Schluter-Ditra understands that tile, being a hard, brittle substance, expands and contracts due to moisture and temperature related conditions, at a totally, different rate from whichever substrate material lies beneath, be it plywood, concrete, cement, etc. This can be a problem when using traditional, thin-set mortar bed applications, which bond the tile directly to the supporting structure. The result is usually cracked, ruined tiles. In order to ensure both layers can move independently, an additional layer in between the two materials, is a must-have. (And no, you can’t just lay any, random thing down. Just in case someone out there is thinking, “Huh. I don’t see any reason I couldn’t use this old comforter.”) The Schluter-Ditra Universal Underlayment is the better option. [click to continue…]
Flooring
We know, we know. The Skil Flooring Saw has now been on the market for about a million years. Actually, it’s closer to one year, but that’s a long time in the tool world. We’re a little (ok, a lot) behind the curve on this one, but since Skil is a HomeFixated sponsor, we figured we’d better get a move on. Skil sent us both the 3600-02 7 amp Flooring Saw, and one of their Contractor Series Premium Flooring Blades (75536). The saw is designed to cut solid, engineered and laminate flooring. Although we didn’t have a flooring job underway, I grabbed some leftover 3/4″ white oak flooring scrap from a previous job and put the Skil Flooring Saw through it’s paces. [click to continue…]
This is another product from an incredible mind showcased on instructables.com. And wowsers, it’s a doosey. So, there’s this guy and he wants to put down hardwood floors but he wants them unique. None of that straight-line crap, herringbone is for sissies, alternating squares yawn. Let’s use 2” rhomboid shaped tiles and lay them to give the floor a 3-D look. Oh, yeah and one more thing, let’s make the hardwood rhombuses from scratch from three different logs – from our own trees. I know what you’re thinking – how long does it take to cut, mill and plane 2” tiles out of logs? [click to continue…]
The offending product has been removed from this photo!
AWP maker of tool belts, heavy duty suspenders, knee pads and other construction/home improvement gear has come out with what I think will lead to the next major Olympic sport. The Knee Blades are knee pads with rollers on them, I know right, shut my mouth; but that’s the simplicity and brilliance of this gear. Now they tout the Knee Blades for their ability to simplify jobs like tiling, base board installation, and trim painting. But to me that’s small picture thinking. [click to continue…]
