PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - Yesterday I couldn't spell "tile setter," today I are one.

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- - Yesterday I couldn't spell "tile setter," today I are one. (http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/135649-yesterday-i-couldnt-spell-tile-setter-today-i-one.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenmore

The tile saw we bought over 10 years ago has paid for itself many times over. I do the rough and my wife does all the tiling. She's done 4 bathrooms (only one our own), our kitchen and one other as well as all sorts of small projects. Here is a saw very similar to the one we bought long ago.

http://www.mytoolstore.com/mk/370.html

IIRC the price has actually come down over the years and the saw looks to be even better quality. This is a DIY homeowner sized one, you 'll probably consider a bigger one. WooHooo!, nothing like a new diamond blade! Save your knees, use foam mats. If you are going to do a lot of cutting, ear plugs work wonders to conserve your energy over a long day. Leave plenty of time and light to do a proper grout job. Dried on grout where you don't want it, is a REAL pain.

glenmore

Oh man, that grout doesn't seem so tough when it's wet, but it do get hard. Then getting it off w/o marking the tile is a trick.

Looks like a good saw. Way better than the little toy I've got and way under the price I'd expect for that -- say $600 and up.

I'm a connoisseur of knee-pads, trying out new brands and designs regularly. A couple of packing blankets help with the knees also, as well as adding further protection for flooring. Good advice, I'm way into ear-plugs as well. I bought a box of 100 of my favorite.

Here's a link to that model and my source:

http://www.uline.com/Group_227_howard_leight.asp

It's the yellow and green ones on the left. This brand is pretty good. I can sleep with the red ones, w/o the little rubber string, and most plugs are too uncomfortable to sleep with. The string thing is handy on the job. You don't have to hunt for them -- they're hanging around your neck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Exact - i - mo. I can make it look nice but does it take me twice as long as a real pro or only 1 and 1/2 times as long?

Knowing how to bid this stuff so that I'm fair to myself and the contractor is tough. I charged this lady time and materials, a fair rate, not top dollar, cause I don't imagine my level of skill is worth the $50 an hour rate yet.

I don't have a clue how to bid on labor....

I install cieling fans and get $100 each (labor only) and somethimes think I am shorting myself. ( this is occaisonal and part time.)

That's some nice work there, I did 2 bathrooms myself also, just takes some practice and a good tile saw ;)

Books are helpful too, and don'tyou feel better walking on a floor you made yourself huh?

I do

xp

Quote:

Originally Posted by xp190

Particularly since I would still have the grungy old bathroom had I not done it myself....

Paying a pro was not an option.

The term Pro seems to be abused these days. Anyone who charges a lot of money for something is considered a Pro apparently.... or simple names himself Pro this Pro that.... yet when it came to the bearing problem I had in my 85 190E, only I figured out the problem, not all the shops and dealers I went to, and I'm not a Pro

xp

Funny you should mention...

The same house I did the two nat. gas fireplaces in -- she had a guy from Gyana (?!?) a black dude, sounded Caribbean, weld the steel handrailing. He got the angle all wrong. The upright pieces lean towards the house at maybe 80 degrees to the ground instead of 90 (of course). It wouldn't have taken that much effort to get it right. We made it work, more or less. This guy could weld but he weren't no pro.