Q:I am looking at putting the self stick vinyl tiles in my new addition. It has a concrete floor and I was wondering if the vinyl will have a hard time sticking to the concrete. Do I need some type of sub-floor? I am wondering this mainly because we live in iowa were is can get pretty cold in the winter and I didn‘t know if that would affect the stickyness.

I think your bigger problem would be moisture. If this is in a basement there's a good chance that moisture could seep beneath the tiles and make the glue separate. A subfloor will significantly add to the cost, but it would keep the basement warmer, and lessen the chance of damage to the tiles. Be sure you build the subfloor out of treated wood though, or you could have rot/termites/many more problems.

Q:How do you use tiles? I‘m sure it‘s easy, but I don‘t know how to use them yet. They look pretty complex. Thanks. I appreciate it.

it isn't really as easy as you'd think. 1. create a background 2.make sure to check the box labeled Use as tile set 3.open up the room you want the tiles to appear in 4.there should be some tabs below the upper left corner 5.click on Tiles 6.under the big gray blank space(wich is just below the tabs) there should be a place to select the tile you want to use 7.after selecting the tile the gray empty space should show the tile. 8.click in the room on the spot you want the tile. remember, tiles are basicly drawings. so objects sometimes go over or under them. experiment with the layers to solve this :)

Q:we have about 500 sq feet of tile in our house and want to put carpet over it. the tile is not finished in the hallway tho, does that matter? and do you know an approximate cost for ripping the tile out? like $1,000+? $2,000+?thank you!

Here's okorder /... Removing tile is a huge labor intensive messy job. I would also want to find alternatives. :-)

Q:how can i tile over linolium flooring without pulling it up?

Tap around the floor in a tight pattern. Loose spots will sound hollow. Cut them out completely with a sharp utility knife, angleing the knife away from the center of the spot you are cutting. Spred a floor prep, such as Ardex or Planipatch ( both portland cement based floor preps), over the floor to fill the holes and any pattern (you will need an 18 flat trowel). Spread the mix on the floor at a 45 degree angle. Scrape off the excess at a 60 to 70 degree angle. Work in a semicircle sweeping motion, leaving only what you need to fill the holes and pattern. The prep will get lighter as it dries, usually 20 - 45 miniutes depending on the size of the cutouts. All prep shrinks as it dries, so you may need to coat larger cutouts a second time. Scrape down any ridges with the edge of the trowell, use a low 5 to 10 degree angle to avoid gouging floor. Sweep floor thoroughly, at least twice, and vaccuum up pile. Then you are ready to set tile. Be sure to use the right notch size on the trowel for proper adhesion without squeez out mess. Also read the glue directions. Many glues need open time to tack up before setting tile. Doing this will make sure that you are getting the best adhesion possible. It will help to resist water damage, and it will keep the pattern of the vinyl from telescoping through the tile over long peroids of time.

Q:i‘m having an investigatory project and its all about making tiles out of broken glass and rice hull. help me pls.

sounds odd, I wouldn't use broken glass in an indoor tile, nor rice hulls on an outdoor tile. you may be able to laminate (make layers of) rice hulls in mortar on lower layers and then embed the glass on the top for traction for an outdoor tile. use a 1 foot square wooden box, lay down a very thin layer of mortar (thickness of a quarter?). then lay down layers of your rice hulls mixed with mortar, then carfully place the glass on top, making sure it is in the mortar enough to be secure. this is more like a terrazzo floor common in south florida and italy Good luck with your homework

Q:My family began to paste tiles, the budget has been bought more than 2 square, and buy back the tile is now posted enough and also a lot worse, would like to ask the forum friends, the normal paste tile loss is how much? Thank you first!

If a large area paved the loss of about 2%. Home kitchen tiles will be around 8%.

Q:The tile guy just wants to add fresh grout, but doesn‘t that wood need to be replaced too. Help the work is to be done in 2 days.

Is this tile in the shower? If so you need to pull up the tile and have a tile membrane installed on the floor to waterproof the area. If it is outside the shower the wood should be treated wood or it will bulge and crack the tile in the future. If it is treated wood then you can just lay replacement tile down. If they know what they are doing and have the appropriate help, then any tile job can be done in one day.

Q:My tile is ugly mint green. nothing matches.I would like to know if I can paint this without it looking tacky.

I have seen tile painted before. You have to get a special type of paint to paint tile. Go to the website below and search for painting tile. I have seen something on here before about this.

Q:We recently had new porcelain tile installed on our guest bath floor, and we‘d like to clean it regularly without harming the tiles and grout. The tile installer had no recommendations about this process, nor did the tile company where we made the purchase. Researching this info is very confusing. Some sites recommend using only a wet mop, while others claim that vinegar diluted in water is appropriate; others advise using some type of manufactured cleaning product. We know that regular sweeping is necessary, but we‘re unsure which products to use to protect our new floor. If you suggest a wet mop, please advise which is best: Shark, Eureka, Bissell, etc. Thanks for any detailed advice you can provide.

Hpofully the grout was seald. If tou have hard water you will get calcium buids up on porcelan.One way is Muratic acid (pool acid) deluted 10 to 1 The safe way is a pumas stone scrubber you can buy at any pool store. The vinigar will work but not as well. Lime away is also a good cleaner if you have hard water. If your installer didnt seal your grout do this first , the tile supplier can supply this. B^

Q:We had a piping problem in out house and we need to find self stick tiles. We honestly cant find any good places to find these tiles. If anyone can give good suggestions on where to find some self stick tiles? I live in dearborn Michagan.

The tiles you seek can be found at any home improvement and carpeting store. Self-stick tiles are nice but they require perfect preparation before you attempt to lay them. Anything less than that will disappoint you when the tiles start lifting or they develop ugly peaks and valleys from the foot traffic. Good luck with your project.