is there any work out there?

Hello,

Im a tilecontractor with 15 years experience under my belt, took the schluter classes at the ctef and consider myself a good honest hard working and detail
Mechanic.
Work in the coastal South carolina area is completely dead and havent worked in 2 months, I really need work bad!
Will someone help me out here?
Any suggestions, ive tried every avenue I could and just need some work, will travel anywhere for a fair shake.
I can be emailed at jjb0421@sccoast.net
Someone save this installer
Thanks
Regards
J Bruford

Last I heard Wyoming is till in a boom mode. Gas wells have been fueling a boom in several locations around the eastern part of the state. Been there, seen that.

Coal production is at all time highs.

Now wind farms are going gangbusters in Wyoming.

Several areas are begging for energy workers and with workers comes the need for housing and infrastructure developements.

I'm interested in hearing from installers who are keeping busy in this economy. Also, it would be nice to get feedback on areas that are not doing so well.

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The St. Louis area is completely dead. I have actually took a position with a major hotel as a maintenance technician and only do small side jobs now. Most I know are scrounging up what work they can by working for friends and family doing odd jobs.

Horry County South Carolina is a waste land.
Hey wanna buy a house/condo dirt cheep?
I most likely tiled It
Come on down to swampy south carolina.
Ive watched the retail flooring industry
Take a swam dive into the black hole.
There are at least 10 flooring retailers
Including myself that are in the compost pile
Down here.
Do ya really want more, may just stink up this whole place.
Regards,
Swampfox

My phone has all but quit ringing. I'm no longer two to three months out on my jobs. Still a few things to do for now and two new homes (I have already signed with) being built will become available in the fall. If I haven't starved by then. Reports have remodelling up 14% in this area and new housing down 24%.

Been working 16 hrs a day giving bids. Only problem it doesn't pay. I'm getting blown away trying to price @ 20%. And I'm still 20% too high go figure.

Here's another "GO FIGURE". Signed another new home today out of the blue. That'll be great come October. If I don't starve to death between now and then.

Come to a town were everyone installs tile, no one knows anything about it, and can't show proof of what they have done or their training and experience. A town full of Brokers and Hacks.

Here in Alberta, though new home construction has slowed a bit, the renovation trade is still in very high gear as well as commercial jobs. I am booked solid for at least 3 months.

I think it may be time for me to hang up the trowel and find another trade!
Fighting for 2 bucks a square just aint worth it anymore!
Think I may go to school to be a barber, at least I know I can make 12 bucks a head.

15 years and may be done.
7 wetsaws, countless trowels,buckets, hoes, couple hundred lbs of caulk color blue, 1 million pencils and two pairs of proknees later.

Kelly, I agree, I do blame the flooring stores for some of it, they send out carpet installers to set tile, no wait, they send out carpet installers put the shiney side up, over mastic, maybe thinset over backerboard without thinset over, pourly grouted % customer sometimes doesn't know the difference till a couple years later, & these guys have grabbed the money & gone, one year is all they have to garuntee their work! I

I can set tile but can't work this pc very well (hit the wrong key) LOL, I see countless floors cracking, grout flaking loose, lot's of lippage, in talking with guys that supposedly set tile many will say they use mastic and in showers too!
Another problem is that, do it your self thing and we can help or let's do something together, I sometimes linger around at the big box stores listening to the associate telling people how to install tile, & think OH my Gosh. Just a little venting. Have a good one gentlemen.

My two favorite HD comments. One lady wanted to know the difference between porcelain and ceramic. The "associate" told her "ceramic tile is glazed and porcelain tile isn't". The other one is I heard a lady asking an "associate" what the difference in installing stone tile instead of porcelain? The associate stated "stone tile is harder to install". LOL. Can't beat that expert advice that HD offers.

Keeping Busy.

My favorite story is for my first installation; I went to home-depot to pick up some backerboard tape. I walked through every single aisle and the darn tape was nowhere to be found. So I went to ask this lady where I could find backerboard tape and she told me" Nobody uses backerboard tape." LOL!

The even funnier part is a contractor happened to be walking by at the time and he told me " Use drywall tape I use it all the time." Well I just stood there and nodded my head to this guy and then walked away. Fortunanetly I had done my homework and knew better and after a little persistance eventually found the tape.

I would like for someone to explain to me just how long regular drywall Fiberglas tape will last, buried in thinset. I would also like to know where it goes when it doesn't last. I would also like to know where manufacturers of Fiberglas tape get off selling the backerboard tape in only fifty foot rolls and charging five times more for the crap.

If there are lab tests in existence that substantiate this conspiracy, I would like to see the results. Where can I find the reports?

Here here me too

Keeping busy too. Hardwood is kicking a*s along with inlaid vinyls and laminates. Traveling from Jersey to Canadian border. One has to be able to do it all in the flooring biz otherwise you'll starve

I beg your pardon!?!?

I put the wood to er'

One has to be able to do it all in the flooring biz otherwise you'll starve

Don't let my wife see you say that.

Hey my phone rang again - got another custom-huge shower to do. The last couple have been multi-head multi-bench, yada yada's. The last one had eighteen wall penetrations for valves and shower heads. I guess I shouldn't be involved in this thread afterall.

Just finished one last week w/ 9 of those damn valves and heads etc. The way it laid out the most of them fell on the edge of the 3/8" porcelain, lucky I. good luck. And when you retire I'm movin to Arkansas.

It's Nebraska!

Never heard of a sorghum husker.

What the frig is a sorghum husker? LMAO

I have some good ole buddies from Misura. I'll ask them

This winter was bad up here in Maine, but right now, I'm about 4 weeks out, and between 3 contractors I do work for, there are 4 foundations in the ground now, with another two planned by the beginning of august-- all big houses (3000 feet or more) with alot of tile.

Still haven't found the one I'm looking for, though. Supposedly Tom Brady's building a home up here not too far away-- supposed to be breaking ground this fall.

I've had 3 days off since January. Praise the Lord. But I don't see the trend lasting to much longer here in Louisville, KY. Not a whole lot of foundations being put in, but with remodeling, you never now.

P.S. Nobody come here
Dan Welch, are you out there? How is work and family?

And another whole house deal again today.

Staying busy at the Jersey shore. A mix of residential new and whole house renovation along with add a bath. Did pick up a nice one, 140 units in a hi-rise apt bldg, one at a time as they come up vacant, getting new kitchen floor and bath floor and walls. One of my builders went belly up and a few of the others are scaled way back. Most say they have customers who are ready to spend but cant get the banks to lend. A few of my other builders have work because their customers saved up and are spending their own money without going thru a bank. I guess non union construction isnt important enough to get stimulused

And going to look at another in the morning. Jeeeezh, I better knock of wood.

Over where I am at not much work for a guy like me but most installers do hack jobs for a little of nothing. So I plan on being real busy in a bit. I tell all customers when they say thats to much money, you can pay me now or pay me later. And yes it has worked.

South Florida has so much work, I cannot get enough p[people to do the jobs. Im in Palm Beach Florida, and there is always work here. You can name your price, just get it done.

Went on an estimate today for a fireplace surround with marble, customer was happy with me and wants to do the 7 bathrooms in his house, 3 asap. Things are looking better and better

Here in western Canada the commercial side of things is moving along very nicely. Have a a 25000 foot job on the go, another 8000 feet starting next monday, and 20000 feet at an oil refinery booked for this fall. Never been so busy to be honest.

I tell all customers when they say thats to much money, you can pay me now or pay me later. And yes it has worked.

My stock answer to that response is that the other guy knows what the quality of his work is worth. And he's STILL overcharging you.