One of my newsletter subscribers responded to a call I put out about gutter guard sales presentation and installation horror stories. I asked them to share any tales about high-pressure sales tactics and the use of undisclosed subcontractors.
That input of information helped create my Gutter Guard Cost page. You should look at it. It contains OTHER gutter guard scam links.
BEWARE Powerful Psychology
His story is powerful and it speaks to the often unethical tactics used by salespeople that prey on folks like you. They make use of extremely effective psychology that works on every human being. It's much like the Jedi mind tricks Obi-Wan Kenobi used in the original Star Wars movie.
This psychology is all covered in an easy-to-read book titled: Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion
I link to it below my subscriber's story. I BEG YOU TO BUY IT so you NEVER GET SCREWED AGAIN.
MasterShield is going to be none too happy about this story but they only have their dealer to blame. Federal Law allows me to publish stories like this so you can avoid heartache as my subscriber suffered.
Tim,
I had 160 feet of MasterShield gutter guard installed on my house for a total cost of $3,800. It's the same gutter guard you have on your NH home.
The salesman told me "his quote for $7,600.00 was only good until we saw his taillights leaving our driveway". I told him we'd still like to think about it, so he left.
A day or two later, someone phoned from the company and told me that they had a very large job in the next town and could reduce my cost by almost 50% because they would be working in the area.
A sub-contractor showed up to do the job and knew nothing about another job nearby.
The product is superior to others on the market but the sales tactics put the buyer on the defensive for sure.
The Mastershield salesman was invoking the scarcity psychological trigger:
Scarcity (taking the deal away if you don't sign RIGHT NOW)
Scarcity is the most powerful psychological trick of all. It's why we waterboard POWs. We take away oxygen and the POW starts singing like a canary.
Psychology Tricks Book
Purchase this book ASAP and read it. It's very simple to understand.
Once you read it, NO HIGH-PRESSURE SALESMAN will EVER BE ABLE TO SCREW YOU AGAIN!
A few days ago in my September 23, 2020 Newsletter, I received a troubling email and I asked for your help. I wanted to know if you had received quotes from gutter guard companies. You may have been one who answered those simple questions.
The problem is much more serious than I thought. In the past two days, you may have been one who took it to the next level and emailed me sharing your deeply troubling story about an encounter you had with a gutter guard sales person/company.
I'm going to share on Sunday the stories I've received so far, but I want to hear yours.
Did you have a bad experience with a gutter guard salesman?
Did you have buyer's remorse after the installer left your driveway and you were picking up pop-rivet stems or screws from your lawn?
CLICK or TAP HERE and tell me your story so I can share it to SAVE OTHERS from misery and financial loss.
Once again, I'm happy to shield you and keep your name out of the story.
CLICK or TAP HERE and get rid of that bad taste you've had in your mouth.
I just want you to give me the FACTS about what happened and share how you felt. There's no need for name calling or vitriol.
His email helped create my Gutter Guard Cost page. You should look at it. It contains OTHER gutter guard scam links.
BEWARE Powerful Psychology
His story is powerful and it speaks to the often unethical tactics used by salespeople that prey on folks like you. They make use of extremely effective psychology that works on every human being. It's much like the Jedi mind tricks Obi-Wan Kenobi used in the original Star Wars movie.
This psychology is all covered in an easy-to-read book titled: Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion
I link to it below Dan's story. I BEG YOU TO BUY IT so you NEVER GET SCREWED AGAIN.
That input of information helped create my Gutter Guard Cost page. You should look at it. It contains OTHER gutter guard scam links.
BEWARE Powerful Psychology
His story is powerful and it speaks to the often unethical tactics used by salespeople that prey on folks like you. They make use of extremely effective psychology that works on every human being. It's much like the Jedi mind tricks Obi-Wan Kenobi used in the original Star Wars movie.
This psychology is all covered in an easy-to-read book titled: Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion
I link to it below Rick's story. I BEG YOU TO BUY IT so you NEVER GET SCREWED AGAIN.
I'm not certain hitting reply to your message will get MY message through but I have to give it a try. I sent in my information anonymously using your form however I felt it necessary to expound.
The rear of my house is nearly three stories off the ground. Additionally, although my garage is only one story, it is very hard to access for me. Reluctantly I called to get an estimate and subsequently paid LeafFilter the approximate rate of $1200/hour (that's it-2 hours of work!).
As I was outside paying the installer (who was not supposed to be a subcontractor but was), I noted his next job in an opened folder when he walked away to take care of something he missed. When he returned, I casually mentioned the fact that his next job was almost the same linear footage yet was half the price. His response? "You've got to bargain with these guys to get the best price." REALLY? I didn't realize I was buying a used car here!
Tim, I have lived with the guilt of wasting my hard-earned income since the installation, and given that I am months away from retirement, it hurts even more. Please use your forum to get the word out to as many people as possible that these guys shoot from the hip when it comes to pricing. Their initial estimate was over $3,600 but once all my "discounts" were applied, including one for paying by check, I actually thought I was paying a fair price. Now I feel like I have been taken.
Additionally, besides promising 'no subcontractor', complete clean-out, and realignment of my gutters and caulking where needed, the job consisted of throwing out the leaves and slapping a cover over the top. When I did the front of my house (myself) with micromesh guards from Costo, I cleaned the debris and hosed the shingle grit until it was nearly spotless. I want to know how someone can caulk over dirt and grit (I know the answer. You cannot!)
Despite my written review to the company, I have yet to even receive a telephone call saying, "we're sorry". This whole operation is a scam and I am still very upset about the whole thing.
Thanks for allowing me to get it off my chest.
Rick
Pevely, MO
Psychology Tricks Book
Purchase this book ASAP and read it. It's very simple to understand.
Once you read it, NO HIGH-PRESSURE SALESMAN will EVER BE ABLE TO SCREW YOU AGAIN!
Kitchen Island Sink Plumbing | These are the pipes you may not see in a kitchen island that help prevent sewer gas from polluting your kitchen. Copyright 2020 Tim Carter
Kitchen Island Sink Plumbing - Do a Loop Vent
QUESTION:I need your expert advice. My new kitchen is going to have a large island with my double-bowl sink in it. I don’t know a thing about plumbing, but my dad was a plumber and I remember him saying there’s a special way to install the drain pipes in my island so there’s never any sewer gas in my kitchen. The young plumber and my contractor want to use some new-fangled thing that just fits under the cabinet. They call it an AAV. They say it saves time and money. My experience with many products like this is those words are synonyms for “shortcut and trouble-down-the-road”. How would you install the sink drain pipes in my island if you were my plumber? I’m also interested in any other tips you can provide to make my new kitchen plumbing trouble-free for years. Martha W., Rapid City, SD
I’ve been a master plumber since age 29 and I have to chuckle at Martha’s mastery of the English language! Indeed some new products are not that great, but then again I get to see my fair share of new building products that are simply wonderful. That said, I’m a big fan of not having moving parts in plumbing systems, so you’ll never see an AAV on one of my jobs nor would I ever use one in my own home.
Are AAVs a Good Idea?
An AAV is an air-admittance valve and they’re designed to allow fresh air into a plumbing system but not let sewer gas leak into your home. But sometimes they just don’t work right and sewer gas can leak. I’ve had countless homeowners over the years send me emails complaining about this and asking how to eliminate the AAVs.
Martha’s dad undoubtedly installed a traditional loop vent in situations where you simply couldn’t install a traditional vent pipe that is hidden behind almost all plumbing fixtures. These hidden vent pipes are connected to the drain pipes and eventually connect together up higher in your home and often exit the house through one or more little pipes you see poking through your roof.
The purpose of the roof vent pipes is to allow air into your plumbing system. When your plumbing drain system is not in use, all the pipes are filled with air except for the water that’s in the traps under sinks, tubs, showers, floor drains, other fixtures, and of course toilets. WATCH THIS VIDEO to understand how they really work:
What Happens When You Flush a Toilet?
When you run water in a sink or flush a toilet, you add a volume of water to the system and in the case of a violent addition like a toilet flushing, the air in the pipes is forced through the system much like a bullet forces air out of a rifle barrel when you pull the trigger. This air must be replaced instantly through the roof vents or the system will go hunting for the air and suck it through a sink or tub drain nearby the flushing toilet.
What is the Sucking or Slurping Noise in the Tub or Sink When a Toilet Flushes?
Perhaps you’ve heard this sucking or slurping noise from a tub or sink. This is an indication of a problem in your vent system and sewer gas can enter your home via the trap that now has no water in it.
How Does A Loop Vent Work?
Here’s how the kitchen loop vent works. I’d love to meet the long-dead plumber that thought this through because it’s such a simple and elegant solution to a problem. It’s important to realize that with a kitchen island sink, you don’t want some ugly vent pipe to extend through the countertop and run up to your kitchen ceiling. No one would find that acceptable for goodness sake.
Where Does the Air Come From for a Loop Vent?
A loop vent gets the needed air from the actual drain pipe just four or five feet away from your island sink. It’s ingenious. Here’s how it works. Martha’s plumber needs to install a 2-inch drain pipe to the kitchen island. Inside the kitchen sink cabinet or behind it in a void space, the plumber needs to create a loop. This loop is also done with a 2-inch pipe. You can envision this loop by thinking of a capital letter P that’s laying on its side with the curved section of the P aiming to the sky and the long leg of the letter representing the drain pipe under the sink.
The actual drain pipe that enters the kitchen sink cabinet must be no larger than a 1.5-inch pipe. This smaller pipe restricts the amount of water that enters the loop-vent system. The drain pipe water enters the vertical pipe of the loop that is represented by the top of the letter P when it’s on its side. The other part of the curved part of the letter P represents the actual vent part of the system.
I’m sure you can see how the curved part of the letter P attaches to the horizontal drain pipe under the floor. Can you see this in your head? It’s best to have these two vertical pipes that are in the cabinet or behind the cabinet at least 32 inches apart, with 3 or 4 feet being ideal.
Here’s what happens when you fill the sink to the brim and pull out the sink stopper. The water immediately rushes from the sink and completely fills the 1.5-inch pipe that is in your cabinet. But right away it starts to fall into the vertical 2-inch pipe which it can’t fill all the way because of its larger diameter. As the water crashes to the bottom of the horizontal pipe and starts its journey to the sewer, the water starts to level out and only partially fill the 2-inch horizontal pipe. Much needed air is on top of the water.
As the flowing water passes the other part of the loop that is going up into the cabinet, the air that’s needed to satisfy the vacuum created by the draining sink water is flowing upstream across the water that’s going the opposite direction towards the sewer. The air enters the loop and allows the water to drain quickly from the sink. There are no moving parts and you’ll never have sewer gas if the loop vent is installed correctly. It’s magic!
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Mildew - This exhaust pipe for a bathroom fan is a ticking time bomb of mold, mildew, and wood rot. Copyright 2020 Tim Carter
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Mildew - It Can Be Bad
QUESTION:Mr. Tim, I’ve had three contractors over to my house and I’ve received three different answers about how my bathroom fan should exhaust. I’m beyond frustrated. How are we homeowners supposed to protect our largest investments, our homes, if maintenance advice is wrong? I’ve read online about serious mold and wood-rot problems caused by bath fans. I’m confident you’ll be able to give me the correct answer. I only wish you lived in my town so I might bump into you for advice at the grocery store from time to time! Sharon P., Evanston, IL
Do you wring your hands like Sharon is undoubtedly doing each time you have to spin the wheel hoping it stops on the correct contractor to work on your home? Can you imagine signing a contract for $1,000, $5,000, or even $50,000 *hoping* everything is going to work out? I don’t know about you, but I only hope for things that I can’t control, like the weather, and the next time the giant fault 60 miles west of Portland under the ocean is going to unzip its entire length unleashing a mammoth tsunami. Yes, geology was my college major, but I digress.
Dolt Builder Has No Clue
Before I dive deep into helping Sharon, I’d like to share a sobering story that should shake you to the core. Two years ago, I attended a pre-construction meeting with the builder of my daughter’s new home that was being built in cold and blustery Bar Harbor, Maine. The company that was going to prefabricate the exterior and interior walls for the house wanted to make sure everything was right before they started to bang together all the studs and oriented strand board.
After most of the questions were answered, I asked, “Is it possible for you to cut all the interior walls where they touch the exterior walls 3/4-inch short?” The builder and the panel manufacturer looked puzzled. “Why?” They both asked at the same time. “Well, I want to run the vapor barrier on the exterior walls continuous around the entire house so there’s only one seam. This gap will also allow the drywall hanger to run full 12-foot sheets around the exterior walls.”
The builder scoffed and said, “Vapor barrier? We don’t install those here. They cause mold and rot problems in the walls.” I wasn’t about to get into a science debate with the builder who had no idea what he was talking about. In the meantime, I heard the wall-panel manufacturer rep’s gears spinning and he blurted out, “That’s a brilliant idea. I can’t believe this is the first time in my career I’ve ever heard someone suggest it. Yes, we will shorten all those walls.”
I subsequently asked the Bar Harbor building inspector about the vapor barrier requirement and she said the current code didn’t require it but she always recommends that one be installed. Are you frightened? If not, you should be.
Now think about what a bath fan really is. When you take a hot steamy shower it’s a pump. It pumps hundreds and hundreds of cubic feet of moist air to some remote location. The last place you want this air to be is inside your attic space. The moist air will fuel the growth of mold and mildew on the roof framing and the sheathing that covers the timbers. Wood rot is an absolute certainty over time should you dump bath exhaust into an attic.
This moist air must exhaust to the exterior of your home. This is non-negotiable.
Where is the Best Place to Exhaust the Fan?
But it can’t just exit anywhere. The best place for it to exit is through your roof.
The hot moist air is dumped onto your shingles or other roof covering that’s made to get wet. However, you can’t do this if you live in a cold climate where snow can build up on a roof. Here in New Hampshire where I live, it’s entirely possible to have 2 feet, or more, of snow cover on a roof! Snow can cover the vent outlet and the moist air has nowhere to go.
The next best location for a bath fan cap is a wall that’s at least 3 to 5 feet from a roof overhang. Most roof overhangs today have continuous soffit ventilation strips. Bath exhaust is almost always warm and this air will float up and into the soffit ventilation openings. You’ve now put the water right back up into the attic without realizing it.
Just a year ago, I saw the absolute best bath exhaust fan roof cap. I wish it had been available when I built houses. It’s made by Lifetime tool, the manufacturer of the best plumbing vent-pipe flashings. This cap will work well for tens of millions of homes that never see a snowflake.
What is the Best Exhaust Pipe?
The pipe that extends from the fan to the exterior of your home needs to be a solid galvanized metal pipe or an approved insulated flex duct that might be part of a kit for a remote bath fan where the fan is far away from the bathroom. If you use sections of metal pipe, be sure to tape each joint with the true metal duct tape used by HVAC contractors. Don’t use crap fabric duct tape from a home center.
Should I Read the Installation Instructions?
Pay very close attention to the installation instructions published by the fan manufacturer. They state how many elbows can be in the piping and how long the piping can be. Don’t exceed these limits.
I urge you to always read installation instructions before you talk to contractors. Ask pointed questions of the contractors to see if they really know how to install something. Remember, pro contractors will never be offended by your questions. Ask away!
Shovel Choices 101 | This is an assortment of a few of my time-tested shovels. Each one is used for a specific task. This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my September 27, 2020 newsletter. Copyright 2020 Tim Carter
Shovel Choices 101 - Which One To Use
QUESTION:Mr. Tim, this past week I wasted all sorts of time and got frustrated trying to dig a simple hole in my yard. A neighbor looked over the fence and suggested I change shovels. Anyway, I figured you’ve used lots of shovels in your career and might help me start a decent collection so I won’t be frustrated ever again. Tell me all about the shovels I’d see if I came over to your house or stopped by one of your job sites. How do you store them? Barry K., Tulsa, OK
My guess is you might have been in the same situation as Barry at some point. It’s not that uncommon as I’d venture to say most people only have one or two shovels in their garages or sheds. Me, I’ve got about ten different ones with a few duplicates.
Just two weeks ago, I went on an adventure with my youngest daughter. She’s a potter and discovered I had a conversation a year ago with a local historian I met on a hike to a stunning overlook here in central New Hampshire, The Ledges. I found out that an early homesteader who’s old house foundation was on the hike had become a wealthy businessman. He discovered a large and deep continental glacial clay deposit and mined the clay making countless bricks for all the locals to use to build their fireplaces and chimneys.
Why did you bring that odd-looking shovel?
While hiking from my truck through the woods to the clay deposit my daughter said, “Dad, why did you bring that odd-looking shovel?” I had in my hand a duckbill shovel. It’s a long narrow shovel with a small cutting tip. It allows me to dig fast because there’s less resistance. I also knew I was only interested in getting about three-quarters of a cubic foot of clay to test it to see if it’s great for a few small pottery items.
It turns out it was the perfect shovel to use for this project because there was a small exposed vertical cut of the clay where I could scrape and cut a horizontal hole harvesting clay that had not seen the light of day for 15,000 years. Yes, my degree was in geology!
What type of shovel should be used?
The type of shovel you’ll use for a project depends on both the material you’ll be shoveling, whether it’s densely packed, loose, or even the shape of the hole you’re creating. For example, imagine the task that telegraph pole installers faced 170 years ago. They had to dig 12-inch diameter holes straight down about 5-feet deep! Think of how specialized those shovels had to be to create that perfect shaft! You can still see them if you’re able to watch a modern utility crew set a new pole!
The Basic Shovel
Let’s start with the most basic shovel. I feel it’s the round-point shovel. They come with all sorts of handle options including a short one with a D-handle. The tip of this shovel resembles what you see in a deck of cards when you look at the simplistic shape of the spade symbol. The tip of the shovel allows you to slice into dirt, through small roots, etc. with ease. Everyone should have at least one round-point shovel.
The Square-point Shovel
The next shovel I’d have is a square-point shovel. The industry usually calls these transfer shovels. They have a shallow pan profile but the cutting edge is straight across and blunt. These are perfect for shoveling loose material like sand, small rounded gravel, and grain. I’ve worn out quite a few of these shovels from handling tons of rounded pea gravel! You’ll never regret having one of these shovels.
The Duckbill Shovel or Drain Spade
If you plan to do trenching, you’ll want a duckbill shovel. Once again, you may find one called a drain spade. These have a rounded tip that cuts into soil or clay, but the body of the shovel is almost 2x longer than a normal shovel. It’s also narrower so you encounter less friction when making a deep cut. I’ve created thousands of feet of 16-inch-deep trenches with these shovels. Be sure to get one with a D-handle for ease of use.
The Garden Spade
One of my favorite shovels is the garden spade. These have a very flat shape and a blunt edge. They are my tool of choice if digging in clay where I want to create a very square hole with smooth sides. You can shave moist clay with these shovels like you’d shave off wood using a sharp wood plane or chisel.
Get this amazing stainless-steel one!
I've owned this stainless steel spade for almost 20 years. It looks PERFECT. NO RUST! CLICK or TAP HERE or the photo to have it delivered to your home.
Digging with a Pressure Washer
While it’s not a shovel, one innovative thing you can use to dig in certain situations is a pressure washer. You MUST wear goggles when doing this, but believe me, a pressure washer can cut through dense clay soil quite quickly. It’s a fantastic option to use should you need to tunnel under a sidewalk.
Using PVC Pipe as a Digger
Another method to tunnel is to use a piece of PVC pipe that you cut off an end at a 45-degree angle. You tap this cut end into the soil, twist it, and then pull it backwards removing the plug of soil inside the pipe. I recorded a video showing this method and you can watch it on my AsktheBuilder.com website. Type “tunnel” in the search engine on my website and the video will pop right up.
How to Clean Your Shovel after Each Use
If you want your shovels to dig with ease each time you use them, you must clean and oil them after each use. Hardened clay on a shovel creates more resistance when digging. If you have an old 5-gallon bucket, fill it with sand and pour some used motor oil into the sand until the sand is well saturated. Push the shovel into the sand and it will get coated in seconds with oil that will prevent rust.
Crumbling Concrete Foundation | This poured concrete foundation is looking shabby. Believe it or not, you can make it look gorgeous again with minimal effort and tools. Copyright 2020 Tim Carter
Crumbling Concrete Foundation - Easy DIY Repair
QUESTION:Hey Tim. I watched your three-part video series on patching a concrete foundation on your website. It’s exactly what I needed to help me repair the cosmetic crumbling of my concrete. I’ve got questions. Will that method work to also patch defects in steps and flat concrete sidewalks and driveways? I have a 4-inch-diameter hole in the foundation that needs to be filled. What’s the best way to do this, just pack in some of that cement stucco you show how to mix up? Do you have any other secret tips to share? Casey S., Antigo, WI
Wouldn’t you love to have a nickel for every person that needs to patch concrete? Oh my, that would be so many nickels! There’s a better-than-average chance that you might have some concrete at your home that needs some attention. Great news! I’m about to share how you can achieve pro results with very little work and cost.
How do You Repair a Crumbling Foundation?
I recorded the three videos that Casey mentioned about six years ago. It was pouring rain but we had to shoot that day. Fortunately, I was under a covered porch and could demonstrate exactly what to do. The first video in the series is below. Links to the other videos are shown.
The first step in a concrete repair is to remove any loose concrete and get rid of all dust. You can use a chisel and a hammer or if you have lots to do, consider renting a rotary-hammer tool that has a chisel tip. These power tools can do a remarkable amount of work in a short time. I like to use a garden hose and scrub brush to clean away all dust and loose particles of sand.
Why do Concrete Patches fail?
The next step I would have never known about had it not been for a generous old concrete craftsman that shared a few of his trade secrets with me forty-five years ago. This mason saw me trying to do a small repair job and stopped to talk to me. He could tell I was about to make a mistake, one that perhaps you’ve made and a great many others.
He explained why most concrete patches fail. There are so many reasons, but the biggest one is a lack of bonding between the old concrete and the new material. This gentleman shared tales about him being a young apprentice. It was fascinating.
He was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio as was I. Back when he was in his 20s, just about every new house that was built had concrete steps with a stunning sandy texture. The steps were actually stuccoed. You rarely see this technique today because it’s an extra step in the process.
This expert craftsman said they’d never pour a set of steps on a Friday because they wanted to apply the stucco no later than18 hours after pouring the steps. In hot weather, they’d often pour the steps in the morning and apply the stucco in the afternoon for optimal results.
What is the Proper Stucco Mix?
The stucco mix was just a blend of hydrated lime, Portland cement, and medium sand. He said they used 1.5 parts of Portland cement, 0.5 parts of hydrated lime, and 4 parts sand. Blend all this together dry and then add enough clean water to make a mix that resembles applesauce.
But the true secret to getting the stucco, or in your case the patching material, to bond to the old concrete is to apply cement paint just before you apply the patching material. Cement paint is just a mixture of Portland cement and clean water. You blend enough cement with the water to make it the consistency of latex paint.
Just before brushing on the cement paint to the old concrete, this master craftsman said to get the old concrete damp. You can use a sponge, a brush, or an old spray bottle. Remember, you want it damp, not soaking wet.
You then brush on the cement paint and immediately cover it with your stucco mix. Never allow the cement paint to dry. It must be covered immediately. You’ll discover you’ll not have to rush if you work in the shade or on an overcast day. Working in the direct sun on a hot day is too hard on the materials and you.
How do You Patch Larger Holes?
Patching larger holes is easy. You use the same process but find some rubble or small pieces of stone, brick or concrete to help pack the hole. Don’t try to fill large holes with just the stucco mixture. You want the rubble to be covered with the stucco mix so use rubber gloves if you want to do this by hand. Do what’s necessary so the hole has no voids in it. It needs to be completely filled with the rubble and the stucco patching material.
The old mason left me with one other very important tip. He said the patching material or stucco must be covered with burlap and kept wet for 48 hours. Back in his day, that’s all they had to slow down evaporation. You can use 4 or 6-mil plastic sheets, but be sure you weigh it down so it doesn’t blow away and so the wind can’t get under the plastic.
The plastic allows the patching material to get much harder and create a bond with the old concrete that will last for many decades. I’ve driven by concrete I patched in the mid-1970s using this method in the past year and it still looks perfect.
Install Tile Over Cracked Concrete Floor - Use a Membrane
QUESTION:I’m about to install ceramic tile on a concrete floor of a 40-year-old house. The concrete floor has cracks in it. This is a DIY endeavor and I don’t have the extra money to install the expensive membrane that I should use. Are my new tiles going to crack? What would you do? What about grouting the tile? Sarah H., League City, TX
Sarah’s got spunk. I applaud her spirit and she can have success if she does a few simple things. There are different crack-isolation membranes that uncouple the tile from the actual concrete slab. She might price all of them to see if there is one she can afford. Here's the industry standard, but it's fairly pricey:
Crack Isolation Membranes - Consider Affordable Felt Paper
There’s not a doubt in my mind that the new tile will develop cracks directly on top of the cracked slab if no membrane is used. Since Sarah’s budget is tighter than a banjo string, she might take a chance using two layers of 30-pound felt paper. This is a very affordable material and while I’ve never used it as a tile crack-isolation membrane, I feel it’s got a fantastic chance of performing quite well.
What About Filling Wide Cracks?
If the cracks in the slab are wider than 3/16 inch, I’d first try to bond the concrete together using a high-strength epoxy you can inject into the crack. This will go a long way to prevent future cracked tile. Here's a fantastic concrete-crack epoxy I've used with great success:
This is a wonderful DIY foundation repair epoxy. I've used it with great results. CLICK or TAP HERE or THE IMAGE TO ORDER IT NOW.
How Do You Install the Felt Paper?
I’d then install the felt paper just as you would one of the fancy membranes. This requires a bed of thinset adhesive that you then cover with the first layer of felt paper. Smooth the felt paper using a rented linoleum roller. Be sure to install the felt paper so it crosses the cracks at a 90-degree angle if possible.
I’d then install the second layer of felt paper over the first layer at a 90-degree angle. I’d not install any thinset between these two layers. The weight of the thinset under the tile and the tile itself will press this layer against the first layer.
Once the tile is installed, Sarah should go to my AsktheBuilder.com website and watch my four-part video series about how to grout ceramic floor tile. She’ll get professional results with a minimum of practice.
Column 1372B
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Install Tile Over Cracked Concrete Floor - Use a Membrane