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How to Floor Tile
MAY 17, 2022
For Starters, Floor and Decor Why Floor and Decor? because they have a huge selection to choose from in just about any style and price range necessary. They have a large selection of Design Elements and trim available to solve many of the toughest materials to work with.
How to Floor Tile
APRIL 19, 2022
In all the bathroom showers I have torn out and rebuilt, Slate has been the worst performing material followed closely by Travertine, then Marble of any type. Slate, will begin to split and small shards peal off.
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How to Floor Tile
JANUARY 4, 2022
On a current job I returned 5 boxes of tile and one box was so heavily damaged all I returned was the box with a forklift hole in it that destroyed the entire box of tile. Too many tiles were broke or chipped so I returned them to HD who had no problem with the exchange.
How to Floor Tile
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Having torn out and replaced many showers I have determined in many construction related instances it is possible to reduce the shower surround and thus probability of reducing mold growth. Black mold to be exact.
How to Floor Tile
JANUARY 23, 2022
Engineered wood, is a thin veneer of a perhaps and expensive hardwood that looks warm and beautiful at less than 1/2 the cost of the real thing. This gorgeous warm wood I installed last year ran around $3.00 a foot and the adhesive about $35 a bucket for glue down.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 24, 2021
This is a classic photo of a shower pan that was incorrectly installed. This shower pan did in fact hold water as you can see from the mineral and soap stains. These seeped through through the tile grout to the pan.
How to Floor Tile
NOVEMBER 2, 2021
More than one customer looked at me with dismay when I told them that after the shower was built and Epoxy Grout installed, they still need to wait about 4 days before using the shower to allow the Epoxy to set up completely.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 7, 2021
Engineered wood flooring offers a warm, inviting home environment. I've done enough to offer some advice to homeowners who might wish to install this material. It is less expensive the standard wood or exotic and glue down feels better than installing over moisture barrier.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 15, 2021
In this photo I removed carpet to install engineered wood in a glue down format. Wasn't bad at all, just pull up the tack strip, pad, and carpet and haul it off. Not so with the kitchen and utility room.
How to Floor Tile
FEBRUARY 25, 2020
We like the appeal of warm Natural Stone and Slate offers an earthy look but it's days are numbered in your shower. There are a number of Natural Stone products you see installed in shower design centers all over made from Marble, Travertine and yes, Slate.
How to Floor Tile
APRIL 24, 2020
When can you use your new shower after completion? Answer, After the Epoxy Grout and Caulk is dry-expect 72 hours for epoxy grout. Give a fresh caulk at the very least 48 hours or more to dry. This is because it needs to set properly.
How to Floor Tile
FEBRUARY 24, 2020
Laminate Flooring has a place and technology is trying to keep up to survive normal wear and tear. Reasons why you should use Laminate are many as are reasons not to. It's great for a fast economic floor covering with many options in texture, style, feel and look.
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 16, 2018
Shot 1. You can see some dark lines down low where most water contact is. There is much evidence grout leaking and lack of maintenance on this shower. It has a heavy fiberglass floor and when the drain begins to leak it needs to be fixed quickly. The decision was made to rebuild it. My next job tear out. Shot 2. What you see here is what was under the tile and green board I had removed in large sheets.
How to Floor Tile
JANUARY 22, 2018
I have noticed a lot more Marble and Travertine in showrooms across the metroplex showcasing these two Natural Stones. I have some very strong opinions about these types of material and their use. My opinion is they do not belong in abundance in a shower or wet area. It can be intimidating trying to determine what type of material you should use in your shower and why. There are some specific reasons from an installers point of view for using this material over that.
How to Floor Tile
MAY 30, 2019
There are a lot of important items to consider when selecting tile. One is cost of installation. Why do we charge X for one type of tile and Y for another? It's easy to answer, some tile is much more time consuming to install than others. Typical 4"x4" builders grade tile is the fastest to install because it is small, light, easy to cut and you can cover a lot of space in a hurry with that.
How to Floor Tile
AUGUST 7, 2018
Marble Institute Of America! link] I personally do not advocate using Marble, Travertine and other natural stone in showers or wet areas because it is too soft and hard to maintain. I built this shower recently and all the tile looks like marble but it really is Porcelain and manufacturers copy natural stone for a reason.
How to Floor Tile
AUGUST 26, 2018
Wood Flooring will lose. OK, you just installed you old worn out carpet with new warm wood or engineered wood flooring partially to make it easier to clean and eliminate some of the odors that can emanate from older carpet. Besides, you got a good deal on the material and installation. You have a couple large dogs one of which might be sort of active. This can make floor selection material difficult but I want to help you with that.
How to Floor Tile
APRIL 1, 2018
Commercial Spray Bottle or used Lysol plastic bottle 2. Clorox and or liquid bleach 3. Mix 50% water 50% bleach 4. Spray on shower walls just after using shower 5. Ventilate room or close door and turn on exhaust fan Know this, this will destroy mold and mildew but will do little to remove soap scum and mineral deposits. Soap scum and mineral deposits attract mold and mildew. For mineral deposits use CLR but do not mix these two products together.
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 25, 2018
And they are wrong. I say that because of years having success with Clorox and don't listen to me. go to:[link] Go to the Clorox site where they actually show you "how to" get rid of mold. I use it frequently in showers why? because it works!" I wouldn't if it didn't but listen up, there are mold remediation companies out there on youtube that say Clorox does not kill mold.
How to Floor Tile
MARCH 18, 2018
So, I started installing this floor. The next day I removed the lash clips to resume the install but they just didn't do the job as I would have liked. So, I ripped it out and started over. I hate doing the same thing twice but worse than that leaving some uneven edges was not acceptable. This might not have been possible if this was true Marble and while we are on the subject of Marble, "ever wonder why Marble, Granite and Travertine are copied so much in some kind of photocopied Porcelain?"
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 27, 2016
Because of the nature of this business I have the opportunity of visiting numerous design stores on a regular basis. I happened to visit a new Floor And Decor that recently opened in The Colony Texas. On the left is an example of some attractive weathered wood that in reality has an almost bluish tint. This application was on the walls but it would look great on floors as it was intended too. Laminate has come a long way and I don't have a problem with Formica either.
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 24, 2018
3,425,000 pageviews and counting thanks to you the viewer and people seeking ideas and solutions to everyday home repair problems. What you don't see are the hundreds of businesses that use my articles and photos for their blogs and information pages all over the world. We get tagged from Australia, India, Great Britain, Canada and Mexico. The great thing about the internet is it can be a medium with international reach as if we are next door.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 17, 2018
For those of you intrepid DIY'ers here is some advice from one who has done a lot of these. There are a number of things I don't like, like dust, tile shards everywhere, extended clean up, messy work site. So, I like the easy way and this short video might help even if you are experienced. Some showers are constructed in such a way that you will have no choice but to make a huge mess. Sorry, but they really built the heck out of showers a long time ago.
How to Floor Tile
NOVEMBER 4, 2018
It can be a frustrating experience ordering and receiving cabinet parts online. The tape is held above the double vanity door and the panel above is 5/16ths of an inch short when it should have been 24 and 3/4. This was my mistake because I placed the order in the wrong place and to add fuel to the confusion, the other end communicates strictly through email and stand by the phones a couple days a week and they will call back if you have issues.
How to Floor Tile
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
Travertine is a Natural Stone as you know, but did you know most of it is filled with grout? If you look at most Travertine Tile you will see that it is very porous on the unfinished side and that is because that is how most of it looks. They simple match the color and fill it with grout then polish the surface. Travertine is a sophisticated name for Limestone. This material is soft and very porous and is made from the calcium carbonate laden strata from ancient mineral hot springs.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 11, 2018
Probably one of the most popular posts on this blog and viewed many thousands of time is how to cut glass tile. Still working an in depth video but I am sure this will help. Know that any glass tile can be cut with a wet saw. If you have large solid glass tile just run the material through the saw slowly. If the glass gets hot during the cutting process it will blow out. The glass will get hot and it pops out and probably ruin the cut. Small glass tile is easy just follow the information.
How to Floor Tile
JULY 31, 2018
I love to wander through marvels of interior imagination at work and Bass Pro is an elegant example of the best in the craft. Bass Pro is a destination and not just a retail operation. It is designed with immense flavor of the outdoors. It is teeming with small and large examples that reflect what the customer might feel he needs or wants for that perfect outdoor adventure.
How to Floor Tile
FEBRUARY 19, 2017
This in my opinion is a good use for slate. Slate has some very endearing and really great looking qualities if applied to the proper use. I think as an architectural design element it works very well. This offers a warm earthy 3-D texture that simply hasn't been replicated in porcelain or ceramic that I have seen so far. But, put this in a wet, exterior or high traffic area and the maintenance goes way up.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 2, 2016
We all like to see completed projects but sadly I am gone before many of the accessories like glass doors and other finishes are complete. But in this example I tore this shower out that had a fiberglass shower pan and the wall tile was leaking. Leaking wall tile is very common these days with typical old 4x4 ceramic builders tile. These included green board that is attached to the sheet rock.
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 9, 2016
Niche placement can be tricky for many reasons as well as size but you do have options. Often because of the existing framing behind the cement board your niche inset will have to go on one side of the mixer controls or the other because of the limited space. Other sinister objects like electrical and vent lines can conspire to limit the size or even the entire option of a niche to hold all the necessary shower tools and liquids.
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 9, 2017
If your home is over 25 years old chances are you have copper feed lines running to your sink faucets as you see here and rarely leak. That is until you decide to upgrade your faucets or to fix a leaky faucet then the fun and expense begins. If in the process of shutting off old faucet feed valves they leak as you see here, you need to shut the water off at the street and replace them.
How to Floor Tile
JULY 28, 2016
Just a quick post to show what some strategic light in a shower or bath can do. The color of the 4x4 Marble Natural Stone was kind of light gray with a Travertine and Marble Mosaic. The location of the design element with the window was highlighted with a curved light. Kind of interesting and because the light was in the very center the curved light was on the other two walls of the shower. This was key to making this shower look a bit more interesting in my view.
How to Floor Tile
JUNE 25, 2017
This is what the finished product looked like. The homeowner had foundation work done and in the process the contractor had to break out some of their wood floor to break out concrete to install piers. A common practice in North Texas. I was able to install this simulated Wood Porcelain Tile that transitioned into the existing wood almost as smooth as glass. I did the same thing running into tile in the dining area and kitchen not shown here.
How to Floor Tile
AUGUST 6, 2017
I like to see displays of tile in bathroom. It appears there is a lot of Marble and more metal trim these days and I have made my opinion known about these products. With regard to Marble, it is earthy, beautiful, can be a real pain to install, easy to mill and polish, easy to scratch and dent, and I would be reluctant to use it in a shower as the primary surface because is it so soft.
How to Floor Tile
NOVEMBER 24, 2016
This is what is possible. It takes a lot of work and I hauled 1600 lbs of concrete and tile to the landfill. This was an old school tile shower with metal lath and screeded concrete I busted out. This is the final result to the right after installation of Hardie, a new shower pan and tile
How to Floor Tile
OCTOBER 31, 2015
I like to install niches because they offer aesthetic and functional opportunities. Most showers I remove include an ugly old steel frame thingy that hung over the shower nozzle to hold shampoo, soap, razor, radio, TV set, floss, conditioner, facial scrub, tooth brush, wash rag, shower cap, body wash, luffa, body brush, sponge, tooth paste, and I have forgotten other items people want.
How to Floor Tile
MARCH 9, 2017
One of the most frustrating parts of what I do includes safety equipment and reasons that cause a reluctance to use them. Of course as we age the use of another frustrating piece of equipment are everyday glasses. Regular simple and "cheap" dust mask's do OK but they continually fog up the glasses thus negating the the entire purpose of the tools at hand. Including safety glasses. So, I went expensive and have found the solution to foggy glasses.
How to Floor Tile
MARCH 1, 2017
A customer had Granite counter tops installed and when the installers removed the old sink they didn't notice the hot water shutoff valve was still leaking. A lot. It flooded the particle board which deteriorated quickly and caved in. It began to smell. This is common to remove old feed lines that will not completely shut off. They have to be replaced. Here you can see the floor has caved in and this space is unusable because it is not level and would fall in.
How to Floor Tile
JANUARY 30, 2017
Ask me the question, "what is the worst material you have ever installed?" Answer--"Slate without a doubt". What is slate?" the answer is "dried mud" to be exact. This stuff should never be used in an exterior sun exposed environment. It will fade, chip, and flake off. If you are in an area that gets some freezing weather this will deteriorate faster. This material is so uneven we have to seal it first before grouting otherwise cleaning it will take forever.
How to Floor Tile
JANUARY 13, 2017
The short answer, one for each person using the shower if room allows. If not, then it is possible to add corner shelves or shelf for more of your stuff. Here is an example where I placed a shelf above a generous space for items not used as much or for something you don't want to get so wet. I install niches for the lady of the home to place their feet so they can shave their legs. Kind of a foot shelf about chair seat high for that convenience.
How to Floor Tile
MARCH 20, 2017
There is a new trend in tile and I am not convinced this is a good idea and here's why. The new trend is using metal trim inside and out of showers instead of surface cap, bull nose milled or crafted accessory pieces of tile for edges and corners. I am seeing a lot of what I think is stainless steel trim for edges and corners of tile. To me for some reason it seems out of place. We generally see that on floor applications and base but inside showers?
How to Floor Tile
DECEMBER 30, 2016
It's OK to cheat when you are trying to make a straight line for any type of flooring. There are several ways to mark a straight line but all have a potential problem. The proverbial chalk line is great but you run the risk of tracking blue or red chalk all over or it gets swept up in the cleaning process when yo are less than half done. A black Sharpie works OK for a short time but the tip wears into oblivion rather quickly.
How to Floor Tile
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
Here sitting in the garage waiting to be hauled away are a couple slabs of green board with all the tile attached. The 1/2 sheet in front is 4' high and 1/2 of the other wall of this shower. The rest was glass with a gold frame. If these pieces were attached with screws it would not come off like this and would have been taken down the hard way. When ever you can this is far more easy to remove than busting the wall all to pieces creating massive dust and debris.
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