plywood,thin-carprt,cement-board & tile

[kalford]

Aw-rite...here it is!! Joists on 16" center,two layers of 5/8" plywood and that thin(hard) carpet.They want tile but don't want the carpet removed.They want 1/2" wonderboard on top of it and then tile...12x12 italian.They said that another installer said he had done this before and it works fine.........Get another beer and let's hear it!!

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[JC]

Obviously a wacko customer, like what are they ever going to do with the carpet?
Just walk away it's not worth the agrievation

[Sonnie Layne]

Leave your card, tell them to call the other installer, and ask them to consider giving you a ring when the installation fails. (The demo would be easy and profitable)

[Rob Z]

Tell them that you see no problem with setting ceramic over carpet as long as no one ever walks on the floor.

[Bud Cline]

Why don't they want the carpet removed?

[Sonnie Layne]

could there be a problem lurking underneath the carpet they don't want disclosed??? hmmm, suspicious.

[kalford]

MONEY...they don't want to pay to have it removed.Hell...who knows why people do what they do!?

[LDavis]

Keith, call/Email the wonderboard folks with the situation and take a copy of the reply to these potential customers. Assuming there is some compensatory cash to be had and your really interested in the job, it should show them you have their best interest in mind. If they still won't budge, have them sign the "wonderboard response letter", file it, and go for it.

This probably sounds a little mercenary, but if your situation is anything like mine, you have plenty of competition that will set tile on anything. At least you've given them the option of doing it right. You know what they say (whoever they are), the customers always right.

[John Bridge]

Latney,

I don't think anybody has the competition you do. I'm stayin' the hell away from Canyon Lake.

[LDavis]

Well, I knew I had the best of something even if that something is the worst of the competition. By the way, I may need to enlist your help. They are trying to sell our lake to San Antonio for water. I need some organizational tips for a "Save Canyon Lake" from the San Antonio water guzzling machine.

Wait a minute, the last photo's of Mt. Houston seem to indicate your efforts have been uh,em, sort of ineffective.
Oh well, send the info anyway, I can't see living in "Canyon Mud Hole".

[cx]

Latney works the Canyon Lake area?

Just had a water tour around that lake last week. Looked like a lot of money in some of the lake houses, & didn't look like many shacks.

That the kind of customers asking you to tile over carpet?

Had considered looking at some work in that area (it's only about a 40 mile commute) not so long ago. Didn't really expect it to be a very competative area. Actually expected they'd have a little trouble getting work done out there. Not so?

CX

PS: Whilst touring the lack, went water skiing for the first time in 20+ years. That was last Tuesday. Yesterday I could already take my tee shirt off by myself and I've been able to lift things as heavy as a router for days. Damn, getting old hurts!

[LDavis]

CX, I live in Canyon Lake and work primarily here and New Braunfels. There is quite a mix available in terms of housing, from mobile homes to million dollar homes. The majority of the mix is not on the "upper end" of that range. Additionally, there are a substantial number of retiree's in the lake area. Most are looking for a great/perfect job at a "bargain" price. And yes, there is plenty of "bargain priced" competition in the area.

The bargain is usually at the expense of proper/adequate prep work, materials, and installation procedures. I'm usually one of the first/only installers to mention many of these items to the customer. I think many/most interpret this as trying to rip them off, rather than trying to do the job right. I'm sure everyone deals with this scenario at one time or another.

BTW, my wife commutes to Boerne everyday. Works there with the management company that owns/operates the Kendall Inn and Limestone Grill. Water skining after a 20 year layoff, OUCH! I might still manage to crawl around a floor, but walking would be a serious challenge. Pass the Advil please. I don't think its the years as much as the miles. In my case, I'm surprised most days this "chassis" is still not in the junkyard.

[cx]

Interesting. My prospective would have been a referral (only kind I do), so I would have been spared the the part where the customer is shocked that I wanted to do things correctly. It is a bitch when you have to bid competatively with builders who can't see much other than their bottom line. I loose nearly every time I try it. I generally tell the customer up front that if they are getting other bids and mine is lowest, I want the option to reconsider because I've obviously made some mistake.

I sure don't envy thy spouse her drive to work. Two trips a day on Hwy46, especially during rush hours, would do me in rather quickly - like maybe a week.

On the skiing, the friend(?) who owns the boat found out I can still walk and have regained substantial upper body mobility, so now he wants to know when we can do it again. He's younger and his part is to drive the boat, which he equates to making it a joint endeavor. Got pictures the first time, so I think I can retire. Nice little lake, though. At least on weekday mornings.

[cx]

Latney, you know any tile guys semi-locally by the name of Laubach?

I've used Terry Laubach for my tile work for 15 years or so. His father and uncle were in the business before him. Terry lives out toward Seguin, I think.

When he is too busy for the little stuff (nearly always), I have to do it myself. I live in fear that he will someday be too busy for my big stuff too. You work in the Boerne area, or only your wife?

[Sonnie Layne]

Aaahhh, the Limestone grill... I still savor the memory of the fresh salmon, grilled and bedded in a waft of savory chicory/romaine salad dressed with chipolte sauce. Ahh, the wonderful memories ...

Actually the last time I was in Austin (or thereabouts) I was playin guitar and sangin' with Lightnin Hopkins. Right after we left the gig in Houston. That was 1971, I think. There weren't but wun place to eat in Austin, and it wuz real good, but I've drawn a blank since then and don't remember the name. Had great BBQ and they didn't seem to mind if you were white and wore yer hair long. (See'ins how it dint meen anything anyway). I was just tryin to get along and happened into some really real folks, oh sh.,.. don't ge me started tawkin' 'bout dem oztriksches....

Lightnin' was funny as heck.
ZZ was draggin.
Nitzinger was outdoin' hissself
Love Street was a swampy waggin.

[LDavis]

CX, knew a Lauden that set tile in the New Braunfels area, but Laubach doesn't ring a bell. I've only been in the area 3 years now, so there are probably more than a few I haven't run into yet. My wife generally leaves the house about 6:30 am and beats some of the morning traffic anyway. She was commuting to San Antonio before, so this commute is a "breeze" as far as she's concerened.

Personally haven't done in work in the Boerne area, but you never know.

Sonnie, so you've eaten at the Limestone Grill in Boerne? The food is great and I'll tell my wife to tell Mike McClure (the chef) it was some good grub.

[Derek & Jacqui]

Keith,
Been there, done that about three years ago. Problem was the carpet was so well stuck down tht it was coming up an inch at a time. The clients were supposed to have the prep work done (to save money, what else). Their attitude was that if they couldn't get it up, it wasn't going to matter. We had them sign a disclaimer and would you believe that three years on, the tile is still as good as day one (and this was in a kitchen),

[kalford]

Sometimes we get fooled.I mean you would expect it to fail within a short time.Well,I think they got somebody else anyway...probably "W.C." HUH?