Tile
Shower Tile Types: Not Every Tile Can Be Used in The Shower
Just because you’ve got a plethora of tiles to choose from at your local tile shop doesn’t mean you can use any and all of them in your shower. Due to the very high amount of moisture, only certain tiles can work in the shower. Couple that with the need for skid resistance (for... »
Tile Grout Removal Tool: Does This Exist? Where To Get It?
If you’re got nasty, stained tile grout, sometimes the easiest option is simply to rip it out and replace it. Cleaning tile grout can often take as long as a full-out replacement. But how do you remove tile grout without damaging the tile? Many products claim to remove grout from tile. Let’s take a... »
Tile That Looks Like Slate
We investigate the burning question: is there any tile that looks like slate? »
Tile Around Tub Faucet
There is no need at all to cut complicated circles or holes (God forbid) into tile. All you will be doing is notching a square section out of a tile–one tile only–and fitting it into place. First, cut two parallel lines downward with a rod saw. A rod saw is a cheap saw, that... »
Cut Mosaic Tile
Mosaic tile comes in sheets. Individual tessarae (the little individual tiles) are adhered to a strong fiber backing. Because you’re dealing with such small tiles, you really aren’t cutting the tile itself: you’re cutting between the tile. That’s the great thing about mosaic. So, let’s review your options for cutting mosaic tile, all of... »
Use Masking Tape When Caulking Sink or Tub?
Let’s say you’re caulking tile against a tub. This is one place you really don’t want to have excess caulk all gooped around. Because, if you didn’t know this already, caulking is a strangely archaic and inefficient process. You squirt the caulk bead where you want it and then… …Then you dab your finger... »
Tile Mastic Dries Before Installing Tiles?
Yes, this happens. What you do is lay down too much mastic in proportion to the number of tiles you can lay in the next column or row. Us DIY tilers often have “eyes” bigger than our “hands.” The opposite scenario is laying down just a little bit of mastic, laying down 2 or... »
Tile Outside Corner
You’ve got a host of problems to manage. What if the corner is not straight or plumb (and few corners are truly straight or plumb)? How do you match up the two tiles on either side so that you get a smooth corner? How do you deal with the problem of slipping tiles? Frankly,... »