# Tile Talk: Education



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

What do you do, if anything, to further your knowledge & education of tile installing.

Nothing.
Read internet forums.
Attend tile-related workshops.
Attend manufacturer training.
CTEF.

Discuss:


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## iHandy (Oct 10, 2007)

in no particular order:

read Internet forums

read & refer to TCNA publications

read & refer to manufactures recommendations & instructions, and avail myself to their technical support

study installation failures to learn failure modes that manifest over time

Then there's the category of things I would think are helpful, which I have not acted upon yet...

cheers,


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## MAD Renovations (Nov 18, 2007)

angus242 said:


> What do you do, if anything, to further your knowledge & education of tile installing.
> 
> Nothing.
> Read internet forums
> ...


Read internet forums
Attend tile-related workshops.
Attend manufacturer training.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

I stalk Angus.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I keep my eyes open on site, when I see something I don't understand, I ask.
It's unlikely that I'll ever do tile as a profession, but I'd DIY on my own house.:laughing:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I see one smart guy that said learn from others :laughing:


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## iHandy (Oct 10, 2007)

angus242 said:


> I see one smart guy that said learn from others :laughing:


We're all standing on the shoulder of giants


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## bhock (Feb 17, 2009)

I learned from a tile guy last summer, its not a good idea to spread an entire room worth of epoxy grout and go to lunch.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

bhock said:


> I learned from a tile guy last summer, its not a good idea to spread an entire room worth of epoxy grout and go to lunch.


 :blink: :sad:


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## bhock (Feb 17, 2009)

About 40 lineal foot of wall 4 foot high. he spread it all and left for lunch. Came back an hour later. Was his first time using epoxy grout,


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

bhock said:


> About 40 lineal foot of wall 4 foot high. he spread it all and left for lunch. Came back an hour later. Was his first time using epoxy grout,



_That's_ a learning experience. Thanks for the share!


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

Many,many years ago--I hired the finest setter in the area to teach me---That was an eye opener--

Learned a lot,about doubled my speed---

I learn best one on one----He was expensive--however,the lessons were a good value--avoiding mistakes--increasing speed--(learning how to grout properly)--

I've hired top experts in several fields to learn from their experiences ---If you can swing it --try it.--

---Mike---


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## jmiller (May 14, 2010)

I learned from my uncle. He owned around fifteen rentals in the ghetto (read slumlord) so I got to learn the basics on houses where looking good from afar really was good enough. Actually it was pretty simple to pick up on. The green drywall goes in the tub/shower, and the same glue that's used to stick tiles to it can be used on the floor as well. Usually you put white 4.25" on the walls, with a purina logo checker pattern in forest green going through the middle, and whatever 12" tile is currently the cheapest at Lowes on the floor. You also make all counter tops out of the 4.25" ceramic because you will always have plywood and tile scraps, and the mud cap edging makes it look professional. He also taught me that grouting sucks and he hates doing it, and couldn't believe that I was happy to.

Eventually we went into business together because this tile thing was so easy, and look what people are paying for bathroom remodels! I set up a legal company for him with gl insurance and a gc license, he came up with a marketing campaign that worked, and we landed almost every job I wrote a proposal for. 

After doing five or six or eight of these remodels I insisted that we try focusing on craftsmanship and (gasp) hiring an actual plumber if a pipe in the wall needs to be moved- rather than figuring out how to lower our bid. I wanted us to use concrete board and mortar on the floor as a start, but he was not really willing to change his routine. He pretended there was more money in getting it done as quickly as possible, but I think really it was the inability to learn new tricks. 

So we parted ways amicably, and to his credit there may well have been a mint to be made. People DO want the low bid, and his bathrooms DID look decent when he was done, but not really my style. 

I went into roofing after that, working for a company that does things by the books and where learning to use new materials and methods is encouraged, but I miss the tile work too. Nobody gets to see the attention to detail in a roof flashing, but you feel like they're going to appreciate the time you spent laying out the tile perfectly and the fact that you enjoyed your grouting in a zen way. Usually as soon as I get to missing it though, a friend or family member has a tile problem so I get to use the trowels and sponge. I sold my wet saw, so I won't do anything that requires more than an angle grinder. My aunt had a leak in her shower. It was 18x18 green glass, with a life sized colored glass flamingo on the long wall. The tiles were held on with some kind of putty, and I told her if she ever wants new tile I will do it in exchange for the glass. Oh, after regrouting/caulking it all the leak continued (much like this post), it ended up being the bottom channel of the aluminum shower door. A friend wanted me to help him put linoleum on his twenty square foot bathroom floor a couple weeks ago, but I insisted we do ceramic tile. We used Ditra on the floor and Spectra Lock grout, so I got my tile geek fix looking through the Schluter docs and going to the tile supplier, but it was a lot of work. I really don't miss being on my knees those 12 (?) hours it took to do it, and a roofing repair that paid as much as that tile job would probably take one third the time or less, but here I am still lurking in the tile forum.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*"Mad Lab Testing"*

I like to Read.

Source my information.

Confirm from second source.

Then Test

Then re test

And then Execute on site.


It's a "Mad Lab Theory"


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

Watched tile setters...
Read some books...
Small free projects for family...
Read some more books...
Projects on my house...
Read forums...
Read TCNA...
Hired a good tile sub and basically watched him like a TV...
Read forums...
Did some small floor and backsplash projects...
Read forums...
Doing full baths now.

Still reading the forums.:blink:


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I like to look around a lot when using the pisser.

Not so much when there is someone next to me.


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## ee3 (Feb 10, 2006)

how many of you have attended any of the Tile Conventions or shows? (Covering,Surfaces,NTCA,)


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I went to a laticrete seminar on the epoxy grout years ago.

I listened to that Byrne guy (David?) at a show in the twin cities once. What was his line, "I'm a left-handed, obsessive/compulsive manic/depressive and I need to take a break now before things get out of hand"? Something like that.


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## ee3 (Feb 10, 2006)

Michael Byrne


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