Seeking second opinion(s) - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

spud · 11-04-2007, 12:20 AM

I just bought a house. Front half is pier and beam (2x10 joists @ 16" centers, max span of 13') while the back half is slab (hairline fractures at most, no height difference at fracture points). The back half was an addon about 18yrs ago, while the front half was built ~50yrs ago. Sawmill lumber was used for all structural support and framing on front half, standard 2x construction on back half.

Floors in the front half are (sawmill) 1x12, 3/4 plywood over that, and 3/4 oak hardwood floors on top of that. The hardwood had been sanded/planed down over the years to ~1/2" thickness. There is the dining room, living room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom in the front half.

I'll be having 12" tile in the kitchen and bath. The dining and living room will be wood (either composite or the plywood laminate type) with tile border (12") around the perimiter. The bedroom will be wood with a tile mosaic in the entry.

There is no code enforcement in the town where I bought my home and rather than trust the local flooring "guy" who is liscenced, but would not supply references (my asking offended him...), I'd appreciate some feedback on his suggestions. Primarily on the front half of my home.

I'm looking for feedback on what should be done for the floor prep prior to floor instalation. I can add up to 1 1/4" to my floor thickness if needed at most (the front and kitchen door thresholds are 1 1/2" above the current finished floor...they seem to have been original. Not sure why.

Everyone who stops by trips over them)

He suggested 1/2" plywood in the dining/living/bedroom areas and 1/2" hardibacker in the kitchen and bath.

I just want this done right the first time.

My main concerns:

Would the tile border in the living/dining and the the mosaic in the bedroom be ok if set on the plywood?

Would durarock be better in the bathroom and/or kitchen than the hardiboard?

Would glue be enough to hold down the wood floor in the living/dining? I'd really like to have the tile border, but I also want this floor to last.

I appreciate any feedback or any helpful suggestions on what else to look out for.

Edit: There is also a fireplace in the living room, and i'd have a 2'6" x 4'6" tiled area in front of it which he was also going to just put directly on the plywood. It will recieve quite a bit of traffic. Is that acceptable?

send_it_all · 11-04-2007, 12:28 AM

Two things:

1.) I gather you are a homeowner looking for advice, and not a contractor. If this is the case, you should be posting this question in the DIY forum and not here. If you are a contractor, my apologies for assuming otherwise.

2.) Get a different flooring guy. If I read correctly, he is suggesting putting tile over 1/2" plywood??? If I read that right, he just disqualified himself. Find a guy who will give you references and not tile over wood.

spud · 11-04-2007, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by send_it_all

Two things:

1.) I gather you are a homeowner looking for advice, and not a contractor. If this is the case, you should be posting this question in the DIY forum and not here. If you are a contractor, my apologies for assuming otherwise.

Sorry came to this particular forum directly and didn't look outside the flooring section. My appologies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by send_it_all

2.) Get a different flooring guy. If I read correctly, he is suggesting putting tile over 1/2" plywood??? If I read that right, he just disqualified himself. Find a guy who will give you references and not tile over wood.

You read that correctly. Glad to hear I wasn't being paranoid and had at least some right to be concerned.

a2zhandi · 11-04-2007, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spud

I just bought a house. Front half is pier and beam (2x10 joists @ 16" centers, max span of 13') while the back half is slab (hairline fractures at most, no height difference at fracture points). The back half was an addon about 18yrs ago, while the front half was built ~50yrs ago. Sawmill lumber was used for all structural support and framing on front half, standard 2x construction on back half.

Floors in the front half are (sawmill) 1x12, 3/4 plywood over that, and 3/4 oak hardwood floors on top of that. The hardwood had been sanded/planed down over the years to ~1/2" thickness. There is the dining room, living room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom in the front half.

I'll be having 12" tile in the kitchen and bath. The dining and living room will be wood (either composite or the plywood laminate type) with tile border (12") around the perimiter. The bedroom will be wood with a tile mosaic in the entry.

There is no code enforcement in the town where I bought my home and rather than trust the local flooring "guy" who is liscenced, but would not supply references (my asking offended him...), I'd appreciate some feedback on his suggestions. Primarily on the front half of my home.

I'm looking for feedback on what should be done for the floor prep prior to floor instalation. I can add up to 1 1/4" to my floor thickness if needed at most (the front and kitchen door thresholds are 1 1/2" above the current finished floor...they seem to have been original. Not sure why.

Everyone who stops by trips over them)

He suggested 1/2" plywood in the dining/living/bedroom areas and 1/2" hardibacker in the kitchen and bath.

I just want this done right the first time.

My main concerns:

Would the tile border in the living/dining and the the mosaic in the bedroom be ok if set on the plywood?

Would durarock be better in the bathroom and/or kitchen than the hardiboard?

Would glue be enough to hold down the wood floor in the living/dining? I'd really like to have the tile border, but I also want this floor to last.

I appreciate any feedback or any helpful suggestions on what else to look out for.

Edit: There is also a fireplace in the living room, and i'd have a 2'6" x 4'6" tiled area in front of it which he was also going to just put directly on the plywood. It will recieve quite a bit of traffic. Is that acceptable?

Your thinking of hiring someone who refuses to provide references?
I rely totally on referrals and have NEVER advertised.

MattCoops · 11-04-2007, 02:12 PM

We don't use a "reference list".
I never understood them.
Who's gonna give a prospect a phone number of a person that will badmouth you?

What's the point of a reference list?

We have a referral program, but no list.

Jerry T · 11-05-2007, 04:32 AM

I got a list if people ask for references.... around a hundred names and phone numbers. Customers rarely if ever ask for references because I was already referred to them. No ones going to bad mouth me... programs sound like kick backs...

MattCoops · 11-05-2007, 06:23 PM

referal programs offer past customers incenctives to give you more business
we send out newsletters and coupons every quarter to our clients
It's easier to market to past customers rather than try to gain new ones

yeah, it's kind of like a "kick back"
but I rather "kick back" to people who I've already earned business and built a repore with than try to offer a promotion and start the sales process all over again

you'll find you'll get a lot more calls with a referral program
rather than doing a job and never putting yourself in front of those people again, hoping someone will get your name out for ya
good luck