Q:The tile grout on my bathroom floor is white in some parts, but dark where husband stands next to the sink/toilet... How can I clean it without having to re-grout it? Can I just spray bleach on or will that ruin the tile?

If the magic eraser doesn't work get a Drymil tool (I might have spelled it wrong) take the first layer of grout out then replace it it takes a little time but it turns out beautifully.

Q:How to choose the difference between tile types

2, quintana bricks Quintana brick is a wear-resistant brick, the surface is not glazed, positive and negative color consistent, its color than glazed tiles. The whole body brick is widely used in the hall, aisle, outdoor walkway and other renovation projects on the ground. Nobel tiles manager told Xiaobian, in the simple plain home furnishings style, quintana brick by a specific crowd of love, more and more become a fashion. 3, polished tiles Polished brick is the surface of the whole body polished by a kind of bright brick, is a kind of quintana brick, compared to the whole body brick, the polished surface of the polished to be much cleaner, polished hard polished polished, suitable for washing in the toilet , The interior of the kitchen is used outside the interior.

Q:We grouted the tile, and also had a border tile up.. the border is decorative and has some texture to it.We did wipe off the excess as we grouted. The next day tho, my brother sealed it, before making sure all the dust was off.. now there is some grout dust sealed onto the border tile. I scrubbed with a toothbrush, and managed to get some of it off.. but not all.Is there anything I can do to remove the grout, or even the seal, without ruining the finish on the tile??

Grout Dissolver

Q:We have a fireplace in our lower level that is outdated, dingy old masonry and doesn‘t fit with the rest of our updates down there. I would like to tile over it and have it ready for use before our family comes over for Thanksgiving. What is the best method?

You can attach tile directly to masonry, it has been done all over the world for centuries (Italy, Spain, Middle East all use tile on the exterior of buildings...) I would assume normal thin-set mortar would work, but I believe it would depend on the exact type of masonry- concrete block or clay brick. A thicker adhesive bed will likely be necessary to smooth over the rough surface, but because of the relatively porous surface of most types of masonry your bond should be excellent. My only word of caution would be if you have any cracks in the masonry. Make sure they are not active (widening and narrowing), which may occur with temperature and humidity swings. Either way, you may choose to weld the crack with epoxy to prevent any crack movements that may telegraph through your tile and crack it. HTH, Andrew Kester, PE Structural Engineer Florida (..and a tile afficianado..)

Q:I just grouted the ceramic tiles I laid in my kitchen. The grout was supposed to be a dark maroon color, but it turned out a whitish powdery color (efflorescence). What is the main cause of this...it can't be water coming from underneath the tiles because the basement is underneath the kitchen floor...unless it came from the mortar under the kitchen tiles. How do I get rid of the efflorescence. Grout cleaner didn't work...should I use salfamic (spelling?) acid and scrub the grout lines? Can J just refloat new grout over the existing grout? HELP...I need to put my base cabinets in, but I can't stand looking at my floor the way it is.

You need to go to a regular tile shop and get the cleaner made for this. The cause of it can be many , for not mixing enough to washing it w/ to much water during grouting. Regular grout cleaner won t cut it. There are several brands that do this so going to XYZ tile place and asking for something they may not have that brand but a brand they use on occasion or a brand available to them. HD does carry a bottle called Remove by Hydroment . You may want to try that And you cannot just grout over it the grout will not adhere and stay, it doesn t have enough to grab onto. Any questions you can e mail me GL

Q:Hey!,I want to know how to make handmade tiles that you can paint and stuff....I need step-by-step instructions please !!

In some measure it depends on how strong you want the tiles to be. Fired clay, in even a tile sense, is usually done at 3600 degrees in a kiln. Then cooled, painted/glazed/ etc. and fired again. At a decent pottery retailer you can find dozens of types of clay, and in fact some that is low fire, or even oven bake, which can be hand painted, and perhaps glazed over with a clear coat and no re-firing, but the strength and durability issue will still exist. Clay for tile, Ceramic or Porcelain, is slab rolled for consistency, Cut precisely, fired in kilns, cooled, then is decorated variously. Some larger houses will sell blanks that one can decorate themselves, even coffee mugs/cups/ bathroom sinks. etc. Obviously with a rolling pin and some risers, at 3/8 or 1/4, you could hand roll the clay and cut it, but then what? Below is a link for a general search to a company that can give you all the info you need in various methods and types of clay used. I spent a lot of $$$ with them in the early part of this decade. Steven Wolf Just my two sense

Q:THis will be done in the powder room. Also, I am planning not to use backerboard because the tiles will be 9 x 12

I recently tiled a room of approximately the same size. Not including the cost of the tile, it cost about $150.00. I used quick set, which costs about $40 per tub. One tub, if used properly, should be enough. If the floor on which you are installing the tile is not concrete, you should stronly consider using the backing board. This will help reduce the chances of the grout, and tile from cracking. If installed on a wooden (plywood) floor, the floor can flex, resulting in cracking of the tile and grout.

Q:Is there a paint that can paint over bathroom tile?

I'm guessing that you're looking for total coverage and not just for a small decorative purpose. In that case, it's really all about the prep work you put into it. Wash the tiles down with a TSP mixture, to remove any oil residue off the tile and wash that off afterwards, making sure it's dry. Then apply a primer to the tiles. I've personally found the Glidden Gripper primer to work best at covering ceramic/porcelain. Give that about 24 hours to set once you apply it. You can then cover it with your choice of paint and sheen. I would highly recommend a glossy paint though so it stands up to water; a satin or semi-gloss will work best. Using a foam roller is also a good idea, as this will give it the smoothest finish possible. I would however only recommend this for -wall- applications. It's not meant to be done on the floor and in that case you are better off with a skim coat of concrete and starting with a different type of floor. Painting it won't hold up over time, unless it's an epoxy type paint, but those are more formulated for masonry. Hope this helps!~

Q:I'm decorating my bathroom with a soothing and relaxing water theme (sand and water colours - beige, white, earthy brown, pale blue, and pale green). I need a backsplash behind my sink and tiles in the shower area. Any ideas that would work with this theme?

what about these stores.OKorder

Q:I am looking at removing the existing wooden fire place surround (not a mantel, but some decorative wood surrounding the fireplace), and the 70‘s fireplace hearth, and replacing each with some nice slate tiles. The slate would be attached to the wall, and to the floor. Is there anything I should know when attaching (slate) tiles to a wall? Do I need to remove any paint, or can I get an adhesive that will bond (PL Premium or regular mortar mix?). How close should the grout lines be with slate? I know with marble you want them close, and with ceramic you can have some space. How do you ensure the tiles don‘t slip when attached to a vertical wall. Sorry for the questions, but I do appreciate any suggestions and answers!

Only loose paint needs to be removed. If your paint has no chips or bubbles there's no reason to try taking it off. Your grout lines can be from 1/8 to 1/4' depending on your preference. Use a premixed ceramic wall adhesive such as Pro-Lastic, Pro-Flex, or Pro-Mastic Thinset. To keep tiles from slipping, simply start at the floor and work up, applying spacers between the tiles as you work. The adhesive will keep the tiles from falling off the wall, and the spacers and tiles below will keep them from sliding down. Some tiles come with built in plastic spacers for wall installation. It is possible for the tiles to sag a little so check with a level from time to time.