"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home office.

Tje job is first class and the price...$1000 LESS than two non-union
contractors bid for the job.


You need to hire a union typist, Harry.
ROFL!!!!!!!!

Is this an audience, or an oil painting?

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why not just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess even a non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union? The way you
rave about the details of the work makes it obvious you have never put down
tile before. Hell, my sister tiled her own counter top and back splash
without a lick of problem. No need for union workers to do it for her.

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess even a
non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union?

Just my guess: How about the presence of formal training (apprenticeship)
arrangements? That means something. Otherwise, you could end up hiring
someone who, after discovering they were pretty good at it after doing their
own home, decided to open a business.

If you measure quality on a one to ten scale, you might be happy with a tile
job that was a seven if you'd never seen a ten. Sounds like Harry got a ten.
I got a ten when a union guy sheetrocked the ceiling of my dining room,
working on top of plaster, rather than removing it, which would've risked
the release of lead dust. They guy spent the first four hours with some sort
of wacky looking arrangement of little bubble levels, wires and huge
straightedges, applying various thicknesses of aluminum shims that he made
at home. When it was done, it looked like the room had been flipped upside
down and had the ceiling poured on, allowing gravity to level it like the
surface of a quiet pond.

Sure - this kind of work isn't necessarily exclusive to union workers. But,
when I questioned the shimming & leveling tricks, he said he'd learned it
during 3 years of training with some union guys. If YOU wanted to do that
kind of work, where would you go to learn it? Would you waste time buying
magazines and browsing the web, hoping to find the information, or take the
most direct route to the source of training, which is probably other
workers?

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess even a
non
union company would have beat it.

Why would you assume that krause is telling the truth about this when he
couldn't about his wife's degrees or his "lobsta boat"



What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union? The way
you
rave about the details of the work makes it obvious you have never put
down
tile before. Hell, my sister tiled her own counter top and back splash
without a lick of problem. No need for union workers to do it for her.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our
house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess even a
non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union?

Just my guess: How about the presence of formal training (apprenticeship)
arrangements? That means something. Otherwise, you could end up hiring
someone who, after discovering they were pretty good at it after doing
their
own home, decided to open a business.

Union tilesetters undergo a formal, three-year apprenticeship program. A
lot of that training has to do with the safe handling of various
chemicals that are rarely, if ever, used during tilesetting or
maintenance in single-family homes.

Pure bull****.


Very few union tilesetters work single-family residential, although I
have foudn the crews I've hired in my minor-league homebuilding ventures
to be more skilled and efficient than the non-union crews.

It is kind of humorous that Hertvik is commenting here...if you saw a
photo of his house, you'd conclude that no one with a sense of design,
taste or construction skill was involved...but, hey, taste is
subjective,eh?


We have a 4,000 square foot house constructed in 1992. If you have a
picture to post please do. I have no idea how you would have obtained it,
but as you have been stalking me recently I guess nothing is beyond belief
with you.

Tile setting is not difficult. No need for a 3 year apprenticeship program
unless one is mentally challenged.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...


Union tilesetters undergo a formal, three-year apprenticeship program. A
lot of that training has to do with the safe handling of various
chemicals that are rarely, if ever, used during tilesetting or
maintenance in single-family homes.

This is unfortunate because I *suspect* (might be wrong, though), that a
builder's expectations for speed of construction and cost control might
force *any* worker to take shortcuts. I suppose it depends on the situation.
I lot of my son's friends live in new developments, and some of the parents
are doing an inordinate amount of what I consider "basic structural" work -
things a new house shouldn't need. Example: In one house, the kitchen
floor's underlayment wasn't fastened correctly. All along 3 seams, it began
lifting and popping the wooden tiles. He's redoing the whole thing two years
after moving in. When he removed the tiles, he found water damage to the
underlayment. It was 15 feet from the sink area, so obviously, it happened
during construction.

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our
house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home
office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess even
a
non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union?

Just my guess: How about the presence of formal training
(apprenticeship)
arrangements? That means something. Otherwise, you could end up hiring
someone who, after discovering they were pretty good at it after doing
their
own home, decided to open a business.

Union tilesetters undergo a formal, three-year apprenticeship program. A
lot of that training has to do with the safe handling of various
chemicals that are rarely, if ever, used during tilesetting or
maintenance in single-family homes.

Pure bull****.

Why do you say it's bull****? Have you gone through the process, or know
anyone who has?



Very few union tilesetters work single-family residential, although I
have foudn the crews I've hired in my minor-league homebuilding ventures
to be more skilled and efficient than the non-union crews.

It is kind of humorous that Hertvik is commenting here...if you saw a
photo of his house, you'd conclude that no one with a sense of design,
taste or construction skill was involved...but, hey, taste is
subjective,eh?


We have a 4,000 square foot house constructed in 1992.

What's the size go to do with the aesthetic quality of the house?
("aesthetic" means "how it looks").

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

and on houses with "Starting from $550,000..."

Residential construction is the bottom of the barrel.

We've got plenty of developments like that here. One of them was involved in
an interesting scandal a few years back. It involved the builder, the bank
he used to offer financing to the buyers, and the bank's assessor. They
arranged for the homes to be valued at $500-700K in an area where similar
homes were $200 or so. Somehow, they managed to convince not only the
buyers, but the town, that it would be the next up-and-coming neighborhood.
It was similar to the tulip madness in Europe in the 16th century.

The best part is that so many of these homes were built that it affected the
town's property tax planning. When the bottom fell out....you know the rest.
Besides THAT mess, the owners are stuck with homes that they'll NEVER get
their money out of when they retire and move to NOYB-land. And, the houses
are built like crap. In one of my son's friends' homes, trim sections of
sheetrock were glued to the beams. No screws at all. The mom said she was
cooking one day and a 1x4 foot strip fell into the pot of spaghetti water.
:-)

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of our
house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home
office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why
not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess
even
a
non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union?

Just my guess: How about the presence of formal training
(apprenticeship)
arrangements? That means something. Otherwise, you could end up
hiring
someone who, after discovering they were pretty good at it after
doing
their
own home, decided to open a business.

Union tilesetters undergo a formal, three-year apprenticeship program.
A
lot of that training has to do with the safe handling of various
chemicals that are rarely, if ever, used during tilesetting or
maintenance in single-family homes.

Pure bull****.

Why do you say it's bull****? Have you gone through the process, or know
anyone who has?


This is hilarious. There are dozens of "hazmats" that union masonry work
ers taught to handle properly. There is quite a bit of chemistry and
math involved in being a journeyman.

It takes 3 years for them to learn the dangers of certain cleaners and
adhesives? I guess these are not the brightest bulbs in the construction
trade.



Very few union tilesetters work single-family residential, although I
have foudn the crews I've hired in my minor-league homebuilding
ventures
to be more skilled and efficient than the non-union crews.

It is kind of humorous that Hertvik is commenting here...if you saw a
photo of his house, you'd conclude that no one with a sense of design,
taste or construction skill was involved...but, hey, taste is
subjective,eh?


We have a 4,000 square foot house constructed in 1992.If you have a
picture to post please do. I have no idea how you would have obtained
it,
but as you have been stalking me recently I guess nothing is beyond
belief
with you.


What's the size go to do with the aesthetic quality of the house?
("aesthetic" means "how it looks").


Nothing nor did I say it had anything to do with how it looks. Perhaps
Harry will post a picture though. He did claim to have one.

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
This week, we had about 1000 square feet of the lower level of
our
house
tiled in ceramic tile. This is the area that comprises my home
office.


*Lower level* of your house? So you had your basement tiled. Why
not
just
say so.

And it sounds like your first quote was off base. I would guess
even
a
non
union company would have beat it.

What is so special about laying tile that you need to be union?

Just my guess: How about the presence of formal training
(apprenticeship)
arrangements? That means something. Otherwise, you could end up
hiring
someone who, after discovering they were pretty good at it after
doing
their
own home, decided to open a business.

Union tilesetters undergo a formal, three-year apprenticeship
program.
A
lot of that training has to do with the safe handling of various
chemicals that are rarely, if ever, used during tilesetting or
maintenance in single-family homes.

Pure bull****.

Why do you say it's bull****? Have you gone through the process, or
know
anyone who has?


This is hilarious. There are dozens of "hazmats" that union masonry work
ers taught to handle properly. There is quite a bit of chemistry and
math involved in being a journeyman.

It takes 3 years for them to learn the dangers of certain cleaners and
adhesives? I guess these are not the brightest bulbs in the construction
trade.



Very few union tilesetters work single-family residential, although
I
have foudn the crews I've hired in my minor-league homebuilding
ventures
to be more skilled and efficient than the non-union crews.

It is kind of humorous that Hertvik is commenting here...if you saw
a
photo of his house, you'd conclude that no one with a sense of
design,
taste or construction skill was involved...but, hey, taste is
subjective,eh?


We have a 4,000 square foot house constructed in 1992.If you have a
picture to post please do. I have no idea how you would have obtained
it,
but as you have been stalking me recently I guess nothing is beyond
belief
with you.


What's the size go to do with the aesthetic quality of the house?
("aesthetic" means "how it looks").


Nothing nor did I say it had anything to do with how it looks. Perhaps
Harry will post a picture though. He did claim to have one.

Harry said nothing about its size, but that's the thing you responded to.

"It's green"
"No. It's a big house"

WTF?