Thinset For Ceramic Tile Floors Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

Mixing thinset is needed when you are laying ceramic tile. It is a powder that comes in 50 pound bags. It looks a lot like cement. And a little dusty when pouring it from the bag into the mixing bucket.

The bag will be marked with thin-set mortar. It is available in either gray or white. The white thin-set is useful if you are putting down a white floor. Just in case some of the thinset surfaces between the ceramic tiles.

Thinset is basically Portland cement powder and very fine silica sand. When mixed with water, it makes like a miniature concrete. That’s important when putting down ceramic floor tile. Why? If you were to use spreadable floor mastics, that look like cake icing, the mastic never really gets hard. Thus if you walk on the floor tile or place something very heavy on a tile, it could crack. That does not happen with thin-set. When thinset cures after about a day or two, it is just like concrete.

Some thinsets have water-based, powdered glues, called acrylic hardeners or modifiers, that make the thin-set very sticky. But regular thin-set, when mixed right, is very sticky.

All you have to do is a water to the thin-set powder. Use a mixing knife or a very stiff putty knife, as the mixture gets very density. A flexible blade could bend or break off while mixing. Slowly add the water a little at a time, stir and check to see if you have the right consistency. The proper consistency should be like pancake batter. Thick, but pourable. Don’t get it too wet, slowly add water and continue stirring.

Thinset works well in ceramic tile showers. Only mix up enough thinset that you can put down on the floor and cover with tile in 15 minutes. If it sits in the bucket too long, it will start to crystalize and hard. If you add more water to it, called retempering, that is bad. Only mix enough that you can use in that time frame.

Wet Saw Indoors Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

If faced with wet cutting tile and you have to do it indoors, don’t just pray to the remodeling gods. Get a wet saw enclosure. The water spray will hit the wall, fall into the catch basin and then drip into a bucket under the saw.

You can cut your tile inside and not have water spray all over the place.

Removing Drywall Tip Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

You remove drywall with some effort. To take down large sheets get a wide pry bar under it at stud locations.

Remove Drywall

Revised February 2018

When getting ready to tear down drywall, it's fun to do demolition work. But don’t make this rookie mistake.

In the corners, the drywall probably has a paper tape that bends around the corner. You don’t want to mess up the other wall, you are not removing. If you just tear into the drywall and begin pulling it out, you will tear into the corner tape and pull it from the other wall.

Wall Removal Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

Wall Removal

Before taking down a wall, be sure it is not a load bearing wall or a supporting wall. There are some clues that will assist you with your decision. But first, the adjoining wall is a bearing load. Why? In the next room, there is a big box on the ceiling. There is probably a big beam behind the beam. Therefore, the wall under the beam should be a load bearing wall.

Back in the other room, the big box covering the beam is not there. So, the floor joists are probably running the opposite direct from the room with the beam. But that alone does not mean that the wall to be removed is a non-load bearing wall. Have to do some more checking. Check the floor above the wall to see if there is something on top of it.

In the room above the wall to be removed, there is nothing about that wall. More proof that is probably not a load bearing wall. More checking is still needed. If you have a set of blueprints for your house, check for a structural page, some times marked with an S in the title block. The blueprints will show the direction of the floor joists and the location of that support beam.

Since the floor joists are not located on top of that wall, it is not a support wall and it can be removed. One last check - use a stud finder to be sure the floor joists are running the direction as indicated in the blueprints.

If you are not sure after doing these checks, be sure to call a residential structural engineer. Don’t make a mistake and collapse you house. Check first and be sure.

Featured in the June 5, 2016 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Ice Safety Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

(Jaws music theme playing in the background.) Tim is heading out onto the ice on Lake Winnisquam. He has a phobia about falling through the ice and drown. There are many accidents of that nature every year. So, he wants to be sure about the ice thickness and ice safety.

But first, this was filmed on March 13, 2009. That is Friday the 13th!!! Aside from the fear of Friday the 13th, mid-March is a dangerous time of the year to be out on the ice. As the temperature changes, the ice thickness changes rapidly also.

To check the ice thickness, Tim will venture out onto the ice where he knows the water depth is not over his head. So even if he does fall through, he will be okay - water depth wise. He is hoping that the videographer will help save him. (The camera shakes "No.")

The state of Minnesota has a great web site that provides information regarding ice thickness and safety. For example, 4 inch thick, clear ice is more then enough thickness to walk on safely. Ice 12 inches thick can support a pickup truck.

To check the thickness, find a spot where you are comfortable with the water depth under the ice. Use a cordless drill with a chip auger bit. Tim is using a 16 inch long drill bit, measured from the chuck. Drill your test hole. Tim has drilled down until 5 inches of the chip auger drill bit is still showing. That means that the ice is 11 inches thick near the shore line. However, the thickness of the ice can change in different locations on the lake. Be sure to check different locations and each day.

Be safe. Check the ice and have all the proper equipment in case you happen to fall through.

Ice Drilling Video

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

Tim shows you a creative use of a cordless drill and a chip auger bit. The chip auger bit can be used to check the thickness of ice on a lake.

Drill into the lake ice until you run out of bit or reach the bottom of the ice. In this case, the auger bit was 16 inches long coming out of the cordless drill chuck. And the drill bit did not break through the bottom of the ice. So it is at least 16 inches thick in the middle of March in New Hampshire.

The lakes stay cold for a long time in the Northeast. You can use your cordless drill to check the ice thickness.

LED Flashlight

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: An LED flashlight is on my must-have list of tools to buy. Do LED flashlights really live up to all the marketing hype? I want a bright LED flashlight, so do they come in different intensities? Can you get a super-bright LED flashlight? What other features should I look for as I shop for these fascinating flashlights? Stan S., Kirkland, AZ

DEAR STAN: I have more than one white LED flashlight, and they’ve become my favorite ones. I don’t think I’d invest money in a company that makes those tiny incandescent bulbs you find in traditional flashlights as LED flashlights will surely become the standard, if they aren’t already.

You mentioned that you want a bright LED flashlight. I don’t think they come any other way. In fact, many people complain LEDs are too bright. I find that the beam, when directed into my eyes, can be painful. You absolutely can buy LED flashlights that produce different intensities of light. The usual measurement of brightness is lumens.

These LED flashlights produce powerful beams of white, red and green light. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I have a fabulous LED headlight that has a powerful beam that measures 100 lumens. It has a switch that allows me to produce less light if the main beam is too intense. Other flashlights I own produce 80 lumens and one smaller inspection LED flashlight produces just 25 lumens. This small LED flashlight is not much bigger than a cigar, but 25 lumens is a lot of light! I also like this small light because the case isn’t round. If I set the flashlight on a sloped surface, it doesn’t roll away.

There are many features you should look for. Some depend on what you intend to do with the tool. For example, I own one LED flashlight that requires no batteries. It’s a crank LED flashlight. Inside the tool is a miniature generator and a battery. You wind it up, and it makes light. This is great for a car or camping when you feel you need to store a flashlight, but don’t want to be hassled wondering if the batteries will be charged when you need the tool.

Look for LED flashlights that are impact tested. This means that if you drop it from some height, it will still operate. Some that I own will survive a 15-foot drop. That’s pretty impressive as far as I’m concerned. I want durability, not a fragile flashlight that stops working if I drop it just three feet from my hand to the ground.

I would look for a red LED flashlight. That doesn’t mean the outer case is red, it means that the tool has red LEDs. These special flashlights have one or more LEDs that produce red light. Red light is easier on your eyes at night because when it’s dark, the pupils of your eye dilate to accept more light. The red light is not as intense and allows you to illuminate objects while your pupils stay dilated.

If you use harsh white light at night when viewing something up close, your eyes react negatively. I’m sure you’ve had this happen to you when driving at night. If an idiot approaches you with their high-beam headlights on, you lose your night vision as you pupils contract because of the massive amounts of light entering your eyes. Two of my LED flashlights have both the white LEDs and these red ones. In fact, they have a third unique LED that’s green!

The green LED in two of my flashlights is very remarkable. Green light, as opposed to white light, is the most friendly light for our eyes. Scientists have told me that the human eye response is peaked at a wave length of about 555 nanometers. Green light is visible anywhere from 490 to 560 nanometers. This green light improves depth perception and contrast. If you use green light to inspect things for cracks, slight imperfections, etc., you’ll see them faster and easier than if you use bright white light. I never knew that!

Absolutely get LED flashlights that are waterproof or water resistant. You never know when you’ll be out in the rain or working in a damp area. All of my flashlights are water resistant.

Consider getting a headlight LED flashlight. This is one that you wear on your forehead like a miner. The one I have has comfortable elastic straps that adjust easily. The light itself swivels up and down so it’s easy to adjust where the beam of light is focused. Using this light allows me to work with both hands and the light is always where I’m looking. I love my headlight flashlight and kick myself for not getting it years ago. Mine is equipped with white, red and green LEDs!

A rechargeable LED flashlight is not a bad idea, but make sure you plan to use it where you always have access to power. Once these tools run out of stored power, they are useless until recharged. That’s my only complaint - the fact that while recharging, you have no light at all.

The LED flashlights typically use less battery power as the LEDs simply can produce more light with less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb. But the more LEDs you have in your tool, and the more lumens they produce, they can burn through batteries. Always pack extra batteries. I love using the newer rechargeable AA and AAA batteries in my LED flashlights. I always have plenty of fully charged batteries on hand.

Below are Amazon.com affiliate links for these LED Flashlights.

Column 773

April 5, 2009 AsktheBuilder News And Tips

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue?

Friendly Question Reminder
Bosch Multi-Construction Drill Bits
Pandora
Stain Solver Sale
White Linoleum That’s Now Yellow
Pictures of Pentagrams
Applying Thinset to Concrete
LED Flashlights
TheCabinetFolks.com Update
Latest Columns

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them. Looking out on the loch here today, I'm reminded of one of the final scenes in the classic Robert Redford movie Jeremiah Johnson. Jeremiah's in the high mountains cooking a rabbit when his mentor "Bear Claw" Chris Lapp runs into him. They eat together and muse about what month it is, as they're so disconnected with civilization they can only mark time by the change of seasons.

Jeremiah Johnson is one of my favorite movies, as the spirit of survival, the scenery and the imagery in the movie are very powerful. The snow is just about gone up here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, but there's no open water here at the north end of Lake Winnesquam as the ice still holds court over the lake. You know spring is coming, but it still acts like winter. It's a magical mysteria, especially for a new resident like me. I doubt I'll ever tire of the beauty up here. You see something new each day.

Bosch Multi-Construction Drill Bits

I tested some new Bosch drill bits this past week. Oh my are they wonderful. These robust bits allow you to drill through all sorts of different materials without changing the bit. The have a special carbide tip that bites into wood, as well as new fluting on the shaft that works to expel the chips and dust of whatever is being drilled. These bits work well on concrete, tile, wood, cement board, wood, brick, aluminum or other soft metals, PVC pipe, etc. You won't be disappointed by these bits.

Pandora

If you're working in a room where your computer is, you can listen to all sorts of great music you like for free. Or maybe you can pipe your computer's speakers to another room. Just go to Pandora and have a blast. Pandora allows you to name a song or artist you like, and then it plays that mixed in with similar music. Make as many stations as you want. I'm listening to my John Waite station as I compose this newsletter. Right now the acoustical version of Missing You is playing.

When I listen to the tunes I like, it reminds me that I need to get my left thumb fixed so I can get back to playing my 12-string B25-12 Gibson acoustical guitar. It's 45 years old, and in mint condition. I wish I could say the same for my thumb. A series of injuries over the years, that happened while I was still building every day, has taken away 60 percent of the gripping power of my left thumb. When I try to grip the neck of my sweet guitar, all I get is lots of pain and lousy chords. Next up on Pandora is a little Def Leppard!

Stain Solver Sale

I promised you a huge sale on Stain Solver in the last newsletter. If you're a brand-new subscriber, Stain Solver is a multi-purpose, non-toxic oxygen-bleach green cleaner. I make a special formulation that's gotten rave reviews. It's not something I hawk for some company. Kathy, my wife, and I discovered oxygen bleach about 13 years ago. It cleans just about everything.

I'll be using my Stain Solver in a couple of weeks to clean the treated lumber on my dock. You can use it on your wood deck before you apply Defy Extreme. Maybe you want to clean your ceramic floor tile grout. Boy, does Stain Solver clean grout. With money tighter than a banjo string, you can use Stain Solver to restore anything instead of buying new. Remember, if something has a stain in it, you have nothing to lose trying to clean it.

For the next week ONLY, I'm giving you a generous 25-percent reduction in the normal price. That's a sweet deal no matter how you look at it. Buy plenty if this is of interest to you as I don't know when the next sale will be. Sales over the past two months are running 300 percent above normal with NO promotions! It's crazy busy in the warehouse. In fact, Kathy and Ellen thought I was nuts to do this sale as we have more business than ever. I told them I promised the sale, so my word's my bond. You'll love Stain Solver if you've never used it. Go read some of the reviews. They're real, not made up. Look at the Before and After photos. They'll blow you away.

Here's the promo code for the discount. Remember, this promo code won't work a week from now:

25off

Sales ends on April 12, 2009.

White Linoleum That's Now Yellow

Cheryl, from Spring Hill, FL wrote to me:

"I purchased Armstrong Congoleum linoleum in white 7 years ago and it is turning yellow. It is no wax and I don't use wax on it. I like the flooring but don't know how to remove the yellow. Please help."

Well Cheryl, you may be in a world of hurt. My first questions to you are do you have a blacktop or asphalt driveway? Is the yellow in distinct pathways on the floor? If so, there's a 99 percent chance the yellow is caused by oils from the asphalt you're tracking in on your shoes. I say this assuming you don't take off your shoes after you enter your home.

Now, if you don't have asphalt, or you take off your shoes at the door and/or the yellow is uniform throughout the entire floor, it's possibly something in the cleaner you're using. If this is the case, contact Armstrong and see if they have a chemical that can bleach out the color that's in the clear protective layer.

Pictures of Pentagrams

I could use your help. I'm trying to locate photos of the circular painted geometric pentagrams that were very popular years ago on barns. The pentagram symbol is translated in two ways: some people feel it's evil and associated with witchcraft, while many feel it's a way to ward off evil from a homestead. I'm in the second group, and want to decorate my house to protect it from the lake monster and any liggers that might be in the forest that abuts my property.

I've noticed that here in New Hampshire many people use a five-pointed star in place of the geometric pentagram. The five-pointed star is the foundation of a pentagram design.

So I ask you, do you know of any of these colorful pentagrams? I've searched endlessly online for books that contain them, websites that have a collection, etc. I've already got the special waterproof plywood cut into perfect circles. I just need several patterns to mimic. I'd love to see actual close up photos of pentagrams that you might see on a barn. I'll take color designs as well. If you can help me, I'd appreciate it.

Applying Thinset to Concrete

I just taped and loaded nine new videos to my YouTube channel. I'll share them in the next newsletter, but if you can't wait just go to my AsktheBuilder YouTube channel.

You can subscribe to my channel while you're at it. Here's a quick tip about YouTube. Be sure to ALWAYS rate a video after you watch it. See the 5 stars below the video player? Click whatever star you think it's worth.

One of the videos I uploaded was about applying thinset to a concrete slab. You may want to watch this if you plan a tile project. I share a tip that I've never seen anywhere else. It has to do with suction. Dry concrete slabs can pull the moisture out of the thinset too quickly. I also explain in the video exactly what thinset is and why it's important to use with floor tile.

LED Flashlights

I just completed testing of some sweet LED flashlights made by Energizer. WOW is all I can say. I was so impressed that I'm using the topic for my syndicated column that still goes out to many papers. That's about to end, by the way, but I digress. Newspapers are disappearing faster than donuts out of a box at a police station. :-> I can see all the emails from law-enforcement officers now. ... Just kidding all you New Hampshire State Troopers.

Anyway, the coolest flashlight in the bunch I tested was one you wear on your head like a miner. Once I took the time to adjust the elastic straps, it was so comfortable I couldn't tell it was on. This model, and one with a swivel head, are equipped with red night-vision LEDs and a special green LED that enhances your vision when trying to inspect objects that have defects like cracks. They also have the normal bright white LEDs. The LEDs use much less power, so battery life is really enhanced. You'll love the compact Inspection LED flashlight that fits in a purse, your man purse or on your belt in a handsome fabric case that comes with the flashlight.

These flashlights would make great present for yourself if you're narcissistic (just kidding!), or if you want to create a grin on your significant other's face. You can't have too many flashlights as far as I'm concerned.

TheCabinetFolks.com Update

Several weeks ago, I told you about a company that sells kitchen and bath cabinets online. TheCabinetFolks.com

I got to meet Craig, one of the principals in the business, face-to-face a few days ago when he delivered a set of cabinets that we're using for a cool project. I was blown away by the quality of the cabinets as I inspected them. They're made as well as any I've installed in my long career.

Craig has launched a new website design that's getting better each week. If you have a project that needs one cabinet or 50, you should really go to his website. You can buy cabinets online safely, and they'll be delivered in great condition to your doorstep. I'm really confident you'll get better quality for less money than you'll spend at a big box store or even other cabinet dealer. When you contact Craig, ask him for the brand I used.

I'll continue to update you about this as I begin install them. Wait until you see some of the close up photos of these gorgeous white cabinets, not to mention the videos I'll tape about installing the cabinets.

Latest Columns

Ever wonder what it takes to be a building inspector?

Do you have some home repair plumbing to do?

Are you going to build a deck this year? Here are a few tips.

Are you new to home improvement? Discover floor tile facts here.

Do you think you want to get electricity from the air? Read my
wind-energy column.

Having a tough time Cleaning Tile Floor? Never Again!!!!!!

Next week it's Video Fest ! ! Buy Popcorn at the store this week!!!!

Click here to read past copies of my newsletters.

AsktheBuilder.com

Roof Shingles

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Roof shingles ended up in my yard after a storm. An inspection showed it’s time for new roofing shingles on my home. I’m perplexed as to what roof shingle to select after going to a recent home show. There are so many types and styles I’m having trouble picking my new shingle roofing. Aside from the shingles themselves, what else should I be concerned about to ensure my roof is leak-free in the future? Amber B., Landsdale, PA

DEAR AMBER: Asphalt roof shingles have to be the most common roofing material for residential homes, and I suspect you saw many at the show. Because they are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install, asphalt roofing shingles are the weapon of choice most builders, remodelers and homeowners select when they want to battle Mother Nature.

These architectural roof shingles have a very long warranty. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I’ve seen other homeowners stress about making color and texture selections for their asphalt-shingle roof. It makes sense, as the roof can sometimes be the most prominent feature of the home when you first see it. That’s the issue I have with my current home in New Hampshire. You drive down to the house from the road, and all you see is roof as you approach the house.

If your roof has a low slope, and you really can’t see the roof from the ground too well, try to relax. The best way to make a selection is to try to narrow your choice to just two or three shingles. Consider buying just one bundle of each, and have a handy man lay out the shingles over one another just as they would be nailed on your existing roof creating a square that measures about 6 feet by 6 feet. Stand at the street and look at each patch trying to imagine what the entire roof would look like. This experiment might only cost you $150 to do, and it only takes a couple of hours from start to finish. This beats looking at a small sample on a board sitting at your couch.

Shingle roofs, as you pointed out, come in several different species. Solar roof shingles are in the limelight now as we try to make better use of the sun’s free energy. If you start to consider this alternative, be sure to do the math. It could take many years before you break even on your investment. Metal roof shingles are also made that resemble both wood shakes and traditional asphalt shingles. When metal roofing shingles are installed correctly, they’ll very likely be the last roof you’ll pay for. A metal shingle roof can last generations.

Architectural roof shingles are something you should be looking at for sure. Manufacturers laminate two or more layers of different shapes of asphalt roofing to create depth in the shingle so it has a very handsome appearance. You can also get regular asphalt shingles that are oversized and have a shadow line built into them. These simulate the look of a slate roof. I have these on my garden shed, and will be installing them on my entire house this summer. From the street, these shingles do look like traditional slate.

Installing roof shingles may seem like a simple task, but there are some very mission-critical steps that need to be followed. I highly recommend you decide on the shingle you want, and then get from the manufacturer their written roof-shingle installation instructions. Every manufacturer prints these, and they are easy to obtain online or even on the wrapper of the shingles. It would be in your best interest to read these instructions so you can interview roofers to see which ones know exactly how to install your new roof.

When you install roofing shingles, you need to be concerned about the position, type and length of the nails that are being used. Pay attention to the requirement for underlayment. Since you live in a snowy area, you should really consider installing an ice-dam membrane along the edges of your roof, in valleys, at pitch changes, around skylights, etc. Traditional roofing felt or modern underlayments are always a great idea, and they may be called for in the written instructions as a warranty requirement. Almost always an underlayment is part of the fire classification of roof shingles.

Asphalt shingle roofing is a huge business, and it attracts all sorts of people both good and bad. Each year, I get hundreds of desperate emails from homeowners whose roof shingle installation has turned into a disaster. When the autopsy results are complete, the leaks can almost always be traced to poor workmanship at flashings.

Flashings are transitional roofing materials that connect the roof to things that aren’t the roof. For example, you have flashings at skylights, plumbing vent pipes, chimneys, valleys, dormers, exhaust ducts, turbine vents, etc. In other words, any place where a shingle touches up against something that’s not a shingle, you almost always need a flashing.

Books have been written about installing the many different types of flashings. Suffice it to say that you want a seasoned roofer that knows what tin, copper, soldering irons, and stick solder are. If you ask roofers who are bidding your job about these materials, and they chuckle pointing to their trusty caulk gun, you want to keep interviewing until you discover a roofer or two that can solder a vertical line that looks like a gorgeous line of knitted yarn.

Column 772

Tile Flooring

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Tim Carter

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring is enormously popular. It’s not a new fad by any stretch of the imagination, as floor tile can be found in countless older homes, no matter if they are mansions or modest small homes inhabited by everyday people. Floor tiles are sought after because of their beauty, durability, easy maintenance, waterproof characteristics and value. Keep in mind that tile floors are basically artificial rock. No wonder they’re so durable.

You may not have ever given a thought that the ceramic-tile floor in your home is artificial stone or rock. It is. Tile is made by taking pliable clay with varying amounts of silica in it, forming it into uniform shapes, coating it with a quartz-like glaze and then firing it in a hot kiln. Depending upon the temperature of the kiln and the length of time the tile stays in this hot environment, the chemistry and crystal structure of the clay changes. This change takes a soft, flexible clay and transforms it into a hard substance. The same thing is done to create brick. Some tile and brick are so hard, they can last outdoors for thousands of years with little or no wear, even in freezing environments.

Ceramic tile flooring is not immune to damage. If you drop heavy things on it, the tiles can chip or crack. That happened on my own kitchen tile floor in many areas. Soon after we moved into the first home I built for my family, we were hosting a party for the family. My sister-in-law was using a heavy metal spoon at the oven and dropped it. The spoon created a large chip in the white tile. The inside of the tile was a deep red, so the chip was very unsightly. I was able to repair it by filling the chipped area with epoxy to the exact height of the tile. I then painted the epoxy with a matching paint and coated the paint with four coats of clear water-based urethane. Only someone looking closely could see the defect.

Smaller chips happened at the dishwasher. Everyone who loaded dishes and silverware into the machine dropped something from time to time. These smaller chips were easier to repair, but they were a nuisance. Decorative throw rugs should have been used to cover the ceramic floor tiles at these high-risk locations.

Bathroom floor tile is undoubtedly the most common tile you’ll see in a home aside from tile on the walls around tubs and showers. When you grout around the individual tiles, you end up with a substantially waterproof floor. This is especially true if the tile is set in a traditional cement mud base, or to a slightly lesser extent set on cement board.

Dripping wet bodies leaving a shower or tub, or aggressive water sports in bathrooms can cause water to get on floors. Without the waterproof tile and water-resistant grout, the water would quickly cause rot to the wood under the tile. Houses constructed on concrete slabs don’t have this worry.

Porcelain tile flooring has really seen a large growth spurt since the year 2000. Because of its high silica content and the high temperature at which it’s fired, it’s extremely durable. Look closely at a porcelain floor tile that been cut or shattered and you’ll see that the color inside the tile is frequently the same as the top of the tile. Some porcelain tile has a design topcoat that’s a little different than the core, but for the most part the inside color of the tile is the same as the top surface you see. This is a distinct advantage if you feel your tile floor may be susceptible to chipping.

Installing floor tile is a craft. If you think you’ll master floor tile installation during your first weekend project, you need to put your crack pipe away. It takes hundreds of hours of experience to begin to get a feel for many of the different skills you need to ensure success with each job. Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that ceramic tile flooring has very little strength when subjected to tension.

Tension is a force that tries to stretch or bend things. Install floor tile over a subfloor that flexes or has dips in it and you’ll create tension when you step on the tile. The tile will try to bend or flex under your load due to the hollow area under the tile. If enough weight is loaded onto the tile, it will crack.

Column Q&A

Remove Drywall

Wall Removal

What’s in This Issue?

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

Bosch Multi-Construction Drill Bits

Pandora

Stain Solver Sale

White Linoleum That's Now Yellow

Pictures of Pentagrams

Applying Thinset to Concrete

LED Flashlights

TheCabinetFolks.com Update

Latest Columns

Tile Flooring

Expert Advice For Your Home