[HerbyHardwood]

We used Tavy-thin skin on a small tile job in a foyer for the first time today they say you have to skim coat the paper with thin set after u get it glued down and we had issues with it drying and we even used rapid set ... Let it sit for a hr wasn't dry went to lunch put a fan on it... Came back an hr later and it still wasn't dry do you guys have any experience or opinions on this stuff ? Feedback would be greatly appreciated ...

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Most tile pros won't use it. They consider it crap.

Well I consider it crap as of now too, had never used it before. Would of loved to use durock but there was less than a 1/4" to play with on the front door threshold so the HO had some handy man slid a tapered piece of wood under the metal threshold to give us clearance... So we had to use it... Always headaches working for corporate companies everybody wants it done for nothing. And they keep us on a leash!

 

[HerbyHardwood]

The company we are subs for does not allow us to do that work so if the customer don't go for it then we have to do the best with what we were given... Besides it was only a small foyer like 4'x5' (not sure exactly) but no bigger then that its minimal job

 

[HerbyHardwood]

This is what gives pro contractors a bad name; combatting poor installs done with a "just get it done and get paid" mentality.

What just get it done and get paid mentality - we instructed the HO to get a new threshold installed but she doesn't want to spend the money so she took a shortcut ... We would love to have a new raised threshold and door installed throw down some durock and do it the right way the way we like to do it but if they don't go for that then what are we supposed to do ? Walk away from the job and then the costumer won't be happy and we won't make any money? We don't have that just get it down attitude...

 

[HerbyHardwood]

So that justifies a hack job?

And I don't understand how it's a hack job it's out of our control we can only do what the company allows us to do... And we instructed the homeowner to do just like what you said but HO didn't obviously because she didn't care so we had to use the tavy thin skin because that's what the company we work for carries ... And was our best possible option to do the job as well as possible...

 

[HerbyHardwood]

You think we like working for these companies and there bs we have to fight with them to pay us to do leveling on laminate n glue down jobs where we spend hours grinding all the highs and using SLC on the lows getting everything 1/8" - 3/16" within 6-10 ft usually even flatter then the manufacturers specs so don't talk to me about that get in n get out mentality... I'm not like that @ all and I grew working for my father in NJ who did custom bathrooms custom kitchens I mean craftsman ship @ it's finest and I am built the same way but I am only an employee of this company, and don't have much say but I don't do work like that or think like that.

 

[HerbyHardwood]

If you can't do it right, you just walk away from it. That's what a pro does.

That's usually our mentality but this is the homeowners request because she's trying to keep the job cost to a minimum we instructed her to do this and that but she didn't and the only reason we didn't turn it down is because she plans to redo her living room with engineered hardwood...the existing floor is buckling and twisting... they didn't sand or prep the sub - can see the humps and they left absolutely mo expansion it is literally almost under the baseboard... So we get labor on rip out - sanding n leveling money on the install and she wants to redo the tile in her kitchen and bathrooms...

 

[HerbyHardwood]

But what you guys are all saying a 100% agree with it and i am not trying to argue or dispute that but just in between a rock and a hard place... But started a 1200 square ft laminate job today - pulled the carpet and the slab is going to require approx 11 hrs of grinding and about 8 bags SLC ... Ears are still ringing from the two big CDCLarue pulse backs and the two 7" grinders running all day .. Got my exercise in today going back n forth to the breaker box

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Haven't used tavy skin yet, not sure I ever will, rapid set by Mapei requires about 4 hours after set time to grout, I think they changed formula, use to set in about 20 minutes few years ago.
Few things- you need hearing protection or you will lose it, I too have two 1250 pulse backs and grinded today for 11 hours, you have a bosch grinder? You haven't distributed the power requirements, split on two circuits turn the lights out and use a led light headband. Jk the last part.
I have tried Ricky ticky Tavys spacers they're ok.

We use mapei all the time and yeah they did change the formula (thin set and SLC). We ALWAYs leave it over night to dry before grout just to be sure that its ready... Prefer Mapei SLC and Tec for thin set.... I hate the rapid set Mapei ... I do use ear protection I was saying that as more of a joke - we have a dewalt grinder with a stand up attachment but we rarely ever use that ... We use metabo grinders w/ a CDC t-seg we take the handles off and buy these big blue square handles I forget the name we also bolt on a dust vacuum attachment and CDC rubber cupler to hook up to the vac... But yes we distributes throughout the house but the house was wired like crap we would be good for an hr with no trips and then it would trip 5 times in 20 minutes... The pulse Bacs are GREAT !!! actually if u ever need any parts/vacs t-segs or anything you can contact me my boss is a distributor for them

 

[HerbyHardwood]

These are nice! Got a pair for mowing and stuff around the shop.

I've been debating between those and the Ryobi one that Home Depot carries

 

[HerbyHardwood]

I threw my handles out and use a sponge over the top of blade area, wanting a D handle haven't searched too well.
I now buy exclusively thru Jack King all of my grinding needs. The man knows grinding!

Yeah I've watched all his videos ... We actually just spoke to him on the phone last week to ask him some stuff he's also just a distributor for them actually patented the whole leveling system (dust ram ) or whatever he calls it ... He wanted 500$ a day to teach his system and he collects a percentage any time you use it.. Something along those lines and that's it we use the D handles they're great especially when your on it for hours

 

[HerbyHardwood]

I think some of you are missing the fact that he's an employee. I'm one of the first to jump in and tell someone to do it right or don't do it at all. When you're an employee yo do what you're told or you go collect a check somewhere else. Reading comprehension would go a long way around here....I'm guilty of it as well.

Thank you dude .... S

 

[HerbyHardwood]

I think some of you are missing the fact that he's an employee. I'm one of the first to jump in and tell someone to do it right or don't do it at all. When you're an employee yo do what you're told or you go collect a check somewhere else. Reading comprehension would go a long way around here....I'm guilty of it as well.

Thank you man for getting it but i like to do things the right way and I want to open up my own business when I'm able to but that's just unrealistic right now... I just moved from NJ to SC

 

[HerbyHardwood]

:thumbsup: No problem. Like I said I'm guilty of it too, I just sensed a bit of piling on and didn't think they understood what was really going on. Welcome aboard. Soak up information like a sponge. If you really want to go on your own someday the biggest key to success imo is education. Not only about the products, methods, and tools - but about how to run a profitable business as well. There is a wealth of info on this and other boards.

I have been scrolling around this forum for a long time about 6 months now just reading but finally decided to sign up the other day ... I hear what your saying 100%. It's a benefit to me that I grew up in carpentry my father was a sole proprietor in business almost 30 years now but he only ran men for a short while maybe when I was about 5 yrs old he had about 6-10 employees and 3 trucks on the road but it didn't last but a few yrs... He was to anal and took to much pride in his work - he was never satisfied with the guys work so he went solo his whole career... Paying the price now he's got all the typical physical problems after a life of construction he just had both knees n both shoulders n finger done orthoscopic for about the 3rd time - replaces are next. But thanks to him pressuring me not to fall into general contracting even though I worked with him on and off from age 12 on .... But I found my niche in flooring its a trade I enjoy.... And also thanks to him I have quite a bit of knowledge with the business side of jt as well as building strong sub floors and carpentry skills in general! But I have learned a ton from this forum and reading...

 

[HerbyHardwood]

You can make 500$ in one day with his system, he invented the Dustram , I have one of those as well, he has many patents , and many more to follow, I travel all throughout Florida removing ceramic tile "dust free". It is a high end business for customers that don't want dust in their home and want to replace their tile, usually with hardwood because their done with the cracked tile replacement gig.
Actually the 500 is super low, it's more like 1500$ depending on the footage of course.

I'm saying it was $500 a day for him to teach you his leveling system! For tile we just take the hose from the pulse back and zip tie it to the chipping hammer and usually have the smaller CDCLarue HEPA taped some where to collect any excess dust which there really isn't any... Just small chips which you with always get no matter what

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Yeah I've tried all those ways, they were ok, still had dust though, I couldn't find any on our last removal of 850sq ft in cocoa beach.
Find out any other info on the tavy system?, I'll try googling it later, no matter what anything on the market you should be familiar with, constant learning!

I read up on it online before the job and followed the instructions step by step. And the last step was to put a thin skim coat of thin onto of the paper... The only problem was that it took really long to dry but we left it over night and its been laid, grouted, and trimmed..
I'd like to catch some waves in cocoa beach how much was the dustram?

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Used it over plywood and used it b/c we couldn't use durock because not enough clearance with the threshold and HO refused to change it

 

[HerbyHardwood]

I don't get why you used it, over what surface?, watched his video and read some opinions on it.
I also don't understand why you have to "prime" it by flat troweling it, letting it dry then thinset ting over that, why not spread the thinset and tile right after placing mat?
Cocoa is nice, inlaws have a place in Daytona, I'm on the other side by the stupid manatees and no see ums. Gonna move one day.
The Dustram is around 7 grand, like I said high end, I guess I'm not supposed to discuss prices on here as far as labor but 4 or 5 good size jobs and that's paid for and on to the next tool purchase.
Could you explain the reasoning of using the thin skin, I saw the video for the countertop, I guess low end things are fine but any quality material and it starts from scratch.

And the dust ram is 7 grand I thought the dustram was just that attachment piece to a chipping hammer that's 7g?

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Yeah, I tried to make attachments to work, they kept breaking, were inefficient etc., I got tired of rigging stuff up to work, I bit the bullet and truly I have forgotten some of the stuff I use to do, trying to get through the job with the least amount of collateral damage and hoping prep was enough . I've dusted out homes, fans and blowers, then minimal dust to no dust . From days of removal to hours, I still have a long way to go, as do we all. Here's 1 pic courtesy of the knowledge Jack King has given me.

You just grinding down the glue to take it off? What was on there came off really really clean

 

[HerbyHardwood]

Yeah it was gummy and about 1/8" thick, going from roll carpet to squares pressure sensitive, so we cleaned the slab real well.

That's what we do I'm about to go smooth out some SLC today n lay some laminate