Expert Answers in

ANSWER – Indent fracturing in natural stone is due to some sort of shrinkage.  It could be excessively thick thin-set and/or too wet and rich mortar.  Also it could be due to the kind of underlying…

ANSWER – It is possible to install tile over tile if the existing tile is in good condition.  If the existing tile is cracked then the new tile installed over it will crack.   In order…

Answer – We have seen and investigated commercial projects where there was a glazed porcelain tile floor and  some tiles got dirty easy and others didn’t.  We were able to evaluate the tiles with a microscope…

ANSWER – Looking at the photo you attached, my best guess is that someone used a time capsule fertilizer containing ferrous sulfate near the pool and broadcasted it into the pool.

I say that because the…

ANSWER – First of all you can’t install directly to exterior stucco wall without first removing the stucco.  Stucco is a weak cementitious material and too weak to bond tile to.

You can sandblast or…

ANSWER – What should have been done while installing the Hardibacker board on the walls, is the framing studs should have been shimmed and adjusted to make sure the Hardibacker board was plumb and square.

ANSWER – There must have been a sealer or some other coating on the tile for it to become sticky.  There are sealer strippers that can be purchased that should be able remove coatings that…

ANSWER – Tile having a hollow sound is not considered a defect in itself.  It can be a symptom of a defect.  There are many reasons why a tile can sound hollow.  It could be…

ANSWER – Per ANSI A108.10 Installation of grout in Tilework, it says that all grout joints shall be uniformly finished. Cushion edge tile shall be finished evenly to the depth of the cushion.

The grout…

ANSWER – Being in the mountains and having your pool subjected to snow and freezing conditions would suggest that your pool waterline tiles are not freeze-thaw stable.

Meaning that the tiles are porous enough that…