Church Flooring Part II

Before Carpeted
	During Down to Concrete
After With Tile

Church Tile Project

This is the second of a three part project to replace the carpeted areas of the church. The first part entailed doing the side and main altars. This phase, phase II, replaced the floor level carpet. Phase III, done in 2005, replaced the carpeted steps and the landings around the two altars.

This project was a spectacular success. Everything was set up for the project, volunteers showed up and all tile was laid! Holy cow we are an awesome group of parishioners!!!!!

On Sunday evening, March 28, 2004, beginning after the completion of the 5:30 Mass we laid 1,325 square feet of tile in one shift. A small contingent remained on duty until 3:15 a.m. What a group! On Monday, two shifts laid approximately 2,075. And all the tile laid on Sunday was grouted on Monday. The small core contingent this night got off early, 1:45 a.m.!

Tuesday was a day of grouting and cleaning. All of the tile laid on Monday was grouted, the caulking done and debris removed. In addition the worksite of cutting stations and mixing stations began to be dismantled. Tuesday ended early (around 8:30 p.m.) for a small rest and gathering of the workers.

Wednesday was detail day. The transitions strips were laid down, faulty tile removed, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and a little more cleaning done. The last bit of grouting was completed and control joints were caulked. Edge were trimmed and many other details were buttoned up. The last crew left at 2:50 a.m..

Thursday we cleaned the church and worked our punch list. This has been an extraordinary project, and all the wonderful volunteers made this an incredible success.

The individual that was instrumental in making this happen was Tom Farrell. The hours and hours of planning really paid off as you can see in the final product. Mary Schaar and Frank Puskarich also played important and key roles in making this a success.

The first tile for the project is laid.	Maria and Ginger Farrell registering the volunteers and assigning them to their team.	Michael Rochester checking if for duty.
Tom Farrell in the hat starting the project with a meeting of the teams. Each team had a tile setter, an assistant setter, a runner and a cutter. They were supported by teams that brought in tile and mixed the mud.	Leo Zipper, Eric Rochester, Tom Schlachter and, Ernie Koestner starting off with a prayer in the old cafeteria.	The tile came in large/heavy pallets that were stored in the rectory garage. As needed, teams moved a tile pallet into the church near the altar and from there they distributed the tile on specially built tile trolleys to the 5 tile setting teams working simultaneously down each aisle.
This is a mixing station. The thinset (tile adhesive) is protected from the elements in this temporary structure. The mixing team would produce the thinset by mixing the dry powder with water in the buckets with a power drill. Note the light hanging for night work.	The volunteers are waiting for the 5:30 pm Mass to conclude before entering the church. Like the mixing stattion, there were five temporary tile cutting stations. The plastic not only protected the volunteers from weather but contained the tile spray from the saws. Each station has a saw, a supply of tile and lighting. Normally the tile setter would give the runner a tile measurement. The runner would relay this information to the cutter who would use the supply of tile at hand to cut a tile to specifications.	Mike Gilbert is opening a crate of tile that was moved into the church immediately following the conclusion of Mass. The tile is removed from the pallet and loaded on the small tile trolleys shown behind Mike. Those trolleys would then be ere rolled to each tile setting team and they would work off that trolley. As their supply dwindled the tile movers would bring another trolley and swap out with them to keep them fully supplied.
Darryl Ring and Tom Farrell	Frank Puskarich is the tile setter for the main aisle team. Mike Odem is his assistant.	Eric Rochester taking a short break to observe. Eric worked the first aisle along the courtyard.
David Hemmi (l) and Michael Wargo. David and Keith Burns manned the mixing station. David is studying some mud he just brough into the church.	Mary Schaar organized the hospitality table for the workers. Here she is on the left in the blue shirt with some student volunteers who helped set up food and drinks.	This is one of the hospitality stations. There was another outside with refreshing beverages courtesy of the Men's Club.
Working in a cutting station. Most cuts are pretty straightforward but at times pews or other impediments had to be cut around and so the square comes out!	The main aisle team from left to right Jon Sherman (cutter), Frank Puskarich (tile setter) Mike Odem (assistant) and Don Hambrick (runner).	Jon Sherman (near) and Dave Williams (background) cutting tile.
Mike Mendoza outside after a little rainshower. We had the lane closest to the back of the church coned off for tile stations and moving material.	John Farrell in the rectory garage. Crates of tile are lined up behind him.	Eric Rochester on his aisle, the south aisle.
Mike Odem (l) and Frank Puskarich almost done with the middle aisle.	The middle aisle at sun up.	Chuck Cale assisting tile setter Robert.
Robert Sauceda was a tile setting machine! The red u shaped devices between the tiles are spacers.	Paul Wayne (l) inspecting the product.	These feet belong to either Eric Rochester or John Farrell, two guys notorious for being barefooted. You guess whose feet these are.
In progress, where are the setters?	All the aisles came together perfectly and now the tile is being set across the front of the church. After the carpet had been pulled up, Tom Farrell, Lance Raney and John Farrell came in one evening and with the assistance of a laser level they laid out chaulk lines. The tile setters in each aisle were responsible for hitting the periodic marks thus insuring that everyone would end their aisle in the same spot along the front.	Msrg. Larry Pichard inspected the work of and offers encouragement to Frank Puskarich with Darryl Ring looking on. The main aisle is the one Fr. Larry would see at every Mass.
There was something for everyone to do, old/young, male/femail. She is part of the final day cleaning crew	John Taylor just holding a piece of the marble for the floor.	Jerry Zipper in a cutting station.
	Gabriel putting in the last tile! Garbiel was tile setting machine number two.