".  That would be the best answer to my question. Can you give the me details (name, author, ISBN, etc.) of that book?  Then I can just look it all up for myself, and I’m all set.         —   rod. —  TRIUMF — University of British Columbia,     Phone: (604)222-7449  Vancouver, BC, Canada.                           FAX: (604)222-7307

Response:

>Ahh, "looked in the book".  That would be the best answer to my question.

Actually, "looked in the book", would be the best answer to the question you "meant" to ask. A specific recipe or two (along with helpfull caveats) was the best answer to the question you "did" ask……"(What I really want is something like "5 parts gravel, 2 part sand, 1 part cement, a pinch of lime to taste… ;-) " Hmmff…..and after all that racking of my brain to conjure up those specific recipes?  My time-tested, real-world, every-day, no-nonsense, practical, actually-have-been-used recipe (along-with the accompanying helpfull caveats) is dismissed with a "choppalottatext" reference. Go figure….here’s one book: Fine Homebuilding (series) on Foundations and Masonry. ISBN 0-942391-55-1,

Response:

> Looking for recipes for mixing my own concrete.

One book I like is The Backyard Stonebuilder by Charles Long. It has a good section on mixing mortar and concrete and how to adjust the ingredients for different conditions. Another good one is Building with Stone by Charles McRaven although that talks more about portland cement/lime ratios in mortar than general concrete.

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Asbestos ceiling tiles?? what to do??

Question:

Hi all.  Question for you.  We are doing some remodeling in my brother’s house that was built around 1968.  The basement has tongue and grove 10 X 10 acoustic ceiling tiles in good shape.  I need to know if they are asbestos and if they are, is it better to just sheetrock over them or have them removed? It would be much easier IMHO to sheetrock over them if it isn’t a health hazard. thanks for the info!

Response:

Contact your local government.  They should have someone who can answer your questions.  Also, you can contact the Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov, I think).  There will be information about asbestos and regional office telephone numbers.  I talked to them (EPA) about floor tile.  The general idea was to cover the tile as long as it was in good shape.  That’s probably the deal here, too. DO NOT REMOVE THE TILE YOURSELF!  Breaking up the ceiling tile will release asbestos fibers that may get sucked up into the HVAC system. This will deposit the little fibers all over the house.  If removal is called for, hire a contractor trained to do the job.  It involves plastic film to cover everything, lots of water to reduce particle shedding, particle counts, and so on…  Professionals are definitely called for if removal is your choice. Jack Sanders >Hi all.  Question for you.  We are doing some remodeling in my brother’s >house >that was built around 1968.  The basement has tongue and grove 10 X 10 >acoustic ceiling tiles in good shape.  I need to know if they are >asbestos >and if they are, is it better to just sheetrock over them or have them >removed? >It would be much easier IMHO to sheetrock over them if it isn’t a health >hazard. >thanks for the info!

Jack Sanders My Opinions, Not Neccessarily the Management’s

Response:

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Help! Need to get this friggin' tar off my car!

Question:

Hi all, I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to get rid of it. I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but want to get this crud off first! Thanks, Darren

Response:

> Hi all, > I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. > I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to > get rid of it. > I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any > suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but > want to get this crud off first!

  Darren, have you tried using the bug and tar remover on very hot days? My theory is that the hotter it is, the softer the tar and the easier for the BnTremover to penetrate it…   Good luck! Bill Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

I don’t know how severe yours is but I just put Pine Sol (or anything that has at least 40% pine oi)l on and let it sit for about an hour. That seems to loosen it up to the point it is fairly easy to get off. But you have to let it soak..

Response:

There is an aeresol bug and tar remover with a "citrus smell" that works really well and smells good too.  Also, Turtle Wax’s Bug and Tar remover works pretty good as well.  I would know…I drove 20mph down a gravel road which had been tared no less then an hour or two earlier.  Both sides were practically covered in tar.  Even worse was my friend’s WHITE Mustang convertible who was right behind me…get got it really bad!  Good luck with the clean up… — Dave 86 IROC-Z Stay low, Stay safe, Drive fast

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Response:

Is it a "stain" in the paint..in other words, did the surface crap come off and leave behind a dis coloration? We repainted several 4th gens that were white due to that problem under warranty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Response:

i’m sorry but i dont remember the name of the product, but when i was working in a car wash a couple of years ago, we were using a spray stuff that was making the tar fall just as butter (and not the paint)… you may want to check in a couple of specialized hand car wash….

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi all, > I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. > I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to > get rid of it. > I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any > suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but > want to get this crud off first! > Thanks, > Darren

Response:

try a brillo pad, get it as wet and soft as possible, thats how i get mine off. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Response:

I’d use kerosene before I’d even  think about a brillo pad.  Use a nice soft cloth…….soak it in….. Frank

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> try a brillo pad, get it as wet and soft as possible, thats how i get mine > off. >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it > off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems > to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, > but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Response:

Two products will work well for removing tar.  I usually find Goo Gone in the store.  Goof Off will do it too, but make sure it’s ok for paint.  I used Goof Off to remove floor tile adhesive from concrete, so it should handle tar real well.  Goo Gone is citrus based and more likely safe for the paint.  I used that to clean the finger grime from some varnished kitchen cabinets a few months ago. Make sure you wash that area really well before trying to wax over it. Chester- > Hi all, > I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. > I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to > get rid of it. > I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any > suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but > want to get this crud off first! > Thanks, > Darren

–                  Koyaanisqatsi – "Life out of balance"                     //    /~~~         /~~~    \                 (O//    /_____       /_____    \/O)                  ({              (    /   /       })                  | ooooooooo______(__/___ooooooooo/ |                  Daytona 500, 25th Anniversary Edition                http://chesterfamily.org/mark/transam.html

Response:

Hi all, I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to get rid of it. I got tar all over my custom painted 98 GTP (with only 3K miles at the time). I used a wax and grease remover, that is used for pre-paint prep work. I thought it was too harsh, but no ill effects. Used that on one side. The other i practically painted with a spray can of WD-40. That worked very well. Maybe try using more WD-40 and letting it sit longer. Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover was working, just tooooo slow when I had a whole car to do. Diesel fuel was also recommended, but i didn’t try-don’t keep that stuff around the house normally. Stupid Township municipal crew (Schuykil Township, PA) – (I spelled that township wrong, but if you know the area, you know what I meant to spell) Bye Bruce 98 MPD F.1 Pace Car GTP http://www.pond.com/~bs1/GP.htm If replying, remove the ’scummy’ from my email address Just replying to this message will not work!!

Response:

> try a brillo pad, get it as wet and soft as possible, thats how i get mine > off.

What an idiot!  You ARE a freak, dude. Kerosene is the trick.

Response:

> > try a brillo pad, get it as wet and soft as possible, thats how i get mine > off. > What an idiot!  You ARE a freak, dude. > Kerosene is the trick.

  Use a brillo pad if you want to lose the clearcoat, and some of the paint.   Hell, I’ve used a brillo pad to get gunk off a cylinder head I was working on. (Of course it was soapless…) Bill Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Just go to an autobody supply store and ask for a silicone polish remover or a de-greaser. Put it in a spray bottle and hose the affected areas….then wipe with a soft cloth. ‘Wulff Spelling mistakes intentionally left for the anal-retentive to justify their existance.

Response:

Hey, I gave the kerosene idea……I’m not a genius, but thank God, certainly not an idiot Frank

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > try a brillo pad, get it as wet and soft as possible, thats how i > get mine > > off. > What an idiot!  You ARE a freak, dude. > Kerosene is the trick. >   Use a brillo pad if you want to lose the clearcoat, and some of the > paint. >   Hell, I’ve used a brillo pad to get gunk off a cylinder head I was > working on. (Of course it was soapless…) > Bill > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

No offense taken…… The kero really wont harm it though.    What do you think that "bug and Tar" remover is …..? Frank

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hey, I gave the kerosene idea……I’m not a genius, but thank God, > certainly not an idiot >   Frank, I never meant to insinuate, or appear to say you were. The > kerosene idea is a little harsh, but I think with the proper cleanup, > would not be a problem. >   Never tried it myself, though. I might on the ‘87 golf awaiting a > fuel line. <GGG> > Bill > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

> Hey, I gave the kerosene idea……I’m not a genius, but thank God, > certainly not an idiot

  Frank, I never meant to insinuate, or appear to say you were. The kerosene idea is a little harsh, but I think with the proper cleanup, would not be a problem.   Never tried it myself, though. I might on the ‘87 golf awaiting a fuel line. <GGG> Bill Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

>> Hey, I gave the kerosene idea……I’m not a genius, but thank God, > certainly not an idiot >  Frank, I never meant to insinuate, or appear to say you were. The >kerosene idea is a little harsh, but I think with the proper cleanup, >would not be a problem. >  Never tried it myself, though. I might on the ‘87 golf awaiting a >fuel line. <GGG> >Bill

The problem with Kerosene,or any other solvents is their propensity to go POOF when wiped too vigorously on plasticfiberglass areas. (static is not your friend…trust me ; ) ‘Wulff Spelling mistakes intentionally left for the anal-retentive to justify their existance.

Response:

Try cooking oil – does not damage the car finish because its vegetable base. Then just wash the car. Also Vegetable base cooking oil is good for lubricating bushings as it does not cause them to rot. — never purchase anything offered as the result of an unsolicited email message. Do not forward chain letters, petitions, mass mailings, or virus warnings.

Response:

Use a clay bar.  As long as the tar spots are small enough, it should remove them just fine.  And it will restore your paint to factory new. I use clay magic.  Never got so many compliments on my car! Check it out: http://www.dccarcare.com/ http://www.dccarcare.com/tipowk8.html Josh Wingell       Best mph – 101.54  Best 60ft – 1.68s Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

I’m surprised that no one else suggested my favorite for tar removal, cigarette lighter fluid … the kind that goes in old fashioned zippos. I haven’t tried Kerosine, and it’s probably just as good, but I’ve never
found anything to be faster than lighter fluid. I buy it in bulk as naptha,
but you can’t beat a small can of lighter fluid. the nozzle is perfect for
saturating a rag. I’ve never had naptha hurt any kind of paint, not
even cheap spray-can stuff on lawn furniture, but I’d test an
inconspicuous spot to be safe … paint formulations are undergoing lots
of changes these days due to the epa. for your paint, I’d use a dark
colored rag, and look for milky stains. if you use a white rag, you may
not see the paint coming off until it’s too late.

tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off.
> I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to
> get rid of it.
> > I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any
>

suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but > want to get this crud off first!
> > Thanks,
> > Darren
> >

Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

http://vsnetcall.vstream.com/beep/play.asp?A=11934046551339
   -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?b ****-  Real Discussions for Real People

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren

Has no one thought of using good old cut polish??  A good quality (3M) FINE or SUPERFINE cut polish will take any little tar marks off in a snap…and not harm anthing. Works for me. b.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi all, >I’ve got some tough tar/asphalt or something on my car and can’t get it >off. >I’ve tried bug and tar remover, some WD-40, even Varsol and nothing seems >to >get rid of it. >I drive an Arctic White Pontiac Sunfire GT and would appreciate any >suggestions on getting this crap off.  I want to polish and wax the car, >but >want to get this crud off first! >Thanks, >Darren >Has no one thought of using good old cut polish??  A good quality (3M) FINE >or SUPERFINE cut polish will take any little tar marks off in a snap…and >not harm anthing. >Works for me.

Displaying my abysmal ignorance .. what is "cut polish" and where do you get it?     Does this stuff work on bugs also? Dennis Metcalfe

Response:

I’m not sure of the technical defnition but a cut polish will have any one of a wide range of abrasives in it that will in a sense *sand* your cars paint very finely.  It’s similar to rubout compound. Lardog

Response:

>I’m not sure of the technical defnition but a cut polish will have any >one of a wide range of abrasives in it that will in a sense *sand* >your cars paint very finely.  It’s similar to rubout compound. >Lardog

I believe that rubbing compound and cut polish are interchangeable words for the same product.  The stuff I use is by 3M and comes in many different levels from extra coarse to superfine.  It is a polishing compound that has varying levels of abrasive.  The above comment is pretty correct in that it does "sand" your paint and essentially smooths out most imperfections (very minor ones). The superfine stuff I use has NO effect on the paint (no scratching, etc), but it KILLS tar, bugs, stains, etc.  The best. later.

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

scratching around food

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. — Fur Purr  >^..^< Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

I’ve had cats that do this too.  My vet once told me it meant the cat was finished with the food and was signalling it’s intention towards the leftover food as "fit for burial".  Don’t know if that’s the case or not, but it was a cute description that seemed to fit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this??????

Response:

Hi Stanley…my cat does this…usually after he has had his fill of the food…On some occasions he does this to canned food that he won’t eat…I believe that he does it to save some food (that he likes but can’t finish) and OTOH, with some food, he is telling me that it tastes like s###.  I’ve learned to stay away from that flavor (usually beef)…best regards, Connie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

I’ve certainly seen the burying the waste bag routine. Also maybe they can’t bury the food dish with floor tiles, but I’ve known mine to bury them under paper that happened to be nearby on the floor on the rare occasion.  It looks quite funny with a sheet of paper sitting over a food dish and they give you the strangest look if you remove it just as they have just finished burying it.  {[The "Now why did you do that?" look.]} Larry Osborne

Response:

My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept clean.  What causes this?????? — Dwanda & Stanley NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

My cat, Tequila, does this even to Spike’s food.  If she sees kitty food (wet or dry) out for any length of time she feels compelled to ‘bury’ it.  I think it is just instinct.  It is easy to forget that while they are our pals they are still animals that have animal instincts – of course that doesn’t include my Spike.  She’s actually a very short, very snotty little human! Hey I checked out that http://www.cat-scan.com/ site and it is HILARIOUS! You should take a look! — Sarah, Spike & Tequila "The slower I go, the closer I get to genius." http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/index.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/spike.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/tequila.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. — Fur Purr  >^..^< Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

I’ve had cats that do this too.  My vet once told me it meant the cat was finished with the food and was signalling it’s intention towards the leftover food as "fit for burial".  Don’t know if that’s the case or not, but it was a cute description that seemed to fit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this??????

Response:

Hi Stanley…my cat does this…usually after he has had his fill of the food…On some occasions he does this to canned food that he won’t eat…I believe that he does it to save some food (that he likes but can’t finish) and OTOH, with some food, he is telling me that it tastes like s###.  I’ve learned to stay away from that flavor (usually beef)…best regards, Connie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

I’ve certainly seen the burying the waste bag routine. Also maybe they can’t bury the food dish with floor tiles, but I’ve known mine to bury them under paper that happened to be nearby on the floor on the rare occasion.  It looks quite funny with a sheet of paper sitting over a food dish and they give you the strangest look if you remove it just as they have just finished burying it.  {[The "Now why did you do that?" look.]} Larry Osborne

Response:

My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept clean.  What causes this?????? — Dwanda & Stanley NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

My cat, Tequila, does this even to Spike’s food.  If she sees kitty food (wet or dry) out for any length of time she feels compelled to ‘bury’ it.  I think it is just instinct.  It is easy to forget that while they are our pals they are still animals that have animal instincts – of course that doesn’t include my Spike.  She’s actually a very short, very snotty little human! Hey I checked out that http://www.cat-scan.com/ site and it is HILARIOUS! You should take a look! — Sarah, Spike & Tequila "The slower I go, the closer I get to genius." http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/index.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/spike.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/tequila.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. — Fur Purr  >^..^< Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

I’ve had cats that do this too.  My vet once told me it meant the cat was finished with the food and was signalling it’s intention towards the leftover food as "fit for burial".  Don’t know if that’s the case or not, but it was a cute description that seemed to fit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this??????

Response:

Hi Stanley…my cat does this…usually after he has had his fill of the food…On some occasions he does this to canned food that he won’t eat…I believe that he does it to save some food (that he likes but can’t finish) and OTOH, with some food, he is telling me that it tastes like s###.  I’ve learned to stay away from that flavor (usually beef)…best regards, Connie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw > After she’s eaten her fill and there is food left, it is a cat’s > instinct to bury the leftovers for later.  Unfortunately she can’t cover > the food with tile flooring :)  My cat Ceric does this if he doesn’t eat > all his food.  He also gets very upset when I’m scooping out their > three litter boxes and there is a bag of their wastes sitting on the > floor.  If I leave for a second, he’s over there "burying" the bag. > — > Fur Purr  >^..^< > Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

I’ve certainly seen the burying the waste bag routine. Also maybe they can’t bury the food dish with floor tiles, but I’ve known mine to bury them under paper that happened to be nearby on the floor on the rare occasion.  It looks quite funny with a sheet of paper sitting over a food dish and they give you the strangest look if you remove it just as they have just finished burying it.  {[The "Now why did you do that?" look.]} Larry Osborne

Response:

My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept clean.  What causes this?????? — Dwanda & Stanley NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

My cat, Tequila, does this even to Spike’s food.  If she sees kitty food (wet or dry) out for any length of time she feels compelled to ‘bury’ it.  I think it is just instinct.  It is easy to forget that while they are our pals they are still animals that have animal instincts – of course that doesn’t include my Spike.  She’s actually a very short, very snotty little human! Hey I checked out that http://www.cat-scan.com/ site and it is HILARIOUS! You should take a look! — Sarah, Spike & Tequila "The slower I go, the closer I get to genius." http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/index.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/spike.html http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/7912/tequila.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My cat occasionally (sort of often) will scratch around her > feeding bowl and water bowl after eating and sometimes while > eating, sometimes to the extend that we have to distract her > to get her to stop.  Doesn’t necessarily happen after going > to the litter box.  Box is kept clean and have check her > pads and no litter stuck to her feet.  Feeding area is kept > clean.  What causes this?????? > — > Dwanda & Stanley > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://bigfoot.com/~so > NAS Grosse Ile Web Site: http://fly.to/nasgi > KC4DPC Beacon List Site: http://jump.to/bcn > NASGI Mirror Site: http://nasgi.webjump.com/ > KC4DPC Bcn List Mirror Site: http://bigfoot.com/~outlaw

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Ceramic Tile

Question:

My wife is wanting me to lay ceramic tile over the formica in our kitchen. Is this possible?  What items would I need to achieve this and how would I make sure it stuck to the slick formica?  I’m not really in to tearing up the old formica so please help me try to avoid that. I know I will need grout, tile, and some type of glue from Pluto so any help would be nice.  Thanks

Response:

> My wife is wanting me to lay ceramic tile over the formica in our kitchen. > Is this possible?  What items would I need to achieve this and how would I > make sure it stuck to the slick formica?  I’m not really in to tearing up > the old formica so please help me try to avoid that. > I know I will need grout, tile, and some type of glue from Pluto so any help > would be nice.  Thanks > I have been in the tile and marble industry for 15 years along with working

for The Home Depot.Yes you can lay tile over formica. First you must make sure that the formica is sound.(not loose or any hollow areas)The next step is to ruff up the formica with a rubbing stone. By doing this the tile will adhere properly to the tile surface.The best way though is to put Wonderboard or Dens- Shield over the formica. Trowel on mlti-purpose thin-set mortar on the formica. Then set the Wonder Board on top. On the outside of the board screw it down every 2 to 4 inches.In the field(from edges in)screw it off every 4 to 6 inches. If you are using wall tile with a butt joint(tile very close together) you will need non-sanded grout. If you are using a floor tile or a joint over 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch you will need sanded grout. If you are installing marble use non-sanded grout because the sanded grout will scratch the marble. DONT EVER USE PLYWOOD AS A SURFACE FOR TILE. Plywood contracts and expands with moisture which in turn will loosen the tile.

Response:

Trinity Tile Tent Sale- Saturday, July 25,1998- 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.- ALL DISCONTINUED TILES MUST BE SOLD!!!!!! ONCE IN A LIFETIME PRICING!!!!!!

Response:

Sorry it took so long to reply back! Thanks for your suggestions. We’ll probably go along the route of hand tools, and just work our way through it. Fortunately, it’s a *small* kitchen! I also checked with my husband, to verify that the subfloor is just concrete, so there shouldn’t be too much damage (if we’re careful). Thanks again. Emily – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi all, > The house we’re moving into has a newer, professionally installed > 12"X12" tile floor in the kitchen, but the color is awful. We are going > to tile the dining room and front entry (which was carpeted) anyway, and > want all of the tile floors to have a uniform look. As DIY’ers, we have > never attempted ceramic tile removal, just installation. What’s the best > (and easiest) way to go about removing it without damaging the subfloor? > Thanks in advance, > Emily > There is no "easy" way. Your choices are to use hand tools such as hammers and > bars, or rent a power scraper or possibly a small 17lb chipping hammer (both > available from Makita) from a tool rental yard. > Afterwhich you will have to deal with any damage to the subfloor. > Feel free to post back for advice pertaining to the repairs and new installation > when you’re ready. Good luck. > — > Note: I have no financial interest in any product and/or otherwise that I may > recommend.  Good luck >       aj

Response:

That depends on what it is stuck with and what your subfloor is. If plywood or backerboard and adhered with a fortifed mortar, epoxy or mastic your subfloor will probably be damaged beyond use. Be prepared for an ordeal regardless, it wasn’t installed to be removed. pointerman > Hi all, > The house we’re moving into has a newer, professionally installed > 12"X12" tile floor in the kitchen, but the color is awful. We are going > to tile the dining room and front entry (which was carpeted) anyway, and > want all of the tile floors to have a uniform look. As DIY’ers, we have > never attempted ceramic tile removal, just installation. What’s the best > (and easiest) way to go about removing it without damaging the subfloor? > Thanks in advance, > Emily

Response:

Hi all, The house we’re moving into has a newer, professionally installed 12"X12" tile floor in the kitchen, but the color is awful. We are going to tile the dining room and front entry (which was carpeted) anyway, and want all of the tile floors to have a uniform look. As DIY’ers, we have never attempted ceramic tile removal, just installation. What’s the best (and easiest) way to go about removing it without damaging the subfloor? Thanks in advance, Emily

Response:

I have a kitchen with  ceramic tile by Sassuolo. It is about 15 years old and some of the tiles need to be replaced. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could find a place that might have this out of stock tile?

Response:

>I have a kitchen with  ceramic tile by Sassuolo. It is about 15 years >old and some of the tiles need to be replaced. Does anyone have any >ideas on how I could find a place that might have this out of stock >tile?

Tile, unlike silverware and China, aren’t usually stocked for future sale.  Also, because tile is made in batches, one days manufacture is usually different than the next, especially if it’s a solid color. I’d look for an alternative.

Response:

> I have a kitchen with  ceramic tile by Sassuolo. It is about 15 years > old and some of the tiles need to be replaced. Does anyone have any > ideas on how I could find a place that might have this out of stock > tile?

No.  Replace the whole floor.  It’s time and you know your ole lady wants a new floor. So quit holdin out you tightwad.  Hell she prolly wants a new old man too but will settle for the flooring. — Morrie Christmas – from Maui!  Mele Kalikimaka!                     (the following is offered as a public service) The alt.home.repair "Who’s Who of Useless Posters List" Muff, Tony Hwang, Gfretwell, Lane Romel, nJb, ScottH, 3rd Generation, Wade Lippman, Baldy Cotton, Once was Bob, NOSPAMBOB. various other BA, Bay Area Dave, any moron who uses AOL or WEBTV, Chris Perdue, barry martin, David Iacon, Phisherman, Polar, Calvin Henry-Cotnam, Vox Humana, These imbeciles have racked a.h.r. with worthless bullshit, useless postings and threads, offered lousy advice concerning topics they have little or no earthly knowledge of and in some case have given advice that is potentially harmful to the public.

Response:

>Bought some 2 weeks ago at Ceramic Tile Outlet in Erlanger, KY.

Looks like I may need some more help.  There are several "Ceramic Tile Outlets" around the country, but there is none listed in Erlanger.  I would certainly expect them to have a phone, but no listing.  Might they be listed under a different name? If you can get their number I’d appreciate it.  It would be even better if they had an email address. Thanks. Jim L MR/2 ICE, version 2.27  Remove XX from address to Email

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>Bought some last year at Menard’s, local Home Depot type store in >Racine, WI. >Bought some 2 weeks ago at Ceramic Tile Outlet in Erlanger, KY. >Both types had the little one inch square tiles on a net sheet to make >a one foot square.

Sounds like you get around. <G> Thanks. Jim L MR/2 ICE, version 2.27  Remove XX from address to Email

Response:

You’re welcome.  Let me know if you can’t find any.  Hubby and I visit the ceramic tile outlet often. Judy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Bought some last year at Menard’s, local Home Depot type store in >Racine, WI. >Bought some 2 weeks ago at Ceramic Tile Outlet in Erlanger, KY. >Both types had the little one inch square tiles on a net sheet to make >a one foot square. > Sounds like you get around. <G> > Thanks. > Jim L > MR/2 ICE, version 2.27  Remove XX from address to Email

Response:

>Every company I know of has switched over

OK, that’s not entirely true. I just installed some tumbled Italian marble that was 1/2" x 1/2" sq. and it was on mesh. But I have not seen any thing other than very expensive and small stone on mesh for some time now.

Response:

>You will have to look for old stock or stumble on some company that >resists positive change.

Which is why I’m asking on the internet. Jim L MR/2 ICE, version 2.27  Remove XX from address to Email

Response:

Bought some last year at Menard’s, local Home Depot type store in Racine, WI. Bought some 2 weeks ago at Ceramic Tile Outlet in Erlanger, KY. Both types had the little one inch square tiles on a net sheet to make a one foot square. Judy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->You will have to look for old stock or stumble on some company that >resists positive change. > Which is why I’m asking on the internet. > Jim L > MR/2 ICE, version 2.27  Remove XX from address to Email

Response:

> I am looking for a source of a particular kind of, or rather actually, > packaging of ceramic tile mosaic mats.

have you considered a tile supply house?  never mind a reply.. —  HYH =

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

bash everybody jokes

Question:

Q: What’s the difference between a girlfriend and a wife? A: 45 lbs. Q: What’s the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? A: 45 minutes. Q: What is it when a man talks nasty to a woman? A: Sexual harassment. Q: What is it when a woman talks nasty to a man? A: $3.99 a minute. Q: How can you tell if your wife is dead? A: The sex is the same but the dishes pile up. Q: How can you tell if your husband is dead? A: The sex is the same but you get the remote. Q: Why did cavemen pull their women around by the hair? A: Because if they pulled them around by their feet, they’d fill up with mud. Q: If the dove is the bird of peace, what is the bird of true love? A: The swallow. Q: What’s a blonde’s favorite nursery rhyme? A: Humpme Dumpme. Q: What’s the difference between a paycheck and your dick? A: You don’t have to beg a woman to blow your paycheck. Q: What’s it called when a woman is paralyzed from the waist down? A: Marriage. Q: What are the small bumps around a woman’s nipples for? A: It’s Braille for "suck here." Q: If your wife keeps coming out of the kitchen to nag you, what have you done wrong? A: Made her chain too long. Q: How many women does it take to change a light bulb? A: None, they just sit there in the dark and bitch. Q: Why is a hurricane like a woman? A: It starts with a great blow, but when it’s over your house and car are gone. Q. What’s the fastest way to a man’s heart? A. Through his chest with a sharp knife. Q. Why are men and parking spaces alike? A. Because all the good ones are gone and the only ones left are disabled. Q. Why are men like public toilets? A. Because all the good ones are engaged and the only ones left are full of crap. Q. What have men and floor tiles got in common? A. If you lay them properly the first time, you can walk all over them for life. Q. How can you tell if a man is happy? A. Who cares? Q. What is the difference between a man and a catfish? A. One is a bottom-feeding scum-sucker and the other is a fish. Q. Why do men want to marry virgins? A. They can’t stand criticism. Q. What are two reasons why men don’t mind their own business? A. 1. No mind. 2. No business. Q. Did you hear about the banker who’s a great lover? A. He knows firsthand the penalty for early withdrawal. Q. Why are men like laxatives? A. They irritate the shit out of you. Q. Why do men name their penises? A. Because they want to be on a first-name basis with the person who makes all their decisions. Q. Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring,and good-looking? A. Because those men already have boyfriends. Q. Why do men like masturbation? A. Its sex with someone they love. Q. What’s the difference between a porcupine and a BMW? A. The porcupine has pricks on the outside. Q. What is a man’s view of safe sex? A. A padded headboard. Q. How do men sort their laundry? A. "Filthy" and "Filthy but Wearable". Q. Why did God create man? A. Because a vibrator can’t mow the lawn. Q. Why were men given larger brains than dogs? A. So they wouldn’t hump women’s legs at cocktail parties. Q. Why do men love computers? A. No matter what mood they’re in, they can still get a floppy in. Q. What’s the difference between a woman and a computer? A. A woman would never accept a 3 1/2 inch floppy!! …and a computer can’t turn a 3.5" floppy into a hard drive in a matter of seconds.

Response:

I agree.. I am in tears.. I haven’t laughed so hard ever… Those were great! Debbie

Response:

please re-post it…oh pleaseohpleaseoh… Uv – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Lordy, I can’t believe I’m laughing at this sexist stuff…

Response:

<<Q: What’s the difference between a paycheck and your dick? A: You don’t have to beg a woman to blow your paycheck.>> Lordy, I can’t believe I’m laughing at this sexist stuff… LMAO!  "spitting coffee at the computer" prize of the day goes to… Warm regards, Angela "You only live once…but if you work it right, once is enough." -Joe E. Lewis

Response:

>Lordy, I can’t believe I’m laughing at this sexist stuff… >LMAO!  "spitting coffee at the computer" prize of the day goes to…

hehehe—I can’t believe i did either, but oh gosh my sides are hurting from

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Ceramic tile over linoleum counter?

Question:

>As you can see your first job must be to find out what you really have on >the counter.  You can place ceramic over ANY solid, non-moving surface. >What is currently on the surface will determine what, if any, special prep >is needed.  We install ceramic over vinyl floors all the time so long as >the vinyl is full spread and well affixed to the floor.   >Get the answer and let us know, there seems to be enough people out here >who know what to do just as long as we have the full information. >Bruce

HI All, Thanks for the responses.  I suppose it’s possible that it’s a plastic laminate, but it’s exactly the same pattern as the linoleum on the floor, and curves up onto the backsplash in a way that I think laminate would not, unless it were supported.  Anyway, the tentative paln would be to cut the curve between the counter and the backsplash, flatten that out, and install 1/4" Durock or equivalent, and tile over that. Is this a mistake? Dave P.S.  Why are people so sure that it’s not linoleum on the counter?

Response:

Sounds like a plan. Dave Gobis CTC National Tile Contractors Assoc www.tile-assn.com Director Region 6

Response:

Installing the Durarock over the vinyl will raise up the counter but will give you a good surface.  It’s really not needed if the counter is solid. The question of vinyl on a counter, in my mind, is that vinyl is soft and having something that soft on a counter wouldn’t make sense.  The only positive would be if it were a "inlayed" vinyl (vinyl all the way through-no backing or fillers).  Any laminate can be formed up the wall. Wilsonart has been doing it for years with their full laminate tops. Bruce — To be able to live each day "One Day At A Time" is the true joy of life.

Response:

Dave, Weather it be lino or laminate you can direct bond tile to it as long as it is firm, well bonded and the counter top does not flex.  Clean the surface to remove all wax, dirt grease, ect. Install the tile with LATICRETE Superflex 333 additive mixed with 317 thinset.  We also offer a epoxy grout that will not stain and never needs to be sealed.  For more information visit our web page and click on the DIY section. www.laticrete.com Michael J. Rothberg Director Home Center Sales Ceramic Tile and Natural Stone Installation Systems Laticrete International, Inc. www.laticrete.com >Hi Folks, >Some of our friends just bought a home that has linoleum over the kitchen >counters and as a backsplash.  It’s in great shape, and feels solid, but >is not their counter surface of choice.  Would it possible to lay ceramic >tile directly on the linoleum, with thinset or mastic, or would they have >to rip it out and start from scratch? >Thanks for any advice! >Dave * >Dave Breeden

Response:

Hi Folks, Some of our friends just bought a home that has linoleum over the kitchen counters and as a backsplash.  It’s in great shape, and feels solid, but is not their counter surface of choice.  Would it possible to lay ceramic tile directly on the linoleum, with thinset or mastic, or would they have to rip it out and start from scratch? Thanks for any advice! Dave

Response:

> Some of our friends just bought a home that has linoleum over the kitchen > counters and as a backsplash.  It’s in great shape, and feels solid, but > is not their counter surface of choice.  Would it possible to lay ceramic > tile directly on the linoleum, with thinset or mastic, or would they have > to rip it out and start from scratch?

I find it hard to believe its linoleum. If it is it must go. If it is a plastic laminate (like Formica) you can put tile over it. I did. John

Response:

> Hi Folks, > Some of our friends just bought a home that has linoleum over the kitchen > counters and as a backsplash.  It’s in great shape, and feels solid, but > is not their counter surface of choice.  Would it possible to lay ceramic > tile directly on the linoleum, with thinset or mastic, or would they have > to rip it out and start from scratch? > Thanks for any advice! > Dave

Dave – I just tiled over a surface that had 12" X 12" peel and stick floor tiles on it, but I used a 1/4" tile backer on top of the old counter.  Might be the way to go for their application.  It is available as Durock or Dens Sheild.  The 2nd product is much easier to work with. JK

Response:

<< I find it hard to believe its linoleum. If it is it must go. << This seems a bit reactionary. Hundreds of thousands of lino countertops were installed from 1910 through the 1950s. Why must it go if it is in good condtion? You may not know of one interesting tidbit of info about linoleum countertops: they are anti-bacterial, due to their chemical composition. Studies have shown that all other counter top material surfaces harbor bacteria. Lino is still an approved material for food handling areas where bacteria must be controlled. Because I am involved in the preservation of historic buildings some folks are now asking me how to care for and renew their existing lino countertops and where they can get exact replacment materials. I’m not in love with lino, just thought you might want to know. — John Leeke, Preservation Consultant publisher: Practical Restoration Reports contributing editor: Old-House Journal website: www.HistoricHomeWorks.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Some of our friends just bought a home that has linoleum over the kitchen > counters and as a backsplash.  It’s in great shape, and feels solid, but > is not their counter surface of choice.  Would it possible to lay ceramic > tile directly on the linoleum, with thinset or mastic, or would they have > to rip it out and start from scratch? >I find it hard to believe its linoleum. If it is it must go. If it is a >plastic laminate (like Formica) you can put tile over it. I did. >John

Response:

As you can see your first job must be to find out what you really have on the counter.  You can place ceramic over ANY solid, non-moving surface. What is currently on the surface will determine what, if any, special prep is needed.  We install ceramic over vinyl floors all the time so long as the vinyl is full spread and well affixed to the floor.   Get the answer and let us know, there seems to be enough people out here who know what to do just as long as we have the full information. Bruce — To be able to live each day "One Day At A Time" is the true joy of life.

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Floor tile squeaks against acrylic tub

Question:

I need help from you tile guys: The ceramic tile floor in our new house developed a loud squeak where the tile meets the base of the acrylic tub/shower.  Despite attempts to stabilize the subfloor against the joists (accessible via the basement), the squeak got worse.  Our contractor declared it was due to tile (or grout) rubbing against the tub–but he has been unable to get the tile installer to fix it.  We tried a DIY approach by cutting out one of the tile pieces (a narrow strip, 1/2-inch by 12 inches) and the squeak quit at that point but continues at adjacent tiles.  THEN the tile installer called me back (weeks later) and chewed me out for "messing things up" and causing him "a huge problem" he has to fix.  I asked him when he could come out and he said he’d get back to me–that was 10 days ago. OK.  So we have one piece cut out, with some busted up 1/4-inch durock still glued to the 3/4-inch plywood subfloor remaining in the space.  We need to cut and set a new piece of tile there, and use caulk instead of grout where it meets the tub, right?  How do we fix the busted-up durock?  Do we continue removing the remaining tile strips, since they’re set so tight against the tub that we can’t cut out just the grout to replace it with caulk?  Do we call our attorney?  (The tile installer continues to ignore us, and our contractor just shrugs and says he’ll try calling him again…)   GRRRRRR.   C. Brunner "NOT" is used as a spamblock in my return address–please post to the NG if spamblocks annoy you.

Response:

I also have had the problem with my 2 year old house when i bought it brand new. Mine is not tile, but linolium. They had to cut some of the wood that is rubbing against the tub, and it got better, but not completely fixed. I just chose to live with it. However I learned that as a homeowner with a builder’s warranty, it is unwise to try to do the job for them. They will always give you a hard time if they discovered that you are DIY. Try to pressure them to fix it, but dont touch it yourself. You may void your warranty.

Response:

>This unfortunately (IMHO) is a prime example of a  substandard >substrate.  There should be no movement in the substrate sufficient >enough to cause the problem you’re having. 1/4" underlayment over 3/4" >plywood is absolutely bare minimum to begin with, let alone using the >’product’ you stated they used for an underlayment. In other words, >1/4" "Hardibacker" would have been the superior product to use in lieu >of the other due to it’s denser nature, but even with that it’s still a >bare minimum substrate.

The problem may indeed have something to do with the substrate, but it may also have to do with the way the floor system is constructed. The ceramic tile association’s (don’t remember the exact authority) recommended construction is a floor system with joists 16" on center. If this is a newer home the floor system may be 19 1/4" o.c. or even 24" o.c. if I-joists were used. This could cause the substrate to "give" between the joists enough to cause the squeaking. Jim

Response:

Posted in Floor Tile | No Comments » |

Ceramic Tile Quality

Question:

>1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >   in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >   black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >   Can anyone comment on this?

        Black  grout in my experience will show dust more than any other color. I had a kitchen with almost black tiles and "black" grout which became dirty gray looking shortly. I wound up PAINTING all the grout lines with marine grade enamel. Took forever but looked 100 times better, and lasted well.

Response:

> >1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >   in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >   black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >   Can anyone comment on this?

I don’t know what your colour scheme is, but i was recently in a restaurant that had bright red grout.  I had never seen it before and it looked spectacular.  Of course it was an Italian restaurant with green and white tiles going with Italy’s colours, but it really did look nice.

Response:

If you buy the cheaper tile and the color doesn’t go all the way through, every time you drop silverware or anything else, you’ll see a white or red chip in the tile. I know first hand and I’m sorry I didn’t go for a better quality tile. Hi All,   I’m in the beginning planning stages of a DIY kitchen ceramic tile project.  250 square feet.  12×12 tile with a black and white checkerboard theme.  Will lay on a cement backer over existing Real Ugly sheet vinyl, or something.   Never done tile before – have gotten some advice so far, and read a book. I feel confident I can do this, I just have a couple of questions: 1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is    in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a    black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good.    Can anyone comment on this? 2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the    black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will    cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but    both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00    I’ve searched DejaNews, and have come across exactly one (1) post    proclaiming the the quality of the .99 tile at Home Depot is    not as good (it’s DalTile – www.daltile.com).  Of course, I’m    just buying black and white tile – the salesman said the reason    it’s so cheap is that they sell a ton of it, which makes a certain    amount of sense.  However, I don’t want to buy substandard tile    and and regret it 3 or 4 years down the line.      I’m aware of the differences between tile (vitreous, impervious,    not-vitreous, etc).  I haven’t been back to more closely look    at the type the Home Depot has.    Can anyones give me some first hand experience for buying this cheaper    tile?  Am I going to regret it? Thanks in advance for any help! Tony — —

Response:

How does the price of Denshield compare to cement backer board?   Thanks. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi All, > 1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >    in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >    black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >    Can anyone comment on this? > This is purely a matter of taste.  We have used light colored tiles > (white and white with spots) and a "pewter" grout color (actually > the manufacturer calls it "Delorean").  It looks pretty good.  Note > that many of the sealers will darken the grout further. > 2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the >    black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will >    cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but >    both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00 > We’ve used the 8×8 floor tile that Home Depot sells on both the > wall and floor.  It looks pretty nice installed.  The one thing > we learned (especially if you’re setting them with small grout > lines) is to check the LOT numbers.  We found both color and > size differences from box to box. > One thing I’d throw in is that rather than cement backer board, > I’d use GP’s new Denshield product.  I’ve used it everywhere > in my project (and my local contractor who came buy to install > the skylight — I don’t do ladder work — was also very impressed > by it).  Unlike cement board which is unaffected by water, but > not water proof and will pass water to the substrate, properly > installed Denshield requires no (and GP recommends against > installing) moisture barrier behind it.  The stuff is a drywall > type stuff with a ceramic face and the core is fiberglass impregnated. > It cuts and works like regular drywall and is a bit lighter > than cement board (I installed all the surround for the shower > including the ceiling single handed).

Response:

> How does the price of Denshield compare to cement backer board?  

It’s roughly the same.  About $7-8 for a 4×5 sheet if I recall.

Response:

Hi Tony, I would suggest trying to find out who supplies the tiles to Home Depot and check with them.  I have recently been tile shopping myself and found that Home Depot and a tile shop both got their tile from the same manufacturer.  The Home Depot price was less than half the price of the specialty tile shop. I can’t guarantee that it will be the same outcome for you, but it’s worth a shot.  Hope it helps. Neil

Response:

  Daltile is typicaly a pretty good tile, as good or better than anything that Colortile carries. The prices you mentioned from CT sound a little steep. Be sure you use an acrylic based thin set to bond your backer to the sheet vinyl, and nail or screw often-6" to 8" on center. I personaly would use black grout in a kitchen. Don’t forget your vapor barrier behind the backer in the showers. Tar paper or felt paper(kraft) will do the trick. Good luck.  Jay- a tile setting fool, or was that a fool setting tile. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi All, >  I’m in the beginning planning stages of a DIY kitchen ceramic tile >project.  250 square feet.  12×12 tile with a black and white checkerboard >theme.  Will lay on a cement backer over existing Real Ugly sheet vinyl, or >something. >  Never done tile before – have gotten some advice so far, and read a book. >I feel confident I can do this, I just have a couple of questions: >1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >   in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >   black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >   Can anyone comment on this? >2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the >   black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will >   cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but >   both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00 >   I’ve searched DejaNews, and have come across exactly one (1) post >   proclaiming the the quality of the .99 tile at Home Depot is >   not as good (it’s DalTile – www.daltile.com).  Of course, I’m >   just buying black and white tile – the salesman said the reason >   it’s so cheap is that they sell a ton of it, which makes a certain >   amount of sense.  However, I don’t want to buy substandard tile >   and and regret it 3 or 4 years down the line. >   I’m aware of the differences between tile (vitreous, impervious, >   not-vitreous, etc).  I haven’t been back to more closely look >   at the type the Home Depot has. >   Can anyones give me some first hand experience for buying this cheaper >   tile?  Am I going to regret it? >Thanks in advance for any help! >Tony >– —

Response:

>2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the >   black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will >   cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but >   both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00 >   I’ve searched DejaNews, and have come across exactly one (1) post >   proclaiming the the quality of the .99 tile at Home Depot is >   not as good (it’s DalTile – www.daltile.com).  Of course, I’m >   just buying black and white tile – the salesman said the reason >   it’s so cheap is that they sell a ton of it, which makes a certain >   amount of sense.  However, I don’t want to buy substandard tile >   and and regret it 3 or 4 years down the line.  

Dal Tile has had good tile when I have worked with it. It used to be my favorite tile house for price, quality and selection. Color Tile used to have a plant to make wall tile 15 years ago but I don’t recall if they made much of their floor tile. Their quality is not any better than anyone elses and could be lower depending on the specific tile. Color Tile is a great place to empty your wallet. Their prices were never great when I worked there or when I installed tile. While there are some differences in glazes, for home use it shouldn’t be an issue as long as you avoid a glossy glaze. I installed black and white matte glaze 8×8 in our master with white gout and it looks fine. If we didn’t have red clay outside to be tracked in it would look even better. Jim Laura Behning morgans at mindspring dot com http://www.mindspring.com/~morgans/Laura.htm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi All, >   I’m in the beginning planning stages of a DIY kitchen ceramic tile > project.  250 square feet.  12×12 tile with a black and white checkerboard > theme.  Will lay on a cement backer over existing Real Ugly sheet vinyl, or > something. >   Never done tile before – have gotten some advice so far, and read a book. > I feel confident I can do this, I just have a couple of questions: > 1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >    in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >    black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >    Can anyone comment on this? > 2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the >    black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will >    cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but >    both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00 >    I’ve searched DejaNews, and have come across exactly one (1) post >    proclaiming the the quality of the .99 tile at Home Depot is >    not as good (it’s DalTile – www.daltile.com).  Of course, I’m >    just buying black and white tile – the salesman said the reason >    it’s so cheap is that they sell a ton of it, which makes a certain >    amount of sense.  However, I don’t want to buy substandard tile >    and and regret it 3 or 4 years down the line. >    I’m aware of the differences between tile (vitreous, impervious, >    not-vitreous, etc).  I haven’t been back to more closely look >    at the type the Home Depot has. >    Can anyones give me some first hand experience for buying this cheaper >    tile?  Am I going to regret it? > Thanks in advance for any help! > Tony > —

As far as grout color-  Both black and white grout may be difficult to keep clean looking.  How about some intermediate dark gray? Tile quality-  Buy one of each tile you are going to use and try dropping a stainless steel table knife (handle end first) from countertop height onto the tile to see what it does.  Does it chip out a chunk or dent the tile?  By the way, it might make the test more meaningful if you thinset the tiles down to a piece of the backerboard. An unsupported tile might be more prone to breaking in two if it’s not cemented down. The total investment for such a test will be small compared to the cost of the materials -to say nothing about your labor.   Dick Lucas

Response:

> Hi All, > 1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is >    in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a >    black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good. >    Can anyone comment on this?

This is purely a matter of taste.  We have used light colored tiles (white and white with spots) and a "pewter" grout color (actually the manufacturer calls it "Delorean").  It looks pretty good.  Note that many of the sealers will darken the grout further. > 2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the >    black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will >    cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but >    both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00

We’ve used the 8×8 floor tile that Home Depot sells on both the wall and floor.  It looks pretty nice installed.  The one thing we learned (especially if you’re setting them with small grout lines) is to check the LOT numbers.  We found both color and size differences from box to box. One thing I’d throw in is that rather than cement backer board, I’d use GP’s new Denshield product.  I’ve used it everywhere in my project (and my local contractor who came buy to install the skylight — I don’t do ladder work — was also very impressed by it).  Unlike cement board which is unaffected by water, but not water proof and will pass water to the substrate, properly installed Denshield requires no (and GP recommends against installing) moisture barrier behind it.  The stuff is a drywall type stuff with a ceramic face and the core is fiberglass impregnated. It cuts and works like regular drywall and is a bit lighter than cement board (I installed all the surround for the shower including the ceiling single handed).

Response:

Hi All,   I’m in the beginning planning stages of a DIY kitchen ceramic tile project.  250 square feet.  12×12 tile with a black and white checkerboard theme.  Will lay on a cement backer over existing Real Ugly sheet vinyl, or something.   Never done tile before – have gotten some advice so far, and read a book. I feel confident I can do this, I just have a couple of questions: 1) Grout color.  My instinct is to go with black, mainly because this is    in a kitchen.  I’ve not been able to locate any good pictures of a    black/white alternating theme to see what grout color looks good.    Can anyone comment on this? 2) Tile quality.  I can go to the local Color Tile and pay $2.50 each for the    black tiles (leftover in-stocks), and $5.00 each for the whites.  Will    cost me $1000.00 total.  OR, I can go to the local Home Depot and but    both for $.99 each, for a substantially lower cost of around $250.00    I’ve searched DejaNews, and have come across exactly one (1) post    proclaiming the the quality of the .99 tile at Home Depot is    not as good (it’s DalTile – www.daltile.com).  Of course, I’m    just buying black and white tile – the salesman said the reason    it’s so cheap is that they sell a ton of it, which makes a certain    amount of sense.  However, I don’t want to buy substandard tile    and and regret it 3 or 4 years down the line.      I’m aware of the differences between tile (vitreous, impervious,    not-vitreous, etc).  I haven’t been back to more closely look    at the type the Home Depot has.    Can anyones give me some first hand experience for buying this cheaper    tile?  Am I going to regret it? Thanks in advance for any help! Tony —

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