" So Roger, what are the advantages of doing a mud job over just mastic on a plywood fit?"

" Well, 1st of all Bob, it's a very strong floor. Probably the strongest floor you can install."

" Uh huh."

" And also if you get unlevel conditions in the bathroom, which you're doing off a lot----"

" Yeah."

" you can level the floor out very well."

" All we've got underneath there is just the old wooden subfloor."

" Uh huh. Yeah. And you can sure that it's not level."

" Yeah. And the prep work you've done so far it that's what we see, right?"

" Just what we you see. The paper is a membrane that you put down to keep the moisture in the mud, and it also acts as a cleavage membrane."

" Cleavage membrane. This is all just like expansion joint between this rigid mud and ceramic tile floor, right?"

" Right."

" And what is basically another element, the wood, which wants to have some motion to contract and expand."

" Right, right. They won't affect it a bit, the mud floor."

" Right."

" It won't affect it."

" What about the mesh of the metal that we use?"

" Well, the mesh, is a reinforcement, and you have to have that so the floor doesn't crack."

" Exactly. And this galvanized?"

" Galvanized, yeah. Rolled with wire."

" So are you ready for the mud?"

" Right, right. My son is in the other room there. Brian. He's mixing the mud."

" Hi, Brian."

" Let's go there and take a look."

" Hi, Bob."

" So all of this is good old-fashioned, standard Portland, right?"

" Right. It's what they call the number 2 Portland. It's a rather coarse sand and it's mixed at a ratio of 5 parts stand to 1 part cement."

" Uh huh."

" And the mix, it's really a rather dry mix. When you add the water, you don't put too much water."

" You want it to be dry."

" You want it to be dry so you can pack it."

" Try to put in there maybe a gallon. It depends about the dampness of the sand. Sometimes, you get sand that's awfully damp."

" Good."

" Okay, Bob. The mix is a dry mix that you can mold. It's not a flurry that would just flow when you put it down on the floor."

" Yeah."

" Alright. So we can start throwing it down right over the metal mesh, right?"

" Okay. Now why are you starting there against the top?"

" Well, because I have to work into the room around that way then come back this way to this point. That's an inch and a quarter."

" Entering into the rafter."

" Right. I'll transfer that point over to here so I've got my level right here."

" Uh huh."

" The height that I need, and I'll go that way, and that way, and around it."

" Good."

" We have to clamp this down, and then we'll transfer this point over to this over here, and the border is an inch and a quarter high, and that's the highest we want this flooring here to be. Okay, now that's level."

" Okay, so now you're just referring to edge where you had leveled off and throwing away the excess."

" Right."

" Get it down. Flush it with a straight line, and then the floor is level. The mud sub floor is set up up to 24 hours, and we've got a pattern and tile that our architect has designed. Roger, how do you get started fitting and how to level?"

" Well, I wanna concern myself with the back wall and the sub areas so that these design carry right on up the wall."

" Uh huh."

" I also have to concern myself with cuts on the sidewall up there."

" Yes."

" So let's lay it out to this center point right here on the tub, which gives me a good-sized piece of both sides and the pattern follows right out."

" You don't wanna end up having to cut little tiny piece of tiles again."

" That's right."

" So are we ready to actually install them?"

" Yes. We can start removing them right now, and we can start laying the tile."

" We'll be spreading down some thin set mortar, right?"

" Right."

" Roger, what is thin set mortar?"

" Thin set mortar is a cement type of adhesive, and in this particular case, it's a latex modified thin set."

" You put a very, very thin coat of it, and you get all your tiles right in there. There's a really very little cause of failure."

" Right, right. It's a very good bond with this material."

" Notched trowel with side notch."

" It's a quarter inch notched trowel."

" Makes a big difference when you can buy your tiles set like that in the levy."

" Oh, yeah."

" And put down on the foot or a square foot and a half at a time. And here, all we've done is remove 1 tile so we can insert our pattern."

" Alright."

" Can I put this 1 in?"

" Sure, go ahead."

" Good. Lay that down and sweat it, and you've already got your corner feet well cut out."