Subway Tile Installation Tips

The conventional wall tiles are often called subway tile because of their appearance. They often used in decorating houses. The most common size used is 3-by-6 inch tiles. Many designers recommend subway tiles on the walls and floors, and they tend to always be popular. The installation of subway tiles is simple. Here are a few important tips:

Preparing

The adhesive used on these tiles can stick to all types of surfaces. Before installing the tiles, the surface should be cleaned and made smooth and dry so that it can take the weight of the tiles. You can apply a backer board or cement-fiber board on the wall to be tiled so that the surface is level and flat. Use screws to fix the board.

Layout

It is better to plan the layout of tiles prior to fixing them. Begin attaching tiles from the middle of the area and then proceed outwards. Mark a horizontal line at the center of the area. Align the edges of the tiles with the line. This will help maintain the width of tiles on the corners equal to half the width of tiles on both sides. In the same way, draw the vertical line. Start fixing tiles closest to the intersection of both lines. Use the recommended adhesive. Keep the first row of tiles nearest to the middle of the area.

Symmetry

Maintaining the symmetry is very important. The look of tiling will depend on the way the first row is set. It is better to use a level for proper alignment. You can use a support strip fixed at the base of the horizontal line to support the tiles and put plastic spacers in between them to create straight grout lines until the adhesive gets set. Fill the gout lines and clean the tiles.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Subway Tile Installation Tips

The conventional wall tiles are often called subway tile because of their appearance. They often used in decorating houses. The most common size used is 3-by-6 inch tiles. Many designers recommend subway tiles on the walls and floors, and they tend to always be popular. The installation of subway tiles is simple. Here are a few important tips:

Preparing

The adhesive used on these tiles can stick to all types of surfaces. Before installing the tiles, the surface should be cleaned and made smooth and dry so that it can take the weight of the tiles. You can apply a backer board or cement-fiber board on the wall to be tiled so that the surface is level and flat. Use screws to fix the board.

Layout

It is better to plan the layout of tiles prior to fixing them. Begin attaching tiles from the middle of the area and then proceed outwards. Mark a horizontal line at the center of the area. Align the edges of the tiles with the line. This will help maintain the width of tiles on the corners equal to half the width of tiles on both sides. In the same way, draw the vertical line. Start fixing tiles closest to the intersection of both lines. Use the recommended adhesive. Keep the first row of tiles nearest to the middle of the area.

Symmetry

Maintaining the symmetry is very important. The look of tiling will depend on the way the first row is set. It is better to use a level for proper alignment. You can use a support strip fixed at the base of the horizontal line to support the tiles and put plastic spacers in between them to create straight grout lines until the adhesive gets set. Fill the gout lines and clean the tiles.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Cleaning a Sandstone pool surround without chemicals

These Indian Sandstone floor tiles were installed around an indoor swimming pool at a magnificent residence in Oxford. As you can see from the photograph below the Sandstone was not looking its best and given its proximity to the pool care needed to be taken not to contaminate the pool with dirty water from the cleaning process or chemicals

Swimming Pool Tile Cleaning

We made a decision early on that we would not use any chemicals to clean or seal the tiles to ensure the water in the pool remained un-contaminated, we also setup a temporary barrier to stop any debris going in the pool and used a high pressure machine fitted with a flat surface head to prevent water flying everywhere.


The process worked well and you can see the difference in the photographs above however the job did take taking longer than usual to complete but the main thing was the customer was happy with the result.    




Source: Sandstone swimming pool tile cleaning

How to Hone Travertine Tile

Travertine tile floors and surfaces are sedimentary and solid natural stones that may need to grinded, honed or polished to bring back the natural beauty of the finish. This type of material is ideal for most flooring applications, as well as kitchen and table countertops. You only need simple household tools and cleaning products to get the job done safely and efficiently. You may choose to hire a professional to hone or polish your travertine tiles, but you can save lots of money if you decide to do it yourself.

Wear and tear may be evident on travertine floor and counter tiles due to age, scratches, stains and heavy foot traffic. Hone and polish the finish of travertine tiles with these simple steps.

What you'll need:

• Variable speed orbital sander
• 400-grit resin bond attachment
• 115-grit diamond resin attachment
• 220-grit carbide stone
• Sealer
• Cotton towel or rag

Step 1 – Clean the Surface Thoroughly

Use water and mild household detergent to thoroughly remove stains, dirt and other contaminants from the surface. Use a sponge or bristled brush to safely loosen and remove excess dirt.

Step 2 – Hone the Surface

Use a variable speed angle grinder with the 400-grit resin bond attachment to hone the surface of the travertine tile. Apply water to the entire surface of the tile and work the grinder on the surface on a small area at a time. Start at the edge and work your way towards the entire surface. Apply more water as needed to provide lubrication for the angle grinder attachment. Use a circular, side to side motion to efficiently polish the surface and avoid concentrating the grinder on a specific area for an extended period of time as you sand the finish. Add more water as you move on to other parts of the surface.

Step 3 – Change the Attachment

Change to a 115-grit diamond resin attachment and repeat the procedure as stated in Step 2. This attachment is less harsh than the 400-grit resin bond and will produce a smoother finish. Remember to constantly add water to the surface as you sand the travertine tile. Work with a small area at a time to produce a better result.

Step 4 – Sand the Surface with 220-grit Carbide Stone

Use a 220-grit carbide stone attachment to further polish the travertine tile. Refer to the above-mentioned steps when doing further polishing. Remember to constantly apply water over the surface as you polish the tile. Allow the entire surface to dry thoroughly.

Step 5 – Apply Sealer to the Travertine Tile

Use a soft paint brush to apply stone sealer to your travertine tiles. Adding sealer to marble or travertine tile surfaces will help protect the finish against minor cuts, scratches and stains, as well as add beauty and luster to the surface. Let dry for at least 2 to 4 hours.

It is easy to hone and restore the appearance of your travertine tiles. Keep in mind that proper safety equipment such as hand gloves and goggles are required when working with power tools.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

7 Tips for Installing Travertine Pavers on Concrete

Travertine pavers are marble pavers that can be laid on concrete. There are a lot of pavers to use, but travertine pavers are very popular and match almost every color. There are things you should know before attempting to install pavers to concrete, so here are some tips on installing travertine pavers on concrete.

Tip 1: Having the Concrete Ready

Before you even think about laying down your travertine pavers you have to have your concrete ready for them. All loose pieces of concrete have to be swept off the concrete so it's completely smooth. Once done, bleach that is used for outdoors has to be applied so that any mildew or mold on the concrete is killed.

Tip 2: Patch All Holes That Are In the Concrete

All the tiny or large holes seen in the concrete have to be patched with a concrete patching product. The kinds of products you need are available at the local hardware store. The one good thing about the patching products is they are better than normal concrete. Patching products have a much better adhesion and bonds much better.

Tip 3: Layout Dry to Make Your Design

Place your travertine pavers on the concrete and decide on a pattern by moving the pieces around. This allows you to find out if any of your travertine pavers have to be cut to fit into the concrete. Measure and mark the pavers to indicate where cuts will be needed.

Tip 4: Preparing the Mortar

As you will be working outdoors it is best that you mix your mortar in a place that will hold the entire bag. A wheelbarrow is a great item to use for mixing the mortar. Using the entire bag is good as it saves you trying to guess how much mortar you need for doing small sections.

Tip 5: Spreading the Mortar

Once the mortar is mixed, it is time to spread it on the concrete. To spread the mortar onto the concrete you will use a trowel. When you spread the mortar onto the concrete, hold the trowel on a 45-degree angle and only spread enough mortar for 2 to 4 travertine pavers.

Tip 6: Placing the Full Travertine Pavers

When you are placing the travertine pavers use a smaller trowel to spread a small layer of mortar on the back edge so that it joins to the travertine paver beside it. This will ensure that the pavers have great adhesion to the concrete and mortar. Continue until all your full-piece pavers are down.

Tip 7: Cutting the Travertine Pavers

Now that you have laid all your whole travertine pavers it is time to cut the ones needed to finish your design. You will use a tile saw to cut the pavers on the marked line you placed on the tile earlier. Once you have cut all the pavers you need then you are ready to lay them. The cut pavers are laid the same way as the whole pavers with mortar on the back edge of the paver that will connect to the travertine pavers beside it.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Stripping and Resealing Stone tiles

Details below of a Natural Riven Stone tiled floor installed in the Kitchen of a house in Boston, Lincolnshire. The client had previously sealed this floor with a commonly available sealer and found the results unsatisfactory; the floor had a riven surface and that combined with two large dogs made cleaning was a constant burden.

Natural-Stone Tile Cleaning

The first step was to remove the existing sealer and give the floor a thorough clean; fortunately we were able to do this using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multipurpose cleaner/stripper. Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and then left to dwell for a good twenty minutes giving it time to break down the remaining sealer before being worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. To get the grout clean we made up a further batch of Pro-Clean, this time with warm water and scrubbed it by hand into the grout lines using a stiff grout brush. The soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor given a thorough rinse using clean water. Stubborn areas were re-treated using the same process and the floor was left to dry overnight assisted with a turbo air blower.

Sandstone Tile Sealing

The next morning we applied three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go to the tiles with each coat taking around twenty minutes to dry. Seal and Go is an ideal sealer for natural stone flooring and being water based there are no nasty smells to worry about like most solvent based products. Seal and Go also added a nice subtle sheen to the floor and will protect the tiles for years to come.


The customer was delighted with the results.




Source: Restoration of Natural Riven Stone Floor

How to Remove Water from a Flooded Basement Cement Floor

If the basement cement floor gets flooded with water, it is important to work on it right away. The water vapor coming from the water on the cement floor can condense on the ceiling or on the walls and cause further damage, future mold problems, and other potential problems.

What you'll need

• Dehumidifier
• Water Vacuum Cleaner
• Electric Fans
• Rubber Gloves
• Respirator Mask
• Safety Goggles

 Step 1 – Preparations

Open the windows and the doors to allow the moisture to escape. Wear protective equipment and remove everything in the basement including books and metal objects that can get affected by the intense moisture. If there is a carpet on the cement floor, remove it so that the surface of the cement can be accessed and dried quickly. Every floating object on the water should be removed as well. Make sure that nothing is left behind in the room to ensure faster evaporation of water after the water has been drained.

Step 2 – Drain the Water

Locate the basement drain and remove anything that is clogging it. Most of the times, the drain will not work due to heavy clogging. If this is the case, find a container to scoop the water out and place it in a bucket. This may require more hands so call for other people for help. Throw the water away outside the house. When the water is not too deep, run the water vacuum cleaner over the surface of the cement to suck out the excess water.

Step 3 – Run a Dehumidifier and a Fan

Find an elevated spot on the basement and place the fan and the dehumidifier on top of the flat stable surface. Before turning the appliances on, make sure that the doors and windows are closed first. Plug the devices to power outlets. This may require an extension cord if the power outlet is at a remote location. Turn on the dehumidifier to speed up the drying process not only for the cement floor but for any furniture inside the basement.

Direct the fan to face the surface of the cement floor. If the floor is wide, try to get additional fans to increase the drying speed. Cement absorbs water and the only way to dry it completely is to allow it to evaporate much faster. If there are radiation heaters available in the home, make use of them in the basement as well.

Step 4 – Clean the Basement Cement Floor Surface

Chances are that the floor is covered in dirt or mud. Remove any debris left on the floor to expose the bare cement floor while the electric fans, dehumidifier, and the heaters are working. Check the drain and flush it with water to remove any clogged debris. Rinse the floor with water and direct the waste water to the drain. Scrub the floor to remove any excess dirt and rinse again. Vacuum the surface to remove any excess water and allow the appliances to dry the entire room.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The photograph below is from a Victorian tiled floor that we recently restored in the seaside town of Brighton. The house owner discovered the tiles under carpet and after realising what a beautiful and original feature they were decided to have them restored and so called in Tile Doctor. The tiles had been well preserved by the carpet although as you can see they were looking rather washed out and were in need of a thorough deep clean.

Cleaning Victorian Tiles

We set about cleaning the tile using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a powerful alkaline cleaning product that is safe to use on tile and stone. It was applied with a mop and left it to dwell on the floor for ten minutes first in order to give it chance to soak into the tile and get to work on the dirt. It was then worked into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad, stiff hand brushes and a substantial amount of elbow grease was used to tackle the stubborn stains and along the grout lines. The soiled water was picked up with a wet and dry vacuum and once we were happy the floor was clean it was given a thorough rinse with fresh water to remove any leftover chemical and then left to dry.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

Once the floor was dry we were able to seal it using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds a nice shine to the floor as well as providing a surface seal that will help protect the tile from stains going forward.


It was quite a transformation and well worth the effort as you can see from the photographs above.    



Source: Help Restoring an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway

Concrete Floor Restoration Options in Older Houses

Sometimes older houses need concrete floor restoration in order to make the floor look like new again. Restoring concrete floors require repairing damaged concrete and hiding the repairs using various strategies, such as stenciling, staining, or painting.

Concrete Patching

Small cracks on the floors of old houses can be fixed by patching it with a special mortar mix designed for concrete repairs. Before applying the patch, remove any loose debris on the damages and clean them thoroughly with a wire brush. Use a vacuum to remove any remaining dust or residue. Purchase a concrete patch mix. Pour the powder in a container and add water until a good consistency is achieved. Make sure that the patch is level with the concrete floor surface. Allow it to dry completely.

Concrete Injections

Cracks and joints may also be repaired using an injectable concrete repair product, such as hydraulic mortar or epoxy. Once the product is injected into the cracks, it fills in the gaps and creates a strong bond that will protect the concrete from further damage. If the holes on the cracks are too small, new holes can be drilled into them to allow the injecting device to access the inner gaps in the crack. Before applying the product, make sure to clean and remove any loose debris inside the cracks first.

Concrete Recasting

If the floor has a large extent of damage, the entire damaged area has to be demolished first. When the damaged area is removed from the floor, the damaged steel bar supports have to be replaced as well. Afterwards, the damaged area has to be cemented again with a better grade of concrete.

Staining

Staining is a great way to cover up the repaired concrete. Concrete patches and re-casted areas may be very noticeable after repair and need to be hidden. Staining is one of the best ways to restore the concrete floor and hide the repairs from public view. This method requires the use of an acid solution that will easily get absorbed in the concrete floor. When using this method, make sure to cover all surfaces connected to the floor with painter’s tape, especially the walls and the door. 

Painting and Stenciling

Painting the floor with epoxy-based paints is a good way to hide repaired areas on the floor. Use paints specifically designed for concrete floors. Stencils are ready-made patterns that can be placed on top of the floor to create elaborate designs when painting the floor. Use stencils only after staining or painting the concrete.

Sealing

After repairing, staining or painting the floor, it also needs to be sealed to ensure that it stays protected. A concrete sealer can be applied using a paint roller or a specialized sealer spray. Make sure that the floor is completely dry when doing this. Any trapped moisture can lead to further concrete damage. The sealer should also be reapplied after two years.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com