How to Cut Mexican Tile

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Cut Mexican Tile Video

It's very easy to cut Mexican tile. To put it another way, it's one of the easiest tiles you'll ever cut in your career.

Soft and Absorbent

Mexican tile is not hard because it was fired at a lower temperature and for a shorter amount of time while it was in the kiln.

The tile starts out as a wet clay and heat transforms it into a soft stone.

The softness of the tile allows it to soak up water. On the negative side, you'd never want to use Mexican tile where the temperature drops below 32F. Water in the tile will freeze, expand and cause the tile to surface spall.

Related Links

How to Install Mexican Tile

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Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors if you want to avoid the hassle yourself.

Cut Mexican Tile With an Angle Grinder

An inexpensive angle grinder is the best tool to cut Mexican tile. You can use a wet saw if you have access to one, but they are very expensive to rent.

Be sure the grinder has a dry diamond blade. This blade will cut through the tile like a hot knife through butter.

This is a great but inexpensive angle grinder. Put in a dry diamond blade and you can cut away grout in seconds. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have this grinder delivered to your door.

Cutting Circles In Tile

It's very easy to cut a curve with the angle grinder. A small-diameter blade allows you to cut a curve.

To cut tighter curves, don't bury the blade into the tile. Make shallow passes and enlarge the cut line on the outside of the curve where it doesn't matter.

Dust Control Is Important!

It's important to realize you'll be creating lots of dust if you use the angle grinder and dry-diamond blade. Stay upwind of the cutting area if it's windy. If no wind, consider using a large fan to blow dust away from you and the grinder.

The Mexican tile will probably have silica in it and it's not a great idea to breath lots and lots of dust that contains silica.

Here's a dust mask that works quite well:

Be sure any dust mask you get says it's approved for silica. CLICK THIS PHOTO NOW to have this mask and filters delivered to your door.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors if you want to avoid the hassle yourself.

How to Fix a Cracked Patio

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Fix a Cracked Patio Video

"Fix cracked patio" is probably the last item on your honey-do list you want to see. You don't think it's possible to hide the crack and you think it will take all day.

Fix Cracked Patio Fast

The first thing to remember is it's easier and faster to repair the crack than rip out the tile or patio and start over. It's much cheaper too.

All you need to do this job is some painters tape, super-strong concrete epoxy and a hammer or drill.

CLICK this image and listen to the first story - Vic has a gorgeous patio on the back of his house. One part of the patio has sunken down. I've got the fix.

Related Links

Magic Concrete Epoxy Repair Video

How to Repair Chipped Tile

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local handymen that can do this patio crack repair.

Epoxy In a Tube

The best epoxy in my opinion to fill the crack is one that squirts out of a regular caulking tube. I've used the PC products epoxy now for years and it has great open or work time.

This is the magic epoxy that fits into a regular caulk gun. I've used it with great success. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW TO HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.

This epoxy comes with two clever nozzles. They have an internal helix insert that blends the two-part epoxy so when it comes out at the tip it's already mixed.

Tape The Crack Edges

Use normal painters tape to carefully tape the sides of the crack. Taping prevents epoxy smears on the tile. You will have to small short pieces along the jagged crack.

The Magic Dust

It's important to realize the epoxy is gray in color. This is fine if your tile matches that color, but most don't. You may need to create fine dust that's the same color to match the color of the patio.

Use a hammer drill on the edges of a concrete patio to create dust and grit that will match the top surface of the concrete.

Use a regular hammer and create matching dust and grit using broken or discarded pieces of the tile used to cover the patio.

A point often overlooked is paint. In order to disguise the epoxy you may have to paint it a flat color that matches the patio.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local handymen that can do this patio crack repair.

How to Remove Patio Tiles

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Remove Patio Tiles Video

You can remove patio tiles in a flash using a cordless rotary chipping hammer. For one thing, your back is going to love you.

A power tool with a 3/4-inch flat chipping chisel can remove full tiles in seconds if you get under the tile.

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Remove Patio Tiles Requires Minimal Skill

You don't have to have years of experience to remove tiles. I taught a friend of mine to do it in less than two minutes.

The key is chipping pieces of tile away from you if you're trying to preserve nearby tiles.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors if you don't want to do this job.

Use a cordless chipping hammer like this to remove tiles in seconds. You must have the right chisel bit!

Sometimes you can remove an entire tile by chiseling at a low angle getting the bit under the tile so it pops up.

Safety First

Be sure to wear safety glasses, heavy gloves and slow down. Shards of tile can be very sharp and cuts are a constant threat.

Grind Out Grout

You need to grind out the grout around tile that are being replaced. If you bash the tile with a hammer without removing the grout, the force of the hammer blow will transfer to adjacent tile and possibly crack them.

This is a great but inexpensive angle grinder. Put in a dry diamond blade and you can cut away grout in seconds. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have this grinder delivered to your door.

Remove Thinset Too

The old thinset that is under the tile needs to be removed. This cement material can get in the way when you go to install the new tile.

A wide chisel tapping towards the thinset is the only way to remove it fast.

Rub the concrete slab with your bare hand to make sure its smooth. All dust must be swept away before installing new tile.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors if you don't want to do this job.

How to Install Mexican Tile

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

Install Mexican tile? You bet you can do it. It's much easier than you can imagine.

Install Mexican Tile On Smooth Slabs

Mexican tile is soft because it's not fired long in a hot kiln. The concrete slab under the tile needs to be very strong so the tile doesn't crack.

The concrete slab should be at least 5 inches thick. The slab should have 1/2-inch steel bars both directions in the middle of the concrete.

This steel prevents wide or offset cracks in the slab and tile. The worst thing that may happen is an ultra-thin hairline crack at some point.

Related Links

Concrete Slab Install Video 1 of 4

Thinset Quick Start Guide

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can do this job.

Notched Trowels and Flat Concrete

A 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch square-notched trowel is required to install Mexican tile. Look at the photo below:

This is a perfect-sized trowel for installing Mexican tile. The notches are 1/2-inch wide by 1/2-inch tall. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have this trowel delivered to your door. It's a great one.

Another key point is how you hold the trowel. Be sure the trowel is held at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the concrete. If you lower the angle, the thickness of the cement thinset will be insufficient.

Most Mexican tile come from the factory with a very smooth bottom surface. The wear surface may have small undulations that add character.

Be sure the concrete slab is smooth and in the same plane with no humps or dips in it. This is a point often overlooked.

The tile will look best when they lay flat on top of a flat concrete slab. Doing this ensures you don't have to back butter each tile.

Thinset Consistency and Weather

Mexican tile is installed on concrete using thinset. Thinset is a mixture of Portland cement and fine silica sand.

You add water to mix the thinset. The thinset should resemble warm cake icing.

The concrete must be dust-free and damp when you trowel on the thinset. Only trowel on thinset that you can cover in 90 seconds.

It must be remembered the bottom of the Mexican tile should also be damp before it's placed in the wet thinset.

Hot sunny days are the worst weather to do this job. Overcast days with no wind and temperatures in the 60s F are preferred.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can do this job.

How to Grout Mexican Tile

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Grout Mexican Tile Video

Grout Mexican tile - it's a simple job if you do it in the right conditions and understand how water is both your friend and foe.

Mexican tile is a unique product that by its very nature absorbs water very fast. If too much water leaves the grout too fast, it can become weak.

Grout will become weak if you add too much water while mixing it. Grout that resembles moist applesauce is perfect.

Related Links

Grouting Regular Tile

Deep Clean All Grout Using Magic Oxygen Bleach

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can grout your tile.

Grout Mexican Tile While It's Damp

A point often overlooked is the weather while you grout. You may feel that sunny warm days with a breeze are best.

The best weather to grout Mexican tile is when the temperature is in the 60s F range and the skies are overcast with no wind.

Hot sunny and breezy weather suck too much water from the tile and grout too fast.

If you must grout in these conditions, then be sure the tiles are very damp with water as you install the grout.

Use a Grout Bag

The best way to grout the lines in Mexican tile is to use a grout bag like you see below. A simple plastic food-storage bag from your kitchen will work too as you see me use in the video above.

This is a high-quality grout or mortar bag. The small stainless-steel funnel slides into the bag. The grout must be like wet applesauce to flow out of the bag with minimal squeezing. CLICK THE PHOTO OF THE BAG NOW to have it delivered to your door.

Squeeze the Sponge

A special grout sponge is needed to smooth the grout joints. Squeeze out all water before you run it over the grout.

Grout can be ruined if you allow water to pond on the fresh grout. The water dilutes the Portland cement in the grout. This causes the grout to crumble and crack especially in cold climates.

Keep Grout Damp for Two Days

A point often overlooked is wet curing. You want to cover your new grouted patio with a sheet of plastic to stop water evaporation. Do this for at least 48 hours.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can grout your tile.

How to Use a Spade Bit

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Use a Spade Bit Video

A spade bit is an affordable drill accessory you'll come to love. These paddle bits, their old name from years ago, can devour wood in seconds.

Screw Tips and Teeth

I've used spade bits for decades. The old one just had a pointed tip like an arrow and the flat part of the bits had a tilted sharp edge.
The best bits I've used recently have a screw tip that pulls the bit into the wood so you have to work less.

It's important to realize you need to conserve energy when working. The bits that have sharp cutting teeth at the outer edges prevent even more fatigue.

Related Links

How to Drill Into Ceramic Tile

Fast-Changeout Drill Bits

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local finish carpenters who can demonstrate how to use a wide bit.

Many Spade Bit Sizes

These bits come as small as 3/8-inch and I've seen them up to 1 and 3/4 inches. You must work carefully if you're using a large-diameter bit.

Here's a set of high-quality spade bits. The smallest is 1/4-inch and the largest one drills a 1 and 1/2-inch hole. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have these delivered to your door in days.

Drilling Two Holes

In the video above I had to drill a big hole and then a small one. It's best to drill the large hole first. The second smaller bit will not wobble in the tiny cone-shaped hole at the bottom of the larger hole.

Blowouts Out Back

A bit like this can cause wood to splinter out the back of what you're drilling. For this reason you need to stop drilling once you see the tip of the bit pop out the back of what you're drilling.

Reverse the drill and back the bit out of the wood. Insert the tip of the bit in the tiny hole on the back of the wood and start to finish drilling coming in from the back side.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local finish carpenters who can demonstrate how to use a wide bit.

How to Use a Drill Driver

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Use a Drill Driver Video

A cordless drill driver is a magnificent tool that will save you time. This two-in-one power tool will also prevent lots of frustration.

Drill Driver Saves Your Wrist

My drill driver does a great job of preventing fatigue. Decades ago you had to turn screws by hand or use a crude mechanical screwdriver that slipped off the head of the screw.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local carpenters who can show you how to use this wonder tool!

Related Links

Milwaukee Drill Review

Hammer Drill Review

Here's the power tool similar to the one in the video. Be sure the one you have has a nice torque-adjustment collar! CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have one delivered to your home.

Drilling Tips

It's best to always drill pilot holes for screws. Some screws have threads that drill pilot holes, but these are few and far between.

Pilot holes should be the same diameter as the inside shaft of the threaded part of the screw. Simply hold up a drill bit alongside the screw until you have a match.

Long screws that have a large unthreaded shank near the head should have a second pilot hole drilled to reduce friction at the top of the hole.

Driving Tips

It's important to realize that screw heads can be stripped. You can prevent this by using a perfect match with the driver bit.

For example, there are three common-sized Phillips-head drivers:

The most common Phillips bit you'll use is the #2.

Use Firm Pressure

Apply firm and constant pressure as you push against the tool while driving a screw. Screw heads will become stripped and rounded if the bit spins within the screw head. The driving bit will be ruined too.

Don't Overdrive Screws

Another key point beginners should know is the danger of overdriving. A drill driver is powerful and if you don't stop the tool in time, the screw can be driven too deep into the wood or decking.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local carpenters who can show you how to use this wonder tool!

November 19, 2017 AsktheBuilder Forgets

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

A few hours ago I sent out a news blast. I forgot two things!!!

"Comment Held for Approval"

I asked you to watch my new video format and then comment at the bottom of the page.

You may have commented and typed it a second time because after clicking SUBMIT you didn't immediately see your comment.

I forgot to tell you that I HOLD all comments for approval. The reason is simple.

AsktheBuilder.com is a MASSIVE target for SPAM comments other websites try to place on my site so they can suck on my aged SEO nectar.

AsktheBuilder.com is older than Google.com and other websites constantly want me to link to them. Because I've been on the Internet so long, since 1995, Google considers me a top tier authority on all things home improvement.

This requires me to delete SPAM comments so I have my comments set that none show at all until I approve them.

In the future, just type your comment, check it for spelling and typos and click SUBMIT. You'll eventually see it, although it might take up to a day for me to approve it.

Please don't submit multiple *identical* comments thinking my website is broken.

Oh, here's another tip if you leave comments at websites. If you type a long one, BLOCK and COPY your comment before you click SUBMIT. More than one comment has disappeared in the ether! This saves you from typing twice.

Thanksgiving Table Accidents

and Pots & Pans

I forgot to tell you I've got a super STRESS reliever!!!

Holidays like Thanksgiving are filled with family stress and drama.

Maybe you're getting out that heirloom tablecloth / napkin set. Perhaps you just got NEW carpet installed.

By accident someone spills red wine, gravy, beet juice, cranberry juice and everyone FREAKS at the table!

Stain Solver to the RESCUE!

Years ago, a woman wrote this story to me I need to share:

"Dear Tim,

I wanted to tell you how Stain Solver saved my holiday. Two days before Thanksgiving I had new WHITE carpet installed.

One of my dinner guests spilled her red wine on my tablecloth and it sloshed over onto the carpet. She was mortified and tried to get up to start to clean it.

I told her to remain seated, I wasn't flustered and said, 'Don't worry. I'll get it tomorrow. I've got Tim and Kathy's Stain Solver. It will get all the stain out. Let's get back to having fun.'

I'm so thankful you make this great product and it saved our Thanksgiving!"

Do you want your pots and pans, cookie sheets, and glass cookware to be like NEW for your company?

Or do you want them to look great after all that cooking?

Look at these crazy before and after photos I took myself three days ago!!! Yes, this is a pan we use everyday here at the Carter Casa.

Kathy is very happy with what I did! What do you think?

CLICK HERE to see the step-by-step photos of HOW I made the pan look like new in hours with minimal work.

CLICK HERE NOW to order some Stain Solver.

Holiday Stress Reliever Extraordinaire

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Tim Carter
Forgetful Date Desireman

Do It Right, Not Over and Over Tim!

November 19, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

This is a weird newsletter with a potpourri of all sorts of goodies.

I think you're going to like it. Let's start with some something I've seen online that disturbs me.

Unethical Advertising

Yesterday I was uploading my latest videos to my AsktheBuilder Facebook page and the following ad showed up in my timeline.

I get quite upset when I see things like this.

I feel it's highly unethical advertising meant to lure you into buying something under false pretense.

Have you ever stopped to do the math on how much you spend each day to heat the water in your home?

You should.

When you do, you'll be steaming at the above "$400-a-year-savings claim".

It's VERY EASY to come up with a fairly accurate number of what you spend to heat water assuming you heat with natural gas or propane.

CLICK HERE to see how to do it.

When you do the math, you'll probably discover you spend about $1 to $1.50 a day.

$1 per day times 365 = $365.00

$365 is less than $400 the last time I checked.

Sarcasm ALERT: So you buy a Rheem hybrid heater and you pay nothing to heat water, right.......

Let's all go out and buy one today!!! NOT!!!!!!

Big Buying Week Ahead

Can you believe my favorite meal of the year is in four days?

WOOT!!!!! Thanksgiving!!!!!

This holiday generally starts the Christmas shopping season for many.

If you shop at Amazon.com, please consider using the following affiliate link. It doesn't cause the price of anything you buy to go up.

Amazon simply shares a small part of their profit with me. It's a much-appreciated method of giving back for any money-saving tips I gave you over the past year.

CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING

I'll resend this affiliate link on Thanksgiving night as a reminder.

Here are some GREAT Christmas gift ideas - fairly strange ones for the most part!

Succulent Tasty CA Dates

The fresh dates idea came from these EXACT ones I bought at a farmers market in Altadena, CA about twelve days ago. They're grown by the Davall Farm west of LA not too far from Joshua Tree National Park.

CLICK HERE to order them.

Be SURE you order the Medjool dates to get the ones I had. Two pounds is less than $16. WOWZA!!!!

When I bit into these plump moist dates, there was an explosion of flavor unlike any other I've ever had. I found it impossible to believe these tasty dates grew naturally!

They were the BEST MEDJOOL DATES I've ever had and Steve, my friend who lives in LA, said the same thing! He's a date connoisseur.

These are way at the top of my list for Santa. I'm trying extra hard to be good so I get some! Anyone you give these too will be very thankful!

2018 Calendar - NH Scenery

Frequently I share photos with you I take while hiking and exploring here in central NH as well as the White Mountains.

A local NH professional photographer, Chris Whiton, has produced a calendar that's now hanging on my wall. I see it everyday as I enter my man cave.

Each month has a fabulous NH nature photo similar to what you see above. Chris has gotten up in the middle of the night to hike in the dark on bitter cold days to capture rare and exceptional winter photos that you or I would never obtain.

At $13.00, this is a no-brainer. The nature-lover on your list will really cherish this calendar. CLICK HERE to order one.

New Video Format - NEED YOUR HELP!

Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to fly to LA to do a bunch of home repair projects for my good friend Steve and his lovely wife Karin.

I was lucky to leave LA with eleven new videos for you!

While taping one on the third work day, an idea popped into my head just as the camera began to roll.

I decided to turn the video into a fun guessing game.

Would you do me two favors?

1. Watch the following video - it's short.
2. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page telling me what you thought of the new format.

CLICK HERE to watch the short video.

I edited and uploaded all the other videos. I don't want to overload you with new ones today, so I'm going to share them over the next few weeks.

If you LOVE the new format, then I'm going to start to do many more incorporating this format.

Remember, you need to TELL me in the comments below the video why you liked it. I'm also open to other suggestions - so tell me in the comments how to make the videos BETTER.

Click to read Tim's Update on the request in his November 19, 2017 AsktheBuilder Forgets!

That's enough for today.

Please consider once again using my Amazon.com shopping link. It will really help keep this newsletter coming to you.

CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING

THANKS!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com & Dreamer of Dates!

Do It Right, Not Over!

Stop Woodpecker From Pecking House

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Tim Carter

Here's where the devil woodpecker was munching on my house. See the aluminum sheet behind the bottle? You should see the size of the hole he created two weeks ago! CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have the magic hot sauce I used delivered to your door.

Stop Woodpecker

I had a "Stop Woodpecker" sign up on my roof fascia board, but it didn't do any good.

As a matter of fact, I installed aluminum sheet metal thinking he'd go away.

White Hot Woodpecker Victory!

I had success once I started thinking about what made my eyes water.

Was there a way to make the wood distasteful so the woodpecker would leave?

Hot sauce! Of course, why didn't I think of it before?

Stop Woodpecker and Grab Some Water!

I think birds hate hot sauce. The most compelling evidence lies in my experiments.

A few days ago I tried standard Tabasco sauce. It contains aged red peppers and vinegar.

It worked for a day, but then the invader bird came back enlarging the hole looking for tasty insects.

Goya Hot Sauce Rules

This afternoon he was back. Peck peck peck. I was determined to win.

I ran downstairs and grabbed my small squirt gun and rummaged through the spice cabinet.

Want to stop a woodpecker? Use this weapon to deploy a film of white-hot hot sauce on the wood! CLICK THE GUNS NOW to have these delivered to your home!

Boom! There it was. Goya Hot Sauce.

I twisted open the cap and the fumes about killed me.

This is the ticket. Want to stop woodpeckers at your home? Spray this on your wood. CLICK THE SAUCE BOTTLES NOW TO HAVE THIS MAGIC NECTAR delivered to your home!

I made a 50/50 mixture (half hot sauce and half water) and went outdoors.

The miscreant bird saw me coming and flew off. I then soaked all the wood with the hot sauce solution.

It's been hours and he's not returned. In the past it only took him a few minutes to come back to continue his mission of destruction on my home.

Periodic Spraying

I intend to spray the wood every few days to keep the woodpecker away. It's my hope that he'll discover some other better food source or fly farther away.

Let me know in the comments below how Goya worked for you!