Expert Answers in

ANSWER – If the subfloor and tile was replaced as specified, then the new tile floor should not have been any higher.   The tile installer should have known that the floor would be higher…

ANSWER – Apparently there were a number of compounding deficiencies in how the slate was sealed.

Slate is very dense and considered impervious.  If it is a true slate, its absorption is between 0.1% and…

ANSWER – Orange or rust like staining in stone can be caused by minerals within the stone or sometimes because the stone is in close proximity of metal.  The aforementioned conditions, plus the stone being subjected to…

ANSWER – Normally we don’t have problems finding natural stone to match existing installations for repairs.  Diano Reale has enough variation within it that I would expect you should find something…

ANSWER – First of all, if all the grout joints are failing, filling them with sealant only treats the symptom and not the underlying problem.  So it might not solve the problem.

If…

ANSWER – My first thought is that if the backer board is attached that well, why not leave it on and install over it?  If it is well attached then you…

ANSWER – There is no industry standard for defining what is first choice natural stone.  Unlike ceramic tile that defines Second Grade tiles as tiles meet the ANSI A137.1 requirements other than for facial defects,…

ANSWER – Not all sealers are compatible with each other.  There are sealers that are surface type sealers that will give the stone a wet look, but they are non-breathable sealers and not good for…

ANSWER – The joint between two adjacent tiles is referred to as the grout joint, which is what I think you are referring to.  I am also assuming that when you say zero joint you…

ANSWER – Efflorescence is generally a whitish stain caused by mineral precipitation.  Minerals within the concrete slab, the setting materials, and possibly the tile dissolve when subjected to moisture like salt in water.   The…