# Question on new construction flooring



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

adams said:


> Ok Im Jumping in too. It does not mattter if your roof shingles move around a little now does it. But what happpens if your tile moves?
> 
> Man, go in there put you some backer board on your plywood and lay the tile and get out. Oh.....Get paid too, or are you the home owner?, I cant remember now...


Was referring to 'moisture', - - not 'movement', - - but ir-regardless, no, - - my roof shingles are not moving, - - are yours??

And yes, - - as a matter of fact, - - I 'am' a homeowner, - - and I also consider myself 'part' homeowner of all the homes I work on, - - beings I'm usually the one they call on (notice I didn't say 'call-back') to do 'all' their work, - - as they know I take pride in my work as if it were 'my own'.

I even 'put down' hard-heads, - - err, - - I mean hard-woods!! :cheesygri


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Florcraft said:


> Ha!
> This is fun.
> Lots of good back and forth...keep it up


Are we HAPPY now??

Trouble-maker!! :cheesygri


----------



## K custom home (Aug 30, 2005)

Marine plywood will begin to degrade and delaminate after constant exposure to moisture. VERY BAD idea in a bathroom. Tom, you remind me of an guy I used to work for at 19. He would never listen to what anyone else's ideas- his way or the highway. Well he is still laying brick with a laborer at 76 years old  

I know all this talk about concrete bases is making you nervous about those past jobs, but it will be alright buddy. LEARN and move on.


----------



## K custom home (Aug 30, 2005)

Teetor, I could see the epoxy system over marine ply being very useful where weight is an issue. I bought an old Airstream and want to put some tile down. I'll have to experiment with this. Thanks


----------



## Jerry T (Sep 25, 2003)

Tom R, God bless ya, It's OK to be ignorant about a trade, ceramic tile comes to mind here. You should quit proving to me that you are a moron to boot. :Thumbs: 


Have a great day


----------



## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

K, by itself, marine ply will outlast anything else that I see being used as a subfloor such as OSB or regular ply. Epoxy resin, does not really add much strength without the addition of fabrics. It will, however, seal the surfaces like nothing else and prevent water from ever entering the wood. If you are really concerned you can use Interlux 2000/2001E, it contains mica chips that slow down water migration further still. This is what we use on boat bottoms to protect the fiberglass.


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

K custom home said:


> Marine plywood will begin to degrade and delaminate after constant exposure to moisture. VERY BAD idea in a bathroom. Tom, you remind me of an guy I used to work for at 19. He would never listen to what anyone else's ideas- his way or the highway. Well he is still laying brick with a laborer at 76 years old
> 
> I know all this talk about concrete bases is making you nervous about those past jobs, but it will be alright buddy. LEARN and move on.


Not arguing that there's anything at all wrong with concrete bases, - - just saying plywood works fine if done correctly, - - let's see here, - - I lay tile on plywood and it works, - - you lay tile on plywood and it doesn't, - - alrightee, - - who then, is the better tiler!! :cheesygri


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Jerry T said:


> Tom R, God bless ya, It's OK to be ignorant about a trade, ceramic tile comes to mind here. You should quit proving to me that you are a moron to boot. :Thumbs:
> 
> 
> Have a great day



Makes you wonder who in the world buys all that 'Flex-Bond' (made specifically for adhesion to plywood) besides me, huh??  

I'll argue the 'moron' part when and if you ever gain yourself some more substance to your threads than simple name-calling.

You have a good day, too.


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

The only time I ever went 'beyond' the built-up plywood itself, - - was on one job about 14 years ago, - - about 500 sq. ft. (living room, kitchen, hallway) in a 'raised-ranch' down at the shore, - - house is 'shut-down' every winter (no heat at all with a 'cold' floor), - - so I wire-lathed the whole floor too, as an extra precaution.

They're now on my 'list' to get their three 'bedrooms' tiled too, whenever I get the time (in case you're wondering, it's the 'sand' issue) :Thumbs:


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

K custom home said:


> Tom, you remind me of an guy I used to work for at 19. He would never listen to what anyone else's ideas- his way or the highway. Well he is still laying brick with a laborer at 76 years old


By the way, K, - - I hate to break this to ya', - - but YOU are the one with the 'my way or the highway' fault, - - I'm fine with EITHER way, - - YOU are the one insisting on just 'YOUR' way.

How long 'til you're 76?? :cheesygri


----------



## K custom home (Aug 30, 2005)

OK Tom


----------



## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Tom, that's 4 posts in a row with 1 reply. I guess that we all agree that you are the DaVinci of tile.


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

These guys are hard to 'rev-up' sometimes!! :cheesygri


----------



## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

Explain to me why they make "backer board". to put on concretre?


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Because that would undisputedly be the best product for 'that' particular application (which, by the way, is not the application I've been discussing) - - concrete 'wicks' moisture naturally, - - wood framing doesn't, - - like I say, - - I have nothing against backer board, - - all I'm stating is that whether some of you are willing to accept it or not, - - plywood IS a suitable substrate for ceramic tile.

A 'correctly' done tile job will actually 'protect' the plywood from moisture, - - as do shingles on a roof. Whether on a roof or a floor, - - even with 'constant' moisture exposure, - - it will still last for 'years'.

I'll give my plywood substrate jobs 25-40 years of longevity, - - I'll give your CBU substrate 50+, - - but here's the cold hard fact of the matter, - - the average kitchen or bath remodel is between 12-20 years.


----------



## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

Well I guess I wont find out if my tile jobs are done correctly.


----------



## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Oh, - - I'm sure they are, - - I just don't see a lot of necessity for a 50-100 year job in this 'throw-away' world.


----------



## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

hope not


----------



## soxfan (Aug 2, 2005)

I am enjoying listening to you guys argue which of two weak tile setting methods is slightly less inferior. 

Wire lathe, Portland cement and sand. Anything else and you're just a handyman :cheesygri


----------



## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Jumping in like a guy smothered in peanut butter into a bear pit.

Accepting that plywood and CBU are acceptable underlayments - is this only true with ideal conditions that will not affect the underlayment during those 50 years?

Meaning if you do one bathroom with CBU and one with plywood if nothing out of the ordinary happens they will both last the same amount of time.

However, taking those same bathrooms and introducing something extra ordinary, let say for instance homeowner drops a hammer on a floor tile near the tub corner, does a self replacement job of the tile, and in the process now has created a spot where moisture will seap into the substrate.

Under those conditions barring the argument that the dumb homeowner deserves it for doing it himself wrong.

By the way you can substitute anything you can think of that would break the "waterproof" barrior on the tile job on the plywood and CBU.

A) Does the floor over CBU still last the 50 years and the floor over plywood is now facing a shortened existance.

B) If A is true then doesn't that always warrant servicing your customers in the best way possible, and maybe that is protecting them from themselves by always installing CBU and theirby always knowing there will be no problems no matter what they do?


----------

