Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Expert Answers Indent Fractures Moisture Problems Optical Haze Stains

What are these Shadow Needle Shapes on my Porcelain tile?

ANSWER - With your description it is hard to determine exactly what is the condition. It could be intend fractures.  That is when there is excessive shrinkage and it causes intents in the tile that…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Expert Answers Grout Repairs

Why is my Unsanded Grout Cracking and how do I fix it?

ANSWER - There are many reasons why a grout will crack and come loose.  Unsanded grout is recommended for grout joints 1/8" wide down to 1/16" wide.  Sanded grout is recommended for grout joints that…

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Backer Board Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Expert Answers Exterior failures installation Plywood Substrate Standards

Why is by Exterior Covered Deck Tile Backer Board Installation Causing Tile to Crack?

ANSWER - Normally when you get cracking over a suspended floor following the joints of the tile backer board that the tile was bonded to, it is due to a combination of excessive deflection in…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Expert Answers Hollow Sounding Tiles Repairs

How do I keep the Hairline Cracks in my Ceramic Tiles from Getting Worse?

ANSWER - Normally when there are hairline cracks going continuously through a number of tiles including the grout joint, it suggests that there might be a crack i the substrate below it that is telegraphing…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Deflection Expert Answers failures Grout installation Movement Joints Repairs Sealant Caulk Waterproofing Wet Areas

How do I repair the Horizontal Grout Joint between the Bathtub and the Tile wall?

ANSWER -  The transition joint between the top of the bathtub flange and the wall tile is not supposed to be filled with a cementitious grout.  It should be filled with a resilient ASTM C920…

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cracks Expert Answers Indent Fractures Showers stone

Why able I getting Hairline Cracks in my Carrara Marble Shower?

ANSWER - Generally speaking cracks are either reflective cracking where the underlying substrate has a crack or separation and it telegraphs through the marble or there is structural cracking where the structure has excessive deflection…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Efflorescence Staining Expert Answers Grout Leak Maintenance Showers Stains

Why is water coming out of the grout on the side of our Shower?

ANSWER - From your photo the bottom edge of the wall tile where it is adjacent to the transition joint from the wall to the floor has efflorescence staining.  That suggests water is traveling from…

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Counter tops cracks Expert Answers Fabrication Slab stone

Is it normal to have a granite countertop have cracks that continue through the stone?

ANSWER - The Natural Stone Institute, formally the Marble Institute of America, Dimension Stone Design Manual states that "Cracks occur in stones as a result of man-made mechanically induced stresses during handling, fabrication, transport, or…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Debonding Tile Expert Answers failures Grout Hollow Sounding Tiles

What has caused some tiles in my Ceramic Tile Floor to become Hollow Sounding and the Grout To Crack?

ANSWER -  Hollow sounds  on a ceramic tile isn't a defect in itself, but it can be a symptom of a defect depending on the circumstances.   If portions of a tile is hollow sounding or…

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Counter tops cracks Expert Answers Inspections Slab stone Workmanship

What is the standard if a Stone Fabricator damages a slab and they can't find a matching replacement?

ANSWER -  It isn't clear from your description  exactly what the  conditions are, but generally speaking, if you have a countertop that is book-matched or if the veining is contiguous, and one of the slabs…

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