Who knew there was a bleading edge of tile? Not me! While I routinely caution my clients about changing to new IT products on the first release I didn't make the translation to tile products. I mean - what is new in tile? Humans have been tiling things for millenniums.
Well so we designed our whole kitchen around this new tile product. Made of 50% post consumer waste (Skye Vodka bottles, thank you!) the salesperson told me that it was a new product and that we had to use their sub contractor to install it because he was TRAINED to install the new product. So the Mark comes over to do the estimate and he's the head of the floor installation company and that's the last I ever see of him.
So they send two guys who have never seen the product before, without the tools they need, who can't read the instructions, with the wrong glue, on a day that is too cold. 10 minutes after they leave the tiles are popping up like toast. So I call the sales rep and say I don't think the floor should be popping up like toast.
Well it turns out they didn't roll the tile with the 150 pound roller, because they didn't have a roller. So I say, get them back here to roll. And they can come the next day to roll. But after 10:00 am because they have to get the roller. Meanwhile the Adhesive is DRYING and it needs to be rolled before the adhesive is DRY. There is 24 hours. Tick Tick Tick.
So Jose and Jose arrive and they have the 150 pound roller. They look at the floor, they try a little rolling, then they pull up two of the worst tiles and say - wow these two tiles have popped up - we can't do anything - We'll come tomorrow - Bye.
Well tomorrow means the adhesive will be dry. I've been assured by the sales rep, the manufacturer and that the best we can do is roll it soon. So I try and get hold of Mark but he's not answering his phone. So I basically tell the guys that they can't go and they have to roll the floor for 15 minutes in a diagonal pattern before they leave. And, while I don't believe in slavery, I basically lock them in the kitchen to roll while I stay outside slavering into my cell phone and pacing. This makes me feel even worse.
So the rolling doesn't do anything and I talk to many people and plan B is warming the tile up and rolling on Wed. At this point I start saying that I actually want people who know what they are doing, I don't want the B team anymore, I want the A team. I am assured that Miguel the supervisor will appear miraculously tomorrow.
The next day (and remember I am working from home for this fiasco because my boss is a sweetie pie, but I'm also not working a lot so I'm losing money) I get one Jose and a guy I assume is Miguel the supervisor so I ask, "Hi are you Miguel?" "No, I am the BROTHER OF MIGUEL." There's a whole lot of "Whose on First" that happens at this point. But basically as this escalates I start to lose it and my basic position is that I am not letting anyone in my kitchen with a blow torch who is not management and certainly not Jose and Brother of Miguel. Actual Miguel is in Ventura and after screaming into two phones - Miguel on one and the president of the flooring company on the other and pacing up and down the street Miguel agrees to actually come to the site. So does the president of the company. Who has been told by Jose and Jose that there is a problem with two tiles and not the ENTIRE FLOOR. The president of the floor company and the sales person both inspect the floor and agree that it was done wrong and that I will wait for Miguel and we will get Miguel's opinion.
Miguel arrives and burns my floor with the blowtorch.
Remodeling!
Beso pops out of the cabinet before the counter is installed, and the wonderful Luis looks around at the kitchen before the tile fiasco.
