All Tiled Out

Have you ever removed floor tile? I hadn't until today, and I can say without a doubt that it's one of the worst physical-labor jobs ever. My contractor was going to do it, but he hasn't been good about staying in touch, and he charges a lot of money for that particular task. When I said, "Isn't that something I could do myself?" he kind of laughed. He said he'd use a jackhammer. Well, I don't have a jackhammer. I could have rented one at Home Depot, but I'm not sure I would have had the control over it to remove only the tile and not the concrete underneath. (Although as it turned out, there was linoleum under the tile, grout, and glue.) My friend came over to help, and with chisels, crowbars, hammers, and scrapers, we managed to get the tile up. We're not quite finished yet; we'll get the rest done tomorrow. If I can move tomorrow. If not, she'll get it done tomorrow.

I was pretty pissed when I saw that there was mold under some of the tile. Certainly the mold remediators should have known that. Originally I hadn't intended to replace the kitchen tile, but that decision was based in part on my belief that there wasn't mold under it. I sent a picture of the moldy tile and linoleum to the adjustor, who texted back immediately and asked where it was. I told him, and he didn't reply. Throughout this entire process -- and I don't want to sound whiny here -- I have felt completely alone. The whole point of having an adjustor was to have someone act on my behalf, but I don't really feel like he's done that. Now he has his cut of the insurance money, so I suppose he has no motivation to help me any more than he already has -- which hasn't been much. If I were to do it over, I wouldn't have hired an adjustor. I think I would have been able to get the same amount from the insurance company and I would have had the money I paid him to spend on materials -- or labor I'm doing on my own.

Really, I don't mind doing the work I'm able to do and paying for what I'm not. My friend says she knows how to do tile, but I want the work to be guaranteed. I'm having it installed by the folks who work where I'm buying it. They'll send a team in who will knock it out in two days, a lot less time than we (or my contractor) could do, and they will transport the tile to my house at no additional cost. So in a way, the contractor is doing me a favor -- while screwing himself out of some pay. Fine with me.