Q:it is literally burning hot have no idaea wat the problem is plzz help:). porcelain tile btw

Well, I'm assuming it's the floor tiles, not the wall tiles. And that there's no radiant heating system under the floor. The first thing you should check is if you have a broken hot water pipe under the slab. To do this, shut off all the water in the house and check your meter. Some have a small triangle shaped dial that turns as you use water. If it's turning, you have a fairly major problem and should address it promptly. If you don't have such a dial on your meter, record the numbers on the meter before you go to bed at night after using all the water for the day. Then in the morning, BEFORE using any water, record the numbers again. They should match exactly. If not, you have a leak and chances are, it's from the hot water line running under the slab in the bathroom. You can shut the hot water valve by the heater for a few hours and check if the warmth has cooled down. This will assure you that that is what the problem is.

Q:We laid tile in our shower and I used too much grout. Now I need to know how to get the grout lines even without damaging the tile. Any help would be appreciated.

If you let the grout get *really* wet, and if you haven't sealed it yet, after it soaks for a while, you should be able to rub it off with a towel or rage, if you use a bit of elbow grease. It will come off without damaging the tile

Q:How about a simple tiles? Good quality

"listen". To one hand the thumb, index finger and middle finger folder tile corner, easy to hang, the other hand index finger tapping the lower part of the tile, such as the sound clear, sweet for the top grade, such as the sound boring, astringent turbidity for the defective. "cut". Cut out the tile cut (usually to the store to have broken pieces of observation), see the break at the Department. Broken at the fine, hard and brittle, consistent color for the top grade.

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:Is Tumble stones tiles a good selection for a kitchen backsplash and if so how often does it need to be sealed?

Perfect choice...seal once a year

Q:What does the thinset and grout do to tiles when installing them?

The thin set ( either a grey is what adheres the tile to the substrate your bonding to.It is also used as a filler when setting a cement board down to the floor. This ensures there is no voids between the sub floor and the cement board to make a solid base for tile. The grout is to fill the space between the tiles to help support the tile and to prevent dirt between the needed space for tiles. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there. GL

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.

Was it a premixed grout? If you mixed it yourself you might have added too much water or took too long to spread it. Using too much water to clean the grout off could be the problem also. Grout also has a shelf life. You cannot grout over grout. You might find a grout stain to stain the grout the color you want. Don't use acid! Tiles can be cleaned with vinegar and water.

Q:I am looking at purchasing a home but on the disclosure form from the seller, it shows that there is asbetos tiles on the basement floor.I know asbetos is a problem but in this case how much would it cost to remove it? should this be a deal breaker?

Best thing is to cover the tiles with another floor covering, rather than to try to remove them. They're not dangerous just sitting there, it's the dust from breaking them up/apart/removal that can be really bad. Check on the local laws of removal.

Q:Hi, I was wondering what type of tile is easier to lay down on a bathroom floor, large, single tiles or small tiles that are connected together by mesh. I have never done anything like this before, so any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

The easties size is 12 x 12. Small tiles on the mesh are a real pain, each tile must be moved to get even. The tiles move around when you set in the morter. Tiles larger than 12 x 12 take extra care to keep level. Go slow.

Q:I tiled my fireplace and mixed the grout according to the right measurements. now a whole section of it is crumbling... can someone tell me why this is and what to do - thank you

When you say on the fireplace, I assume you mean the face of it. Without seeing it , it's hard to tell. I can only suspect that you used too much water in the mix, causing it to be weak. Or possibly the heat from the fireplace is expanding the tiles and causing the grout to pop out.