Expert Answers in Ceramic and Porcelain Tile

ANSWER - Thin-set mortars should not deteriorate from being exposed to moisture.  Most thin-set mortars are used in showers and in pools and fountains. Moisture that migrates into the concrete slab from the ground and…

ANSWER - There is a type 1 and a type 2 organic mastic.  Type 1 mastic is more water resistant, but only suitable for limited water exposure. Using the mastic on the kitchen backsplash is…

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…

ANSWER - Sealing a Saltillo tile doesn't waterproof the tile. Sealing the tile only makes it moisture resistant.  A sealer should help to minimize the white efflorescence staining, but it may or may not stop…

ANSWER - You should never adhere anything to a stucco finish on a wall.  The stucco is typically a cementitous material with a low amount of cement that makes it relatively weak.  You should remove…

ANSWER - It depends on what type of mat was used over the plywood on whether it is an acceptable installation method.  Although it would be ideal to install a waterproof membrane in areas that…

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…

ANSWER - I doubt that you have a glazed porcelain tile floor.  A glazed tile is a tile with a glass-like coating on the surface that can't be altered unless you have abused it in…

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…

ANSWER - You are asking a lot that can't be answered without performing a forensic inspection to determine what is causing the failures.  I can make some general statements that may or may not apply…