Q:I have hot water radiant heat in a concrete slab that leaks occasionally so I can‘t put carpet on it. Do I dare put ceramic tile over it? Maybe the tile would keep the moisture down.

Ceramic tile is installed on concrete slabs all the time and it is a good fit. I would agree with fixing the leak first; however, more than this, if it is an older system and the pipes are copper or steel (rather than pex tubing) then the system is not going to last and the occasional leaks are a sign of a system failure. You will have to decide if you want to replace the system with a new radiant floor above the existing slab or you wish to proceed with some alternative heating/distributing system. This you might want to decide before you consider a ceramic floor.

Q:A family member purchased 12x12 non gloss tiles for our shower stall and I don‘t think I ever saw a shower stall with non gloss tiles. Our old tiles had gloss. Can you use non gloss tiles for the shower stall?

yes you can use tiles that have a matte finish. just a matter of preference on the look you want

Q:We are going to replace the bathtub that came with our house, built in 1986, but we can not decide whether or not to just get a regular bath combination shower or just the bathtub and tile the shower walls...any suggestions or experience with this that anyone would be able to recommend either way?

What type of flooring is in the room? Do you have another shower? I really like look of tile, but not cleaning it. I would recommend using a medium/dark grout.

Q:I have a basement about 25X25 does anyone know how much it would cost to put vinyl tile down?

Rhoda forgot the glue and the tax though for the other she is spot on and have fun with it. good luck

Q:and people will rip up the 12X12 tile floor and replace it with smaller tiles? Just need a few opinions.

That size or a variation of that size ( you ll see some 13x13 around) will be here for a long time to come. Its been around for a long time now. The new way to make modular tiles from that size will ensure it stays around longer. This size also fits well into large areas as well as slightly smaller areas. Colors will be the only changes that will occur , as they always do. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there. GL

Q:Standard Specification for Common Tile and Flat Table

80x80 floor tile is 0.64 square 60X60 floor tile is 0.36 square 0.3X0.3 floor tile is 0.09 square 0.3X0.45 wall tile is 0.135 square square square ÷ brick square number = brick number such as 80 square floor laying 80X80 floor tiles 80 ÷ 0.64 = 125 tablets ? The answer was adopted by the questioner

Q:best way to install floor 12inch by 12 inch floor tile

First you decide if you want a seam or a row of tiles in the middle. Make sure the floor is clean and without divots (fill in any holes). Drop a chalk line down the center of the room and lay a row of tiles dry (no stick) along the line to see how they look. You don't want one end to leave a sliver and the other end to leave almost a full tile - try to balance the ends that have to be cut. Now dry-lay a perpendicular row from the center to check the ends going across the room. Lay a full tile or its edge down on the chalk line. This first tile will be used to orient all your tiles so make sure you're satisfied with the placement. Then lay a whole permanent row of full tiles down the center. Now you have to decide if you want the tiles layed side by side or brick wall pattern. Next lay the perpendicular row down permanently. Now all you have to do is fill in the quadrants as far as you can go with full tiles. After all your full tiles are down, it's the cut ones that remain. Slide a full tile in place up to the wall and mark where you have to cut. Peel and stick tiles usually can be cut with a sheetrock knife and a metal straight edge or a good pair of shears. Some of the cuts can be tricky - I can't see them so you'll have to muddle through.

Q:How to quickly remove the transparent tape on the tiles

Wet water, grabbed tape with wood chips, wipe with a newspaper. Try it out. If you have more questions, you can click on ID consultation.

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.

Q:I want to put ceramic tile in my dining room, my room is 12' x 11'. So how would I go about deciding how many tiles I would need? The tiles are 12x12. But for ceramic tiles dont you have to leave space in between them?

First measure the room from wall to wall.Length and width.Multiply the numbers.This gives you square footage.Add another 15 square feet for cutting and breakage.Tiles are sold per square foot not amount.Space in between does not matter in calculation.This is up to you.If you want a more full look make space smaller.This is easier for maintenance(cleaning).1/4 inch is normal, 3/8 is big.The bigger the space it's harder to grout plus will cost more in grout.Make sure to use grout similar colour to tile.If your floor is wood underneath then you have to fasten it so it does not vibrate and then lay a wire mesh before putting on the tile.This is important,if you do not do this the tiles will crack.To remove them costs more than putting them on.