[pure-silver] Re: New old home, new lab questions

  • From: Tim Daneliuk <tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 06 May 2010 11:31:32 -0500

On 5/6/2010 11:12 AM, Howard Efner wrote:
> 
> On May 4, 2010, at 9:26 PM, Eric Nelson wrote:
> 
>>  Ceramic would be too much work/time/money for the large area I've got
>> to cover, although it would sure would look nice!
> 
> Eric, if you look around you should be able to find some tile for
> $1.00/sf or less.  When we built the studio/darkroom (24 ft X 32 ft) we
> found some close-out 12x12 tile at Home Despot for about $0.65/ sf. 
> Just make sure they have enough - measured square footage plus ~ 10% and
> get it as one lot.  Yes it takes time - more time is usually spent on
> lay-out, floor prep. and %^)#$% grouting/clean-up that actually putting
> the tile on the floor.  We also had some stem walls to cover, so on went
> some more tile.  Now a wet mop and shop vac keeps the place clean.  One
> thing, if you do any tile work, get the GOOD thinset with the additives
> already in the mix - costs a bit more but does a better job.
> 

I second this.  Ceramic tile wears well and cleans up in a snap.  You
do need to put down anti-fatigue mats though, or your back will be
screaming at you.

I had a family member who is a master tile setter do mine and he suggested
something for which I have been eternally grateful.  Instead of finishing
the floor with the usual wooden trim, he cut tiles in half and edged
them around the perimeter of the room.  This makes a mop cleanup 
very easy.  You can see this in these photos:

   http://www.tundraware.com/Photography/Darkroom/Darkroom-02.jpg
   http://www.tundraware.com/Photography/Darkroom/Darkroom-07.jpg

He also used the thinset to level the floor as he went, since poured
concrete floors are not entirely flat.  

Also, bear in mind that the *kind* of grout you use matters.  Wider tile
spacings require sanded grout.  This is my preference because I think it
lasts longer and better than the non-sanded grout and close tile spacing
approach.

The only downside of ceramic tile (other than cost/time) is that it can
chip or crack if something heavy is dropped on it.  In 15+ years of using
mine, I've managed to only do this twice and it's been pretty minor.
There are many kinds of tile in the world, so ask your local vendor whether
the tile is warm/cold, hard/soft, how it will wear and so on.  


P.S.  I was reminded of why I chose tile over anything else a few
      years ago when the hard coupling between the house and the outside
      sewer line cracked in the basement.  Thankfully, we'd just done
      some laundry and all that was in the sewer was soapy rinse water.
      However, there was some sewage odor.  Because the basement floor
      is entirely tiled, I cleaned up, mopped up, got the cat out of
      the way who was "helping", and went over it all one last time with
      a bucket of bleach water.  The floor was clean, dry, and odor free
      in a couple of hours.   I would NEVER put down wood or carpeting
      in a basement for this reason.  The cleanup is horrific with such
      floors. 

-- 
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Tim Daneliuk     tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PGP Key:         http://www.tundraware.com/PGP/

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