Ceramic Tile Patterns

Posted on by Tim Carter

Ceramic Tile Patterns

This is a unique ceramic tile pattern. This new tile mimics a pattern that is over one-hundred years old. It is no different than the running bond pattern found in brick walls. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is a unique ceramic tile pattern. This new tile mimics a pattern that is over one-hundred years old. It is no different than the running bond pattern found in brick walls. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Regular ceramic tile patterns are uninspiring. My visits to home centers put me in a ho-hum mood. I want a distinctive bathroom ceramic tile that will add value to my home setting it apart from all others when I go to sell. What are some of the most unique ceramic tile patterns you have installed? Something tells me the most interesting patterns will be hard to install. What secret ceramic tile installation tips can you share? Cheryl H., Hazelcrest, IL

DEAR CHERYL: If you think ceramic tile patterns are boring now, you should have seen the somewhat limited supply of patterns just twenty years ago. Go back even further in time and the choice gets smaller. The 4 and 1/4-inch square tiles found in many homes, including an original bathroom in my own home, are giving way to all sorts of interesting shapes and finishes.

In my opinion, your disinterest can be traced to a poor assortment of tile patterns. I suggest you widen your search for distinct ceramic tile patterns and make sure it includes one or two specialty ceramic tile stores that sell nothing but tile, marble and possibly granite. If you have several larger stores like this near you, they will forever change your opinion about the selection of products you find at the average home center.

One of the most exciting things about tile patterns is the ability to recreate certain time periods. For example, different types of ceramic tile both with and without exquisite trim tiles have been made since the late 1800's. If you want a period Victorian ceramic tile, it can be found, even one with a crackled glaze. Crackled glazing has hundreds of random cracks in the thin glazing. Many people love this unique look and pattern. Tiles that resemble 1950's ceramic tile is also available.

Perhaps the most interesting ceramic tile pattern I have installed is one that looks like a brick wall. The tiles are rectangular in shape measuring 2-inches high by 6-inches long. But it gets better. This particular tile comes with a special base tile that looks like a wood baseboard. It doesn't stop there, as you can also order a special cap tile or cornice tile that is a great wall to top off the 2x6 tile when used as a wainscoting in a bathroom where you only want the tile to extend up the wall three or four feet.

You can make your own patterns as well if you have access to a wet diamond saw. Last year my oldest daughter asked me to make a unique geometric pattern from two different-colored granites. One was a jet-black granite with gold specks, and the other was a golden light-colored granite with various crystals in it. I used the saw to cut different rectangles, squares and triangles of all different sizes that fit together much like a jigsaw puzzle. The finished product was exactly what my daughter wanted, and it is installed on the large wall of her tub and shower area.

Some of these unique patterns can be hard to install, while others are no different than the most common ceramic tile. When you go shopping, ask the salespeople if the tiles come with self-spacing lugs on the edges of the tile. These little lugs are small bumps on each edge that create uniform grout lines when the tiles are butted tightly against one another. The line between the tiles often looks very narrow as you install each tile, but because the edge of the tiles is almost always a soft 90-degree angle, the grout line ends up about one eighth-inch wide.

While each ceramic tile seems fairly light, the accumulated weight of many tiles is very heavy. You can tell that when you lift a box of tile. As you install tile, it is best to work from the bottom row and stack tile as you go up the wall. If the first row of tile is not supported by a strip of wood temporarily screwed into the cement or waterproof-gypsum board, then the tiles may slowly start to slide down the wall. You will have a huge mess if this happens.

If you are using a decorative base tile and all of the rest of the tile stacks on top of that, then the tops of the base tile must be set in an absolutely level line. This may require you to trim off the bottom of tiles that are placed on a floor that is out of level.

Pay strict attention to the type of adhesive that must be used with the tile you buy. Some tiles can be installed with organic mastic that resembles thick cake icing. Other tiles should be installed using thinset which resembles bricklayer's mortar. Thinset comes in both gray and white, so use white thinset for light-colored tiles.

Always wait 24 hours after the last tile is installed before you begin to grout tile. The grout should be very firm, not runny. Grout that is properly mixed will be so stiff it will barely slump or droop. Grout mixed to this thick consistency and then troweled into the joints will cure very hard if minimal water is used to clean the grout joints.

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Pouring Concrete

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Right at the top of my honey-do list is pouring concrete for a 15 by 25 feet patio at my home. The patio will be 5-inches thick. My calculations indicate this is almost six cubic yards of concrete. How many people will I need to help me pour this concrete slab. The closest I can get the concrete truck is 100 feet to the patio. What challenges do you see? Jay W., Green Bay, WI

DEAR JAY: Looking into the pouring-a-concrete-pad crystal ball, I see many challenges for you. This is a very big slab for a concrete rookie and his band of groupies. Without the proper number of people who have the right equipment and skills, I see nothing but problems. Lots of problems.

First, there are all sorts of ways to unload the concrete from the delivery truck into the forms for your concrete patio. I assume you are on a tight budget and can't afford the cost of a concrete pump that would make this job as easy as possible. You may be able to rent any number of motorized vehicles made to transport concrete. A skid-steer loader with a large bucket does a superb job as does a motorized hopper made specifically for moving concrete from a ready-mix truck to the patio.

If you are unable to get this equipment and must use traditional man-powered wheelbarrows, you must make sure your 100-foot travel distance is accurate. If this distance assumes the concrete truck is going to back onto your driveway, I sure hope your driveway was built to handle the load. A truck that carries that six-cubic yards of concrete in one load can weigh as much as 20 or 30 tons. You can order the concrete from some ready-mix concrete plants in small trucks that may only carry one or two cubic yards at a time. Large concrete trucks that carry 10 cubic yards of concrete can weigh in at a staggering 35 to 40 tons!

Pouring concrete can be hard work. Each wheelbarrow load can weigh hundreds of pounds. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Pouring concrete can be hard work. Each wheelbarrow load can weigh hundreds of pounds. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The topography of your yard is also important. If the yard is level, then moving the concrete from the truck to the patio forms will be somewhat easy. If a slope is involved, then the work will be very hard. A construction wheelbarrow full of concrete can weigh nearly four hundred pounds. Trying to push that up a slight grade is grueling work. Trying to hold back that weight going down a hill is a recipe for spilled loads. If you do have a sloped yard, then you will be transporting small loads in each wheelbarrow.

I estimate you will need a minimum of five people wheeling concrete. It only takes ten or fifteen seconds to fill a wheelbarrow with a full or partial load of concrete. The trip from the truck to the patio and back will be at least two minutes. Remember, concrete trucks only allow so much time to unload without charging you for extra truck time.

Once the concrete is dumped, you will need a minimum of three people, possibly four, to spread the concrete and screed it off. A screed is a 10-foot long aluminum or wood straightedge that is pulled across the wet concrete. The screed acts like a man-powered bulldozer by removing excess concrete. It also shows where the concrete is low.

Two people are needed to efficiently and accurately screed the concrete. The third person is spotting the deliveries of the concrete and using a concrete rake to puddle the concrete to the right height. This job requires great skill so the two people working the screed do not have to pull too much concrete with the screeding tool.

Prepare for hot or wet weather. High temperatures can accelerate the chemical reaction that causes the concrete to transform from a plastic mixture to man-made stone. You can have the concrete company add chemicals that will slow this reaction. Do not add water to the concrete mix to make it more plastic. This additional water dilutes the Portland cement making the concrete weaker than the original design strength.

All sorts of things can go wrong that will cause stress and problems as you pour the concrete. Wheelbarrows and other hand tools can break. Low pressure in the wheelbarrow tires can make wheeling nearly impossible. The concrete form boards can fail or bow because they were installed poorly.

You should place reinforcing steel in a concrete slab like this. A fourth person working inside the forms will be necessary to ensure the reinforcing steel is pulled up into the wet concrete. Steel mesh is often laid on the grade, and it must be pulled up with a large hook to get the steel into the center of the slab. If steel rods are used as the reinforcement, these must also be suspended above the grade so concrete flows under and over the steel.

Be very careful about getting wet concrete on your skin. The concrete is extremely alkaline, and can cause sever second and third-degree burns. I know this for a fact as it happened to me on a hot summer day pouring a large basement slab. I had two massive burns on my upper and lower leg that kept me from working for two weeks.

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Wood Router Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

A router is like a specialized drill with interchangeable bits for cutting and shaping wood. The various bits allow grooves to be cut and all sorts of fancy cuts to dress up or decorate a plain piece of wood.

The router has a depth adjustment for the bits. Most are adjustable for 1/16 to 3/4 inch deep cuts.

Before changing the router bits, be sure to unplug the electrical power cord from the power source. Router bits are extremely sharp so they can cut the wood. Be careful when handling and changing these bits.

Wood routers are great for dressing up the edges of wood of most projects. There are 20 - 30 different types of bit for making various shaped cuts. And they are available in a wide variety of diameters. Just use your imagination on how you can put a router to use on your next woodworking project.

Blueprints Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

What is the most important part of building a new house or that new room addition? The blueprints or specifications! What should be included in the plans?

There should be clear, crisp drawings with lots of notes and details. Detail drawings are smaller drawings for a specific area of the house to show the builder exactly what to do.

Interior elevations should also be included in the plans. These are pictures of a bathroom or kitchen, that shows the builder or remodeler where things will go.

Exterior elevations shows what the house or room will look like from the outside.

Specifications are written notes at the end of the blueprints. These would be too cumbersome on the drawing pages or may be too wordy. But they are needed on the plans.

Be sure that the blueprints have a separate page for the electrical wiring, showing the location of the outlets, fixtures and switches. This is very important.

There is a computer CD-Rom available that has over 5000 plans on it. This is a great way to see what plans look like and what should be included. This is from Dream Homes Source.

Good blueprints and specifications ensures that everyone involved in the project knows what is expected. Be sure yours are good, detailed and complete.

Copper Tubing Projects Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Copper Tubing Projects

Soldering copper tubing is not that hard, even if you are plumbing challenged. Some of the items you will need are lead free solder, plumbers abrasive cloth (like sandpaper), wire brush, flux and a torch.

The first step is to clean the copper tubing and fittings. Use the plumbers abrasive cloth to lightly sand the outside diameter of the tubing. The wire brush will be used to clean the inside of the fittings.

Once the fittings and tubing are bright and shiny, apply a small amount of flux to the outside of the tubing. The flux helps the solder attach to the pipe. Then insert the tubing into the fitting.

Very important, apply the heat to the joint, but do not apply the solder right away. Heat the fitting for about 10 seconds. Take the torch away and apply the solder. If the pipe and fitting have been properly heated, the solder will flow into the joint.

Follow these steps and practice a little and you will have great soldered joints every time.

Shovel Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Traditional shovels can be too big and too heavy for some people. There are shovels and spades available that are smaller and lighter weight. Ideal for use by some women.

These smaller shovels have the same profile and shape as their larger counterparts and they are just as strong. The smaller size is easier to handle. But it has the foot step on the blade and the D handle grip.

Border spades are also available in the smaller profile. These are used to cut sod or cut around your garden. The traditional spade takes a lot of force to push into the ground. The smaller blade takes less weight to push into the ground. Look for spade shovels with D handles made of metal, wood or stainless steel.

What is you have to dig a hole in the garden? The regular post hole digger is big and requires a lot of upper body strength to use. Check out the post hole digger that operates more like a backhoe. It has one blade that is driven into the ground. Then you pull a secondary handle than bends the blade over and scoops the dirt out of the hole. Another advantage of this style post hole digger is that the hole stays the same diameter all the way down.

Wood Siding Repair Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

When your project involves painting a piece of wood siding, here are some tips to help complete that job. Place the piece of siding on a solid wood plank. It does not matter what size the plank is, but it is helpful if it wider then the siding.

Instead of using the traditional paint brush, check out the mini-paint rollers that are now available. These smaller rollers allow you to apply the paint quickly and with very little mess.

You will still use the paint brush after the roller. A quick once over to give the siding that brushed look.

When painting an outside piece of siding, be sure to paint the back side also. Paint the back side first, so when you lay it on the drying rack, the front paint job does not get little marks in it.

Paint the back first, then the front. You will get a much better looking job.

Attach Wood To Concrete Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Attach Wood to Concrete - Easy with No Anchors

IMPORTANT NOTE: What you see in the video using regular nails should only be done when you know the wood will NEVER GET WET. If you use this method outdoors with treated lumber, then you MUST USE stainless-steel nails or double-dipped hot galvanized nails. You'll have to upsize the drilled hole to 5/16ths or 3/8th inches. Experiment until you have moderate resistance hammering in the nails.

Does your upcoming project require you to attach a piece of lumber to a concrete floor or concrete wall? Not sure how to do it? Here is a very easy method for attaching that wood to concrete without using all those concrete anchors.

You will need a hammer drill, 20 ounce hammer and some 16d nails. Insert a 1/4" masonry drill bit, 4 or 6 inches long, into the hammer drill. Drill through the wood and into the concrete. Pull the drill out occasionally to clear the shavings. Once the hole is drilled, take two nails and place them in the hole. Then drive both nails into the hole at the same time.

Drilling the two nails in at the same time will create a solid connection that will be almost impossible to pull out. Space the holes about 16" to 24" on centers and your wood will be firmly held in place.

Septic Systems Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Do you have a septic tank, how do you keep it working at the optimum condition? One way is to be sure you keep things like lacquer thinner, latex paint, chlorine bleach and antibacterial soaps out of the septic system. Why? Because all of these items kill the beneficial bacteria that works to dissolve food particles and bodily waste in the septic tank.

Garage disposers and septic systems can work together. The disposal will grind up the food into smaller pieces, increasing the surface area of the food. This allows the septic system to break down the food quicker. There is a garage disposer designed specifically for use with septic systems. It features an enzyme tank that injects the beneficial bacteria into the food as it is being ground.

Remember if you have a septic tank system, keep those bad chemicals out of the system. Get your system pumped out on a regular basis.

Read in the May 13, 2016 AsktheBuilder Newsletter why pumping out a septic tank is important.

Wood Glues Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Are you a hobbyist or wood worker? If so, you have probably used wood glues. The old standard is the yellow carpenter's glue. But there are more choices now. The yellow glue is still available but it is affected by water. It should not be used outside.

There is a dark wood glues. When the glue dries, it turns dark so the glue line is not as noticeable. Eliminates that white glue line.

The new woodworkers glue is designed for finish and trim carpentry inside work. It features a very quick setup time. Great when working with small trim pieces. The typical setup time is 5 to 10 seconds.

Polyurethane glue is waterproof. It sticks wood to wood, glass to wood. A very multi-purpose glue, almost like an epoxy. This glue actually uses the water in the wood and air to chemically cure. Be sure to clamp the wood pieces after glueing. As the glue dries, it turns to a foam and expands to fill in the area. Clamping the pieces will keep everything in the correct position.

Clamping the work pieces is a good idea when using any glue. This positions the joint until the glue is dry. Select the right glue for your next woodworking project.