Ask The Tile Man

[JohnfrWhipple]

So I am trying to log into this new forum with no luck, which I never heard of before today called "Ask the Tile Man". I stumbled upon them researching who the members are of the TTMAC's technical committee.

Ceramic-Tile.com
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The site says its the most respected professionally moderated online forum in the tile industry since 1996. The site says it is moderated by members of the NTCA. The site is linked to by my own TTMAC organization and this floors me (sorry for the pun).

What I can not figure out is why a Canadian Tile organization (The TTMAC) is sending people to an America web page and why this fellow named Tavy is allowed to sell and recommend his own products there. The forum looks like a walking Tavy advertising platform. The link to the Ask the Tile Man forum from the TTMAC is found here: http://www.ttmac.com/en/technical-information.html on the TTMAC Technical Specification Page under "More Info". Perhaps he pays for this? So odd. I send and email just not to the head of the TTMAC asking why (two weeks later this link has been removed).

The disclaimer for the form states this

Ceramic-Tile.com makes no representations about the content and suitability of this information for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty. Ceramic-Tile.com disclaims all warranties with regard to this information, including all implied warranties or merchantability and fitness. In no event shall Ceramic-Tile.com be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action, rising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information.

I know Dale Kempster from Schluter is one the head guys on the TTMAC committee why he allows this I do not know. The first post I read referenced the user should have choose Tavy Skin over Ditra. I skimmed the very limited posts of the past year and only one person answers and it is this fellow named Tavy. Yet it mentions four people as the tile men moderating the forum. I wonder if Bart from the NTCA even knows it's happening. I'm going to shoot him an email right now and ask just that.

My hunch is that for a number of years people checked in but later left it die. And Tavy now has his own private sales forum...

So odd.

Any of you guys ever heard of this forum? What a joke of a platform and how one sided the info appears to be.

Meet the Tile Men
http://www.ceramic-tile.com/bio.htm

Armen Tavy

Bart Bettiga
Executive Director
Publisher - Tileletter

Joe A. Tarver
Executive Director Emeritus

Gerald Sloan
NTCA Training Director
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Four people mentioned yet only one posting answers. If this is a hoodwink (PLEASE NOTE: I learned the next day that the other men opted out years ago and they had asked for their names to be removed.) and the other men are oblivious to the actions then this is a classic example of how information is "SOLD" online and represents so much of what I hate about online help. I have not heard of Joe Tarver before but have heard of Gerald Sloan. I'll email each man as well and ask them my selves why they are associated with this tile advice forum.

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[JohnfrWhipple]

Some interesting info and some stuff out to lunch posted here:

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/standard-for-uncoupling-membranes.59586/page-3

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

Heard back from Bart this morning. He wrote me and said this.... word for word.

"Thank you for letting me know about this. We were involved in this in the beginning but opted out years ago. They were supposed to remove our names. This is i think called Ask The Tile Man? I will reach out to the folks at Tavy Enterprises to tell them to take us out. There are too many forums as it is. NTCA is going to control our own through our new website in 2015. I would hesitate also to tell the TTMAC folks to use that forum."

Glad I could help out. I wonder how many people read the opening page and believed that the four men listed all moderate the discussions. A little sneaky or perhaps just an accident the names where not removed. If I was the other men on that list I would be pissed my name was used for so long after I backed out.

There is only so much time is a day. Only so many people's opinions you can trust.

What is the person your taking advice from really after? What do they want to sell you?

A spacer.

An uncoupling membrane.

A linear drain.

A lippage puck checker.

Tile spacers.

A ebook.

What?

 

[ShowerDude]

I get Tavy and Gallagher mixed up, they are both funny....

 

[Vegas_sparky]

They'll post your picture up as a helper next, John.

Do you have a Mario Bros hat? LMAO

 

[Eurob]

Heard back from Bart this morning. He wrote me and said this.... word for word.

"Thank you for letting me know about this. We were involved in this in the beginning but opted out years ago. They were supposed to remove our names. This is i think called Ask The Tile Man? I will reach out to the folks at Tavy Enterprises to tell them to take us out. There are too many forums as it is. NTCA is going to control our own through our new website in 2015. I would hesitate also to tell the TTMAC folks to use that forum."

Glad I could help out. I wonder how many people read the opening page and believed that the four men listed all moderate the discussions. A little sneaky or perhaps just an accident the names where not removed. If I was the other men on that list I would be pissed my name was used for so long after I backed out.

There is only so much time is a day. Only so many people's opinions you can trust.

What is the person your taking advice from really after? What do they want to sell you?

A spacer.

An uncoupling membrane.

A linear drain.

A lippage puck checker.

Tile spacers.

A ebook.

What?

He is selling A crack suppression membrane , not an uncoupling one .

It doesn't really matter how they call it , it is not listed under Underlayments , but marketed as passed the rigorous tests of TCA.

I hope the '' Membrane Manufacturers Subcommittee '' is aware of all underlayments claims .

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

Entire week goes by and I do not hear back from the TTMAC. I guess it is not a huge panic.

I find it so odd the TTMAC links to this guy. I tried to find him as a member of the TTMAC and did not see his name come up.

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

This morning I was about to send a second follow up message to the TTMAC asking why the link to the Ask a Tile Man Forum was still active. When I double checked - I was please to see the link is gone - Poof. None at the TTMAC ever did write me back but someone certainly took notice and removed the link.

Now - I wonder if the other names have been removed. Like Bart's and gerald's.

I'll check that now.


aaahhh NOPE.

http://www.ceramic-tile.com/bio.htm

The bio of the men who appear to be helping out still has not changed. I wonder if Bart did not have time to ask for his name to be removed or if Tavy has not had time to change his web forum.

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

The forum seems like a ghost town. I looked up posts from January on the month tab and found none for 2015. When I checked December this post was first on the list:

petey9999
Dec-09-2014 19:51
Source: Post ID 12962

removing floor tile from ditra
Hello i have approx 200 sq feet of 12 by 24 inch floor tile installed over ditra that i would like to remove and retile Is it possible to remove the tile and retile over the ditra or would the ditra also have tobe removed and replaced? Ty

Dear PETEY9999:
Source: Post ID 12962
removing floor tile from ditra
Sorry about the delay in answering your question. Everything has to go. In your favor, the non-midified mortar under the Ditra should release easier than modified would. sorry about "your loss". It would have been less costly and easier to remove if they had used Tavy "Thin-Skin". Armen Tavy

Great advice - Wow. It would have been easier and less costly to remove my product not Schluter's..... What a train wreck this guy is.....

The poster has not mentioned that the work was over concrete subfloors. Tavy has no idea.

I know Schluter works closely with the NTCA - how they are not making a fuss about this guy surprises me.