Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Exterior installation Installation Guidelines Installation Products - Adhesives Standards stone Vapor Barrier Waterproofing

What kind of Water Resistant Barrier or Vapor Barrier should be used For Exterior Tile Veneer Installations?

ANSWER  - W244E can be a ceramic or glass tile or a stone application for an exterior framed wall with cement backer board over it.   If it is a cementitious backer board then they would put…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Grout installation stone

Why Sanded Grout versus Unsanded Grout?

ANSWER - Unsanded cementitious grout should only be used in grout joint widths of 1/8 inch or smaller.  If you use it in wider grout joints it will tend to crack. Sanded grout should be…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Hollow Sounding Tiles Repairs stone

How do you repair hollow sounding tiles?

ANSWER - Hollow sounding tiles is not a defect per se.  Depending on the substrate and installation materials and methods being used the tile can have a hollow sound without anything being wrong. On the…

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Case Studies Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Glass Tile Training Why Choose Tile?

Why Choose Tile for your Home or Business?

Discover all of the benefits of tile, that is ceramic tile, ceramic porcelain tile, and glass tile by visiting www.WhyTile.com Learn about the…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Grout Standards stone

What are the standards for grout joint widths and properly filling with grout?

ANSWER - The Natural Stone Institute (previously the Marble Institute of America) Dimensional Design manual state that the grout joint on a stone should never be less than 1/16"  wide and preferably 1/8" wide.  To…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Chips Expert Answers Moisture Problems

Chips in Wood Looking Porcelain Tile

ANSWER - Chances are the hot metal melted the glazed tile surface.  If the tile body is porcelain then by definition it should be impervious and should not compromise the tiles' ability to resist moisture.

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Concrete Concrete Substrate Slab Debonding Tile Efflorescence Staining failures Moisture Problems Testing Vapor Barrier

What is the Acceptable Moisture Content in a Concrete Slab for a Tile Installation?

Answer - The ASTM F1869 Calcium Chloride membrane was the dominate test for years and depending on the tile installation manufacturer they would request a value of anywhere from 3% to 12% per 1,000 sf…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile color Variation Expert Answers Standards

What is Acceptable Color Variation from the Tile Sample Selected to What is Provided?

ANSWER - What is called Shade Variation is normal in the tile industry, but what is considered reasonable variation depends... In the industry we have what is called in ANSI A137.1 Aesthetic Classes, which is…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Discontinued Tile Expert Answers Glazed Tile

Where can I sell my Franciscan Interpace Tiles?

ANSWER - If the tiles are 12x12 inch in size, it probably is the Franciscan Terra Floor Waves series.  They had many different colors.  It was an extruded glazed tile that was very durable and…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Deflection Expert Answers failures Grout

How do you repair grout that comes loose so it doesn't continue to happen?

ANSWER - Grout joints in a 12x24 inch tile should be at least 1/8" wide otherwise the grout can't fill the joint as it should.  If the grout joint is 1/16" or less then chances…

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