# What do you use for fastening metal lath



## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

I'm curious as to what you use for fastening metal lath for scratchcoat


----------



## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

guys i see doing it shoot about a million and a half roofing nails thru it


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

You shouldn't be using lath for a scratch coat. Tom sees it because he's in Jersey :laughing:


----------



## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

angus242 said:


> You shouldn't be using lath for a scratch coat. Tom sees it because he's in Jersey :laughing:


It's common practice here to fasten lath to the subfloor and skim coat it with a scratchcoat mortar (about a 1/4inch). I've seen a number of failures due to insufficient fasteners. I've done a number of them myself and staple the heck out of them. For the record, I hate the stuff. To me, it is an out of date method that is bound to fail sooner or later.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Taurus Flooring said:


> To me, it is an out of date method that is bound to fail sooner or later.


You got it. It's nickname is a Jersey mud job and hasn't been a recognize method for quite some time (if it was ever accepted at all). 

Do yourself a favor and forget about doing them.


----------



## tileman2000 (Feb 14, 2011)

Metal lath is used on floors with dry pack. Never seen thin-set spread over lath....just heard stories. Like Bigfoot i suppose.


----------



## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

With my own customers I advise them not to use it. But, sometimes I do work for a tiling company and they sell it that way. They like it because it's cheap to install and they make good money from it. Only problem is, it takes a day to set.


----------



## tileman2000 (Feb 14, 2011)

It's the same with heating mats, you have to skim the floor and leave it for the day.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Taurus Flooring said:


> They like it because it's cheap to install and they make good money from it.


But it's a wrong way to install :sad:



Taurus Flooring said:


> Only problem is, it takes a day to set.


Only _other_ problem is it's wrong.


----------



## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

I totally agree with you Angus, but it's usually out of my hands when I do have to do it. When I am pressed to do it, I make sure the floor is screwed down properly 1st and staple the hell out of the lath. I haven't had any failures yet, so I guess I'm lucky so far, but I do not like doing it. For my own customers I try to steer them away from it and most are surprised to hear that it is an inferior system. 
I'm wondering if other Canadian cities use this system?


----------



## Ceramictec (Feb 14, 2008)

ahhhh, the Jersey mud job. nice failure waiting to happen.
but it cant since there is no recognized method in the TCNA about it

you might as well just use cementboard!


----------



## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

I saw the Property Brothers doing a Jursey mud job on HGTV so it must be OK :laughing::laughing::blink:


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

I've mostly seen staples.


----------



## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

CO I'm speaking of a scratchcoat for the floor. I use staples myself for it, but it is a lot of work because of the amount. Recently I've been looking at a pneumatic stapler that shoots T-50 staples which are 5/8" long. Figured it would speed things up.


----------



## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

t50 the right gauge for that?i would think you would need at least 16

and enough with the Jersey bashing or i swear i'll start a pricing thread


----------



## WildWill (Jun 6, 2008)

Roofing gun would be best for nailing that stuff down IMO.


----------



## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

I use a 1" wide crown 16ga staple. 

This is the gun I use.


----------



## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

I use roofing nails.

1 1/2" are easier to nail but make sure you don't nail into the floor joists.

Are you setting over 5/8" ply or double 5/8" ply?

Here is some diamond lath over 90 year old shiplap.

The original floor was built this way and I re-built it the same way.

Some how I don't think Ditra, Dural or Spider Web would take this kind of abuse.






I mixed my Mapecem Fast Setting Screed Mortar with the planicrete AC AD-Mix for this.

The diamond lat is installed over shiplap in poor condition.

I even used Gorilla Tape over the large seams in the ship lap, then 60 minute paper and finally the lath. MAke sure the right side goes down.

With Ship Lap you need to be careful. You can split the old boards so I pre drill for the nails first.

Over Plywood that is a different ball game.

These methods are not recommended by any of the big tile organizations but tile has been set like this for a long time with good results.

Remember that many times the old homes you saw this system in had better lumber and a home built stronger.

Now our homes are weaker and made with poorer quality lumber.

Knowing that it is safer to take an approved approach.

But the hammer doesn't lie.

If your told to set over the floor with lath and mortar.

Use the best stock and check your work before tiling.

A hammer works nicely!


----------



## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

That's such a violent video clip John.. I couldn't watch it anymore. But I did subscribed to your channel..


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

I don't think there's a scratch coat, I think it's a bond coat, the lath being the scratch and the thinset being the glue. 



HS345 said:


> I use a 1" wide crown 16ga staple.
> This is the gun I use.


stucco stapler.


----------

