I assume that you mean before the tile is permanently set in place, not when (or if) there is a dry run so to speak to see how the pattern will fit into the space(?) Correct. Would an experienced professional even need to lay out the tiles ahead of time or would they typically proceed directly from prep to installation? Yes and no. Some WILL actually lay them out dry. I've got my own thoughts on that, but however they do it, so long as they show some kind of forethought instead of just finding a corner and starting, they're ahead of the game. What I'll normally do is take several tiles and measure to see what the coursing (one grout joint and one tile) measures. I'll then make a cheat sheet of coursing that comes out somewhere around 2 feet (whether that be 4 6x6, 2 12x12, etc), and then I'll measure around the area, to see how the tile is going to fall. it's from there that I'll decide if I can center the layout, or if there might be a better way, taking into consideration how the tile will hit several different surfaces, and which ones are most obvious in the room. (did you get all that? LOL) With an agreed upon layout in hand, would most experienced installers be able to anticipate potential issues around niches and other elements that could require partial tiles so that you could have a discussion ahead of time as to how they would be handled? before the very first tile gets set, a good installer will know exactly how the tile is going to hit any obstruction in the layout. In fact, I'll grid out the area with chalk lines, and then all my cuts will be made before I set the first piece of tile. but even before the cutting starts, I'll know how big all my cuts will be. Just curious... Do you find that it's best if the homeowner stay available or stay away while you're completing your work? Doesn't matter to me either way. I'd prefer that the customer be available in case of questions that come up, but if they'd like to watch (and I HAVE had several that did) the whole time, they're most welcome to watch. I LOVE playing to an audience!! That's when they see that all this stuff doesn't exactly happen just by "luck"! I know alot of installers who'd rather the customer weren't around, though-- too many questions. Funny thing is, I welcome the questions. To me, the internet has given us the one thing this industry has really needed-- an educated consumer. Not so many fly by nights getting away with their BS any more. And Bill G-- yes-- that's just the labor cost. the retail is MUCH more. Based on 12x12 tyile, a 25 pound bag of grout should grout about 150 sq. feet, for about 15.00- 25.00, depending on the grout. For epoxy, a unit will do about 75 sq. feet, for about 80.00.

You need an electrician on this. Many fixtures are NOT going to be compatible with the wiring here. Yes you need some kind of box. The problem is a surface mount fixture generates a lot of heat up into the box/wiring and this is going to damage the K&T conductors (and they ar probably not it all that great shape to begin with). This one is going to take some examination of the existing conditions and it's hardly something that can be explained DIY on the net. If you want to do it yourself, my suggestion is to replace it with some modern wiring (NM or whatever). Even if you hire an electrician, that is more likely than not what he'll end up doing.

Dave's photo site was called Critterscape and his photo friends kept it up for a long time after he died.. I used to have a live link to it but it no longer works. The site must have been taken down. I think it was on Zen photos...or something close to that. He was a phenomenally talented photographer. I, too, Glenda, loved his cat photos. Everything he photographed was brilliant. It's such a shame it's no longer available on the internet. I searched and searched but couldn't find it. He was a very talented artist. ETA: The photo website was Zen-folio.

If so, any thoughts on how to determine approximately how much lighter You can find out exactly how much lighter. There's nothing about a formula that defines or describes color appearance. Because it's just a list of ingredients. The psychophysical sensations of hue/color, lightness, and chroma can't be derived from the formula. Just like you can't read the list of ingredients on the back of a cake mix and know how it's going to taste. Have to measure the colors. It's easy. Store should be able to do it for you or you can do it yourself. Either way, need to carefully paint small samples. One full coat let it dry. Second coat let it dry. Order a Color Muse from Amazon Download Color Muse app Change settings to D65 Illuminant, 2° Observer Choose "Compare" in lower left corner Hit the 3 dots in upper right corner > Switch to Advance Mode Scan Color 1 > Scan Color 2 Compare L = Lightness. Bigger number is the lighter color